[RDK]

I discovered I have ADS partway through a race season and so have been beginning to try and address it while also doing some mountain races.
This means that the races, particularly longer (5 hour) ones have been less than ideal, given that I end up in Z3 for far too long. This explains why in the past in these longer events I’ve always faded half way and just focused on getting round for the remainder.

However, this year, since starting incorporating lots of Z2 into my training something interesting has happened. In longer events I’ve still had the mid-race fade and consequent drop in pace, appetite, motivation and HR (dropped from high 150s to mid 140s, AeT is 142) however what’s new is that about an hour later I come back to life and finish strong. Fuelling strategy hasn’t changed. I have gotten faster than previous years, but my splits are basically identical up until this point where I rally.

Now I know the real issue is the fact that I was in Z3 for so long and with the season over my focus is increasing AeT to address this. But what’s going on here? Is a few months of Z2 training helping me recover mid-race following a bonk?

Topic

[Anonymous]

Anonymous on October 15, 2021 at 4:53 pm #58160

RDK:
What you describe does not sound like what runners and cyclists can a ‘bonk’. A bonk will bring you to a walk, you balance will be messed up, your cognitive function slowed greatly, you’ll be ravenously hungry for sugar. Nothing a couple of candy bars and a Coke won’t fix. In fact after eating these things after a major bonk I was back to good form in the race within minutes.

My guess:
If you were at a HR of high 150s you were in Z3 and burning a lot of carbs. When you dropped to low 140s you went back into a fat burning mode. The more Z1-2 base training you do the less this will be an issue. Then when your AeT is high 150s you’ll still be in Z2 burning fat but moving much faster.

Scott