As the first dew covered cars rolled into the parking lot, I could imagine the guy's thoughts when they pulled in for the first work day of the week and saw me sitting there on the hood of my trusty red Volvo wagon, parts in my lap..."Oh crap, what's this goofball need now?"
I felt kinda like a begger on the street vying for passer by's attention..."hey guys, can you help me fix my stuff?", rattling the electrode ends in place of a few loose coins in a tin cup. Fortunately, the old school tech Steve took it all in stride. Into the back room of the shop and a few quick checks of the peripherals and the differential diagnosis was completed; bad power cable in the tig torch. A quick purchase and I was back in business...why can't these guys work over the weekend too?
A quick check for function once hooked back up and I was off working on the June bar schedule. Based on the flow seen here on Aki's Ti bar, I think the welder is working smooth again...
This bar is going on a custom frame that Stevie over at Coconino is working on. Check it out on his blog, http://coconinocycles.blogspot.com/With renewed urgency to catch up, the day wore on. Pretty soon, my little ball of string began to wind down. A quick check of the clock told the tale of why, 0130 in the morning. Crap! I gotta get up in four hours to go to the FD. A quick run home, a few email replies, more food than I should have ate due to the late hour/ endorphin rush and I was off to beddy by . A good day overall, nice to have the shop flowing again.
Now, I promised y'all a contest for this month, so I want to introduce your prize..XOOD!
This electrolyte replacement drink mix was thought up by two cardiologists in AZ to fill a performance drink need; a no non-sense full strength replacement beverage with mild taste, no artificial coloring or flavors, and easy digestion. These two guys believe so hardily in their product that they have funded the entire project with their own capital, sponsor grass root athletes, and have been very supportive of advancing dietary performance technology beginning at the local scene.
Ok, despite all the techno babble, let me tell you, this stuff works. The last couple of months, I've been dieting and riding hard (for me), a recipe for major bonking. Using XOOD, I've been successful in avoiding physical deterioration, avoiding cramps and dehydration. A friend, Emily Francone, is racing for them this year and I was so impressed with the product, I promised to help spread the word.
So, I want to pass on a 10 pack to one of you to try. If you are interested in gobbling up some of this yummy stuff, simply tell us all about your worst Bonk episode. I want to hear the gory details... in a fatigued state, did you run into a tree in front of your riding buddies, forget to unclip and fall over at the group rest break, or just babble incoherently as you finally arrived at the trailhead...all things I have done :) Post it up in the comments area for all to see. Oh yeah, gotta be a regular reader/follower to win...never to late to register (hint hint).
I'll let the kids decide who gets the goods, the rest of us will just enjoy learning more about you through your story.
cheers,
rody
8 comments:
Only time I have every really bonked was the first time I road on a real mtn bike trail. My pal Earl Bob and another coworker called Merrill Calloway and I went up to Tsali in the spring of 88. I hadn't really ridden much in the mtns being from south Florida originally and had never ridden a mtn bike in anger much off road. I went out WAY to hard WAY to early trying to keep up with Earl who was still 'only' a NORBA Expert at that point. I mean hey, I'm from Florida, right, I had a BMX mindset about this offroad thing. Did I mention I hadn't bothered to eat breakfast? Nor did I bring lunch with me, did I mention that? And that the bike I had borrowed was about 2 sizes too small, does that ring a bell? Anyway, less than half way through the trail and I started to fade. We stopped for lunch that I didn't have any of and then were back off again. Back then Tsali was only one trail that combined, IIRC most of Left and Right, and was about 16 miles or so. I had to walk, barely, almost the entire rest of the way back to the car, was delirious and had one of the worst headaches of my life short of a migrane.
I've been riding many years and still "bonk" occasionally,but the worst bonk of all time that I remember was one of my first. I was a new rider and was invited to go down to some place called Velo Z. I went with a friend and we were meeting his friend down there and we rode,these guys had been riding for a while and lived in Pittsburgh and rode all the gnarly stuff there and kept up a fast pace. I barely get a few miles into this course trying to hang and of course trying to show that I could I start to feel nauseous and began to slow way down. Before I knew it I was ralphing all over the place. So we packed it up I was white as a ghost I remember laying in this guys parents' house on the floor sipping hot tea and eating toast to help settle my stomach. I literally laid there for hours before I could get up with out breaking out into a cold sweat and vomiting. It just seemed like the day would never end. It was a long two hour car ride home. I also have another story from this past summer that I could tell,but don't want to bore the readers. Basically I didn't bonk on the trail but right after,jumped in the car to go home and a few miles on rt. 30e I began to get a "tingling" feeling in my arms and legs and my forehead was sweating like crazy. Before I knew it I couldn't open my hands,seriously I had lobster claws and began to panic.I eventually pulled over on the high way and stumbled to the berm on the side of the road, and sure enough vomited everywhere but still had that horrible sensation in my arms,couldn't even open my cell phone and thought about calling 911. I was scared and alone. I didn't make home with out stopping two more times to vomit. Basically I was depleted. I talked to my cardiologist about it weeks later and he basically said I was on the verge of "blacking out" due to poor blood and oxygen levels,does that sound right? more or less not the right food or rest gets me every time. Sure would love to try some free xood!
I bonked at a local trail, about 16-17 miles, that I normally am able to ride a very fast pace. I was not fueling my body properly foolishly trying to cut calories.
I was maybe 12 miles into the ride and I felt like I was in slow motion. Usually at this time I am able to climb on my single speed passing the geared riders easily. This time I was barely able to move and being crushed by slow riders on heavy all mountain bikes. Eventually I could not ride at all. I had to get off the bike and walk and that was hard.
