Have you ever had the experience of bonking? If you have, you’ll know the answer to this quiz. Otherwise, you’ll have to guess the right response. What is bonking?
1. The moment when you realize you’re at the tennis court and all of your gear (your racket, drink and balls) is back in the garage
2. The sight of the numbers on the bathroom scale climbing to a new high
3. The feel of frustration when you try on three pairs of jeans and they all are too tight
4. The sight of little purple men running up and down the street during a long-distance race
5. The point at which you are so miserably full that you can’t possibly eat another bite of food—and yet you do
If you guessed number 4, you are correct. Bonking refers to a phenomenon that runners frequently experience during long-distance events. When runner bonk, their minds may continue to work, but their legs and feet quit. Or their legs and feet may be working fine, but they begin to hallucinate. One runner described seeing little purple men climbing nearby cliffs; another runner reported seeing creatures that belonged in a Dr. Seuss book. Leg cramping or muscle pain seems trivial in comparison to a full-blown bonk, where the runner reaches the limits of endurance.
Most of us won’t push ourselves hard enough to experience bonking, which is runners’ shorthand for running out of energy. But we can still work toward greater intensity, whether our exercise is a brisk walk, a swim in a pool, an hour of yoga or a competitive game of tennis.
Photo courtesy of Clinton Cardozo
Location: www.sxc.hu
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