I suppose it happens to all athletes at some point in time. A person can only push themselves so far and for so long. At some point in time the body just can't sustain exertion. Cyclists call it bonking, others call it hitting the wall. That's just what I've done. I'm not sure if it was a combination of the heat and exertion or what but, yesterday I slammed face first into that unseen wall of fatigue and being unable to continue. The feeling is overwhelming for anyone who's faced this I'm sure can understand and for myself was a complete shock to my system. I was ill prepared for the impact.
I started off as I normally do working up my cadence and effort as I cycled along an unknown course. I like to change my scenery often and so, I don't plan ahead of time what direction I'll ride until I get to an intersection. Yesterday, my eyes were set on the mountains. I made my way towards the mountains taking my time and not wasting my energy. Once I reached the base of the mountain I took a deep breath and a few drinks of water and made my gut check. For those who cycle, the mountain is a category 3 climb with 8% inclines in places. Not the most grueling but, for an amateur like myself it's a very intense climb. It leaves my legs screaming and my heart racing. I feel like I've lost 2 pounds of water by the time I reach the top.
Today was a complete gut check. As I made my assent I could just feel my energy levels draining. I was for some reason loosing strength and my cadence slowing. Being that this was not my first time up the climb I am familiar with my normal cadence up the road. I wasn't close. I checked my gear thinking I may have been in a higher gear than normal but, wasn't. I was struggling with only a quarter way up. "What the f&@k," I thought to myself. I was confused and my effort was messing with my head.
Midway and I was doing everything just to keep moving forward. I was yanking on the handlebars as I put everything I had into pushing/pulling on the pedals. I didn't even look up I concentrated on 10 feet in front of me. I didn't want to see how much further I had.
At three quarters I was exhausted. I was sucking wind just to continue breathing. My mouth was dry but, I was afraid to take a drink for fear of losing my breath. My legs at this time were on fire and I was beginning to shake. I was getting chills even though it was 90 degrees out and I was in the sun. I wanted to stop and turn around and just let gravity pull me back to the bottom and go home. I pushed on.
The top has a nice spot to pull off on and rest and that's just what I did. I drank 20 ounces of Gatorade and prepared for the descent. I was completely spent. I couldn't get the lactic acid out of my legs and I still had the chills.
I made my way home. My plan for the day was to make it a long ride but, I knew I'd never make it. My turn off to go home just happened to be blocked by a few trucks and ended up making a detour which I regret. I ended up adding 10 miles onto my ride and once home collapsed in a chair and just sat. I don't know for how long I sat, quite a while by my estimates. I spent the rest of the evening trying to get my energy back.
A day later and I am still exhausted. I don't have much strength. I've been exercising for years and know the feeling. I hit a wall yesterday. It is only the third time I can remember this happening. It is a combination of too much, too often, not following an optimal diet for the effort and not getting enough rest. I should have listened to my body more closely. My diet wasn't bad but, my rest hasn't been there and I knew it.
I'm writing this as a follow up to my last post. Listen to your body and don't tell it to shut up unless you have to or are willing to accept the outcomes. I knew I was in bad shape before even hitting the quarter way mark on the climb yesterday but, pushed on. Smart decision, that's a personal choice. I enjoy pushing myself as far as I can. I know that I will have days like this and just have to refuel and rest to recover. It is something that annoys my wife but, I just can't help doing it from time to time. I feel I improve, even a fraction, after every time I do so. But, know your limits!
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