I try to make my way out of the trail but I am disoriented and wind up back in the same place that I got off the bike. I continue walking, now mind you this is not a hard place to exit from, and I feel like a rat in a maze. I just can't get out and I can't really walk anymore either. My mind keeps drifting and I feel like I'm dreaming.
I keep walking with the bike and trying to ride it out but my legs are totally uncooperative; I just can't pedal and it is really confusing me more. How can this be. I know I need to eat but I have no food and start thinking about eating leaves or berries like I'm stranded deep in some secluded woodland. Yeah, this secluded woodland is in friggin Long Island, New York and five minutes from any number of roads but I'm walking in circles for what seems like forever.
I finally find my way out and stupidly drive home, however while I'm driving I fell like I am riding my bike. I am leaning in the car while I'm turning and trying to use both feet like I'm pedaling, which does not work in a car.(gas brake, gas brake, gas brake, gas brake, gas brake) This was the most surreal feeling. I'm in a car and I remember thinking that I was turning too fast and I was going to lose traction.
I return home somehow treating my car like a bike the whole way and now I unable to mow the lawn or do anything else that is basically in trade for my bike ride. My wife is hammering me for being lazy and she does not understand that I am wiped out and miserable.
Never again, I hydrate crazy amounts before I ride and eat properly. I also carry gel, dried apples and a spare power bar now.
A week later I prepared well for the ride (same weather conditions) and powered through the whole trail at speed. I came out of the trail strong and feeling like another loop was no problem. What a difference.
courtesy of Bushpig...
I was young and full of pride about the state of my fitness, particularly relative to the guy I was planning to ride 70 miles with. How confident? Well, my breakfast was a bowl of fruit loops and I rode a mountain bike with slicks. I brought no food on the ride and one bottle. I hadn't ridden with my buddy for about a year and didn't figure on an improvement in his fitness. I certainly hadn't followed his rise to the national road team.
We started heading on the "out" leg of an out and back ride. At around 25 miles of wheel-sucking and scrambling not to get dropped, I was starting to feel ... strange. I told him I had to stop, wobbled off my bike and started throwing up. "I'm fine. I'm fine," I insisted and sent him on his way. I was dizzy and sort of sat on the shoulder for 15-20 minutes. Then I mounted my bike and began to limp home. Riding back around 7 miles I got to the visitor center that welcomed new guests to our city. I was not feeling much better despite my humiliatingly slow pace. I made my way to the bath room and spent 30 minutes or so alternating between drinking water from the tap and throwing up. Somehow, this regime made me feel better. I got my second wind. Or perhaps I got a second bat to hit myself in the face with...
A tailwind had picked up and I was refreshed. Rather than humbly making my way home, I put it in the big ring and starting hammering home. I maintained that intensity for around 15 minutes until, suddenly, I just lost it. Everything went at once. My balance was gone. The nausea was bag with doubled, tripled intensity. Worst still, I was losing vision. My focus became narrow and colors lost vividness - I was almost seeing monochrome. I wasn't able to hear sounds clearly - everything sounded like it was under water, indistinct and burbly. I put the bike down, but couldn't walk. I literally crawled to a small motel and pleaded with them to call an ambulance. They just looked at me, that is, until I started throwing up in their garbage can.
When the ambulance came, the paramedics were sure that I was in a diabetic shock. Funny what pride can do! 11 hours of IV at the ER later I was good as gold and ready to do it all over again. Well, maybe not ready for that, but ready for a ride. I wish I had Xood that day!
Seriously guys, 94 regular readers and over 400 views in 2 days and we've only got 4 brave souls willing to share their stories of woe?
Ok, so be it...Mike, Doug, RMB, and the Bush Piggy all get some XOOD for their efforts to entertain, share, and man up to being vulnerable (Group hug now?)
Congrats guys, you are the victors of the bonk!
cheers,
rody
Yes, we all win. wooo hooo.
I rode the Athens Gravel Rouser for the first time this year. I had been a long time roadie but took a few years off due to 3 knee surgeries, family, building a house, all that "life" stuff. I picked up my first real mountain bike last summer. Put a bunch of miles on it and was pumped to do the Gravel Rouser. 20 miles of back roads out to Lake Hope, 10 mile loop at the lake, and 20 miles back to A-town.
The ride out was great, though it started cold (low 30's). By the time we got to the lake, some of the layers came off. We met in by the stick pile near the Hope Furnace. A few quick instructions and off we went. I had to get out of the way more than once, but I am not in competitive shape, so I was fine with that. I settled in with a group of 3 others and we were enjoying the ride.
We came up on an intersection and one of the guys yells "left!" and we all head to the left. Climbing back up the hill I had one of the worst leg cramps I ever remember having, I almost crashed trying to stop and get my leg stretched out. The other riders go on. I get stretched out and walk the bike some. Once it levels out a little I started riding again. I t almost hurt to ride downhill.
Not much farther, I end up back at a trail we were already on! We were supposed to go right, not left earlier. So I can barley ride, I am separated from the group and on the wrong trail, and I just added 5 miles to the loop. I pedaled up the trail a ways until it came close to the road. I climbed out of the woods and slowly pedaled back to the parking lot. I was afraid I would be riding back by myself.
Most of the riders were already on the way back to town. There were a couple left waiting for everyone to come out of the woods. Luckily the sag truck was still there and had extra room. I was pretty disappointed, but happy to have the ride back to town.
I plan to be better prepared for next year.
Hey Rody, greeting from Osaka.
Steel luv is nice (yes I have 2) but Ti luv should be nicer!
Can't wait to have "Ti Amo" for my next bike. Very beautiful bead, mmmm...stoked.
-Aki
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