Can someone explain what happend? I completely blew up

mortimer99

I was out on a ride today which is a loop of 28 miles and about 2100 ft of climbing in 3 hills. On the climbs I was pushing my FTP power of about 265w and sometimes over that (which is where I went wrong, I spent 20% of the ride at threshold and 13% at VO2 Max) and my HR was about 165 (on the climbs) which is my LT. The last 9 miles is a false flat, and I was exhausted, my HR was average was 155 and my average power was 194w. I was sitting on with my friend and I could just hang on.

I am guessing that I went too hard on the hills but I am wondering physically what happened? I have only been riding with my Power Meter for about a week, so keeping my power at a reasonable variance is still quite new.

Insight is appreciated.

BTW, if it matters I am 39 and weight 183lbs (or 83kg) I had a goo about half way and a bottle of gatorade and 1 bottle of water on the ride.

daveryanwyoming

Sounds to me like you bonked. You might have gone too hard on the early hills but you might have run through your glycogen stores as well. Did you ride yesterday and or the day before? Are you refueling with carbs and some protein right after you get home from your rides?

A week isn't enough time to really dial in your power levels or FTP either, you might have overestimated your FTP and need to take it a bit easier on the hills. It could also be a lot of other stuff like life stress or lack of sleep catching up with you. Anyway, we all blow up and we all bonk now and again. The former you can avoid with good pacing and the latter with good feeding but it happens to everyone sooner or later.

-Dave

mortimer99

thanks for the insight.

I have an endourx drink when I get done with any ride over an hour and didn't ride on Sunday, but did ride all the rest of last week. you may be right on the overestimateing my FTP, I will have to recheck that one.

Thanks again

sl@enposte.net

19 miles (28 - 9) with 2100 feet of climbing seems a bit short for bonking. How long did it take you to do that? Over or under two hours? If well over two hours then perhaps that is the explanation.

However if you where under two hours I suspect you just spent too much time in your VO2Max range.

mortimer99

Thanks for the insight. It was 28 miles (I'm not quite understanding the 28-9 reference). We did it in 1:44. If my FTP is accurate I spent 13% of the ride at VO2Max. which is probably too much I am guessing.

sl@enposte.net

The impression your first post gave was that you blew up and sufferred through the last 9 miles... So your problems are in the first 19.... and that's where you want to look for answers.

If your overall time was 1:44, then presumably you blew up at about one hour, so it is (I think) far more probable that you went into VO2Max for too long.