The bonk begins when both blood sugar and stored glycogen is depleted and your body doesn't convert fat stores to into fuel fast enough. In otherwords your body runs out of fuel. Like any motor vehicle out of fuel you go nowere. Since it's a fuel thing, all you need to do is keep the tank fueled. Unlike your car or truck with a fuel gauge your body does not have a gauge to monitor. Therefore, you must continually fuel your body throughout long rides. As with your motor vehicle there are good fuels which keep your motor running smooth and others that cause your motor to ping.

There are lots of foods to try. In the "old days" we would eat little ham and cheese sandwiches. These days there are sports drinks, energy bars and gels specially formulated to digest quickly and get the fuel to the muscles efficiently. However, each of the different producet affects digestive systems differently. So you need to experiment on your short training rides to see which product is good fuel for you.

There are complex formulas for when and how much to fuel. Lisa Dortman, a sports nutricionist, has three suggestions.

The first step is to insure that you begin the ride with a full tank. Step two continually fuels the tank just enough to insure maximum efficiency without giving you that sluggish feeling. The last step will help you to recover and get you ready for your next long ride. In the case of the Seattle to Portaland ride, that next big ride is the next day.

Bonking is a humbling experience that can be prevented by following this simple plan. Find the food that is right for you and learn how to feed on the move without falling off the pace.