posted by [identity profile] actionreplay.livejournal.com at 04:43pm on 10/06/2008
Well done and congratulations!

Also: great description! I wonder if, like running, the last bit is miserable because your blood sugar drops? Or just fatigue?

Cycling home makes you a glutton for punishment though.... why didn't you take the offer of a lift, or were they going to the pub?

Edited Date: 2008-06-10 04:44 pm (UTC)
 
posted by [identity profile] damerell.livejournal.com at 04:59pm on 10/06/2008
It's not blood sugar - low blood sugar is the "bonk", and it's a killer. Any event over about 50k is long enough to use up a complete load of food - several times over on a 300k. You'll notice several feed stops in the ride report - if you're not careful the bonk can strike pretty much anywhere after you use up last night's bushel of pasta or whatever, and there's no reason to particularly expect it at the end. I think it's more just soreness, the way that riding in the dark gives little sense of progress, and what Alex calls the "80% distance blues" (which strike regardless of the total distance, it just feels like you've done the job and are just being made to suffer for the sake of it).

I never travel by car - nasty habit - although if there had been a pub open at 0100 in rural Berks I would have limped over to it by bike and had some more moist delicious beer. I wonder if I should start caching a bottle at the event HQ.
Edited Date: 2008-06-10 05:00 pm (UTC)
 
posted by [identity profile] actionreplay.livejournal.com at 05:08pm on 10/06/2008
Ah thanks. Yes, I did notice the food stops. Marathon runners are more vulnerable to hitting the wall after mile 20 or so - although their food stops will be more like energy gels or sports drinks rather than a meal.

But yeah I'd be tired well before 300k! Well done again!
 
posted by [identity profile] damerell.livejournal.com at 05:10pm on 10/06/2008
Conversely if I ran 2.6 miles I'd die, let alone 26. I'm puggled after 260 yards. :-)
 
posted by [identity profile] actionreplay.livejournal.com at 05:11pm on 10/06/2008
Not interested in running 26 miles myself. Far more interested in a faster 10k...

Edited to add: Makes sense though: running uses the hamstrings and calves more, cycling perhaps the quads? I know my quads are really not conditioned to long aerobic exercise right now, as I'm working on my gait and so using them slightly more. I'm back to beginner running status as a result (that and the enforced break).
Edited Date: 2008-06-10 05:14 pm (UTC)
 
posted by [identity profile] damerell.livejournal.com at 05:21pm on 10/06/2008
I dunno about muscles - what running doesn't work well with is me being asthmatic.

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