I run about 1-1.5 miles every tues/thurs. while running my legs feel fine and everything but sometimes i get pain around the lower portion of my stomach (cramps?). What is causing these and how can i reduce it? Does that mean i am not running enough weekly or what?
Could be anything- not enough water, too much water, too soon after drinking/eating. Why do you need to run?
IMO the things that cause cramps and whatnot is your diet. If I eat a lot of crappy foods and a lot of greasy foods the next time I work out I feel shitty and might get cramps. Cramps are horrible I hate them.
i ate a banana, drank some emergen-c then ran 10-15mins after that. earlier in the day i had a tuna sandwich, and a granola bar. why am i running? well wrestling practice starts friday, and coach says were going to run alot. want to get a head start to make sure i can run however long he wants us to run.
if I were you I wouldn't eat or drink so close to a workout. Try to drink plenty of water all the time you have before you run, then stop like an hour before you run. Also stay away from salty greasy foods. I cramp up like a motherfucker if I'm not careful what I eat and when.
2nd the above. Eat at least an hour before you run. Okay to sip some water until you run, but don't drink 8 oz and then run 5 minutes later. Also, how do I say this.................. I make sure I take a good dump so my stomachs not full from dinner or breakfast (I run at lunch). I usually eat an apple, yogurt and 4oz (measured dry) of oatmeal. That always works for me.
Also, check your breathing patterns. I notice that sometimes if I start cramping up if I focus on deep breathing and visualizing breathing to the area of my torso that this can make them go away.
What you're experiencing is a side stitch. Apparently, and I just read this recently, most people exhale when their right foot hits the ground and this causes strain on your (medical term here). According to Menshealth, in their column titled "18 things you should teach your body now" exhaling as your left foot hits the ground will help prevent this cramp. I think the article is still on the menshealth web site. Good luck
hmm bacon, can you give me the title or any more info on location the article? i ran today again, and it happened. i walked for about 15 seconds, then it wasnt that bad and i finished my mile. i ate a banana and drank an hour and a half before, then just took some more water before leaving the house. so i think its probably what bacon and desertbake are saying. also, desert can you rephrease what you said? how should i breath? and ill try to find the article bacon is reffering to.
This used to happen to me back in the day. One day while cramping up, almost instinctually, I flexed my abs as intensely as I could and held for 20 seconds or so (while continuing with my run). When I relaxed the cramps were gone. I would rinse/repeat if they came along again. I don't know what the medical explaination is for this, or if there even is one, but it worked for me.
Dont run when your full of something, drink water, run on an empty stomach, breathe in slowly, exhale slowly. Control you breathing pattern, trust me it will help during wrestling.
hey, just found this thread again and i wanna say that i no longer get these. I just make sure to stretch well, and i breath deeply and evenly like someone reccomended.
