Beginner runner with a problem seeking advice from e perienced runners

mgodniak2106

Hi everyone,
Im a beginner runner who started running with couch to 5k app on 23rd of June this year. 3 days ago I managed to get my first 10k with a time of 59 minutes, but when I stopped running I started having some stomach issues. I was feeling quite nauseaus to the point that I couldn't eat anything for a good few hours after the run. I managed then to squeeze a banana and a slice of bread with peanut butter and that was it. I had a similar experience few days earlier when I got my first 8k. Similarly I felt quite sick after it for a few hours. I went for a run this morning and straight away I could feel I will struggle, just one of those days that my body was not up for much exercising so I only did 5k. I really struggled with it and again, after the run I felt really sick. So my question is to all you runners out there, have you had a similar experience? Is it a normal bodys reaction to a strainous exercise and one day my body will get used to it and will be OK or is there something wrong and I should slow down? Any advice will be greatly appreciated 😊

cbihatt

I am not an expert, but it sounds like you are pushing too hard. Like when football players go so hard at practice that they end up puking.

From your post, it sounds like you went from doing no running to running a 10k in about 2 months. I don’t know your fitness or activity level before you started running, but that seems like crazy fast progress to me for a beginner runner.

You may want to cut back on your weekly distance for awhile so your body can catch up.

Hannahwalksfar

Listen to your body. It’s clear it cannot handle what you’re making it do currently. Scale it back a bit

rcarter91

I've been running 10k and half marathon distances for 4 years and would have to say it sounds as though you may be running too strenuously too soon. It isn't uncommon to feel a little sick if you've sprinted the last bit of a race for example, but its important to build up your distances and slow down if needs be to build your stamina.

Additionally, it is very important to hydrate when running - especially distances of 5k or more. In the past I made the mistake of going for training runs of 6+ miles without taking on enough fluid and felt thoroughly grim at the end. I invested in a running belt that holds two small bottles of water and it made my longer runs much more enjoyable. Likewise, if you run on an empty stomach or too soon after eating you may find either impacts your tummy on your runs.

Take things steady and work out what works best for your body.

daveredvette

good job on increasing your distance and you are running a 10 min mile. You didn't mention if you ate before your 10k run. You need to eat something before longer runs. I eat a banana with PB before my runs. So try and have your PB and banana 30-45 min before. Like rcarter91 mention to also hydrate.

ThatJuJitsuWoman

What time of day do you run, and do you eat before you go? My ideal time to run is about 2 hours after breakfast, and there’s a limited number of foods I can eat which won’t affect my stomach.
If I run later in the day I have to make sure all my meals are light and that I leave a long gap between eating and running.

I agree with the others that you have gone from couch to 10k very quickly, so that may have something to do with it. I’ve been running since high school, but after pregnancy I had to start pretty much from scratch. I started with half a mile 3 times a week, and increased my long run by half a mile every week.

spiriteagle99

That's the way I feel after a hard race. It sounds like you are pushing the pace too much. Can you carry on a conversation as you run? Does it feel like an easy jog, or a hard workout? Slow down. At least 80% of your running should feel slow and easy. That allows you to build the endurance you need to go farther.

There is also the issue of hydration and nutrition. Not enough water or too much will give you stomach issues. Eating the wrong food just before a workout can also cause issues. Avoid a lot of fiber, fat and sugar just before you run. If you are running in the morning, fasted, then something light like a piece of bread or a banana may help settle your stomach.

Duck_Puddle

spiriteagle99 wrote: »

That's the way I feel after a hard race. It sounds like you are pushing the pace too much. Can you carry on a conversation as you run? Does it feel like an easy jog, or a hard workout? Slow down. At least 80% of your running should feel slow and easy. That allows you to build the endurance you need to go farther.

There is also the issue of hydration and nutrition. Not enough water or too much will give you stomach issues. Eating the wrong food just before a workout can also cause issues. Avoid a lot of fiber, fat and sugar just before you run. If you are running in the morning, fasted, then something light like a piece of bread or a banana may help settle your stomach.

All this.

Plus what is the weather like where you are? Has it been unusually hot/humid when you’ve done the runs where you felt ill?

apullum

Basically, everything that has been said. To sum up:

1. You could be pushing too hard for your current fitness level. Most runs should be done at an easy pace that would still allow you to carry on a conversation.
2. You could be getting overheated, especially if it's hotter/more humid than usual.
3. You could be underhydrated or overhydrated. If you're sweating a lot, it's a good idea to have an electrolyte drink instead of plain water.
4. You could be eating too much or not enough before your run.
5. You could be eating "heavy" food before your run.
6. You could be eating too soon before you run, not giving your food enough time to digest.
7. If you're working out fasted, your body may just not be into that. Some people can work out fine fasted, and some can't. I can only run about 5k fasted.

mgodniak2106

Hi everyone,
Thank you for all your replies! I can't remember what I did food wise for my 8k but for the 10k I had a pasta lunch around 3,5-4 hours before the run. I admit I didn't drink while running cause I didn't expect to do 10k. I think I was hydrated OK for it but I generally drink less than an avarage person because that's how I'm built. I rarely feel thirsty. The temperatures are a bit more up than usual so that might be a thing. I felt OK when I was running my 10k and as I said before, I wasn't planning on running it, I was aiming for 5k but because I felt good I pushed for 10. Today on the other hand I went for a run first thing this morning, fasted and straight away I knew I'm going to struggle. Don't know why, maybe just not my day. So both times completely different approach with slightly different results but same stomach issues. I'm going to experiment a bit after reading all your suggestions and maybe I will slow down a bit as well. The thing is that I only push myself because at the time I feel OK, it's the aftermath that is annoying lol guess maybe my body will adjust eventually as well. Will look into hydration and nutrition and pace and see if it makes a difference 😊thanks again for your help! I'll let you know how I get on. No running tomorrow though 😂😁

mgodniak2106

cbihatt wrote: »

I am not an expert, but it sounds like you are pushing too hard. Like when football players go so hard at practice that they end up puking.

From your post, it sounds like you went from doing no running to running a 10k in about 2 months. I don’t know your fitness or activity level before you started running, but that seems like crazy fast progress to me for a beginner runner.

You may want to cut back on your weekly distance for awhile so your body can catch up.

I do martial arts and a lot of cardio training during the week so maybe that's why I managed to progress so fast🤔I was quite surprised myself. I know I sometimes push myself maybe a bit too much but at the same time, I listen to my body and when I feel I'm overtrained I will rest, sometimes for a good few days. Will try to maybe stick to 5k for thetimebeing😊

emmamcgarity

I started c25k in February and completed it in the prescribed 9 weeks for the program. After a few months I started the b210k program which is a 6 week program building from 5k to 10k. I’ll complete those last 2 runs this week. It does sound to me like you are doing too much too fast. I’m learning that having a training plan is useful to help your body adjust to running further and/or faster. When I have pushed myself to run further or sooner than my training plan, I have ended up injured. Are you wearing a fitness tracker while running? You might look at the heart rate data if so and see if you are working too long at a max heart rate. I have set my tracker to give me my pace every half mile so that I can adjust my pace if I am running slower or faster than I have planned for my training runs. I try to remember the rule of thumb about training at a conversational pace as well. You might also look to see if your city has a local Parkrun event or any running training clubs. It’s a great way to connect with local runners and learn more from their experience.

1BlueAurora

I noticed you mentioned that you don't get thirsty. Typically, you are already somewhat dehydrated well before you experience thirst. So drink a little more even if you're not thirsty.

Bootzey

Runners belly. All that jiggling will affect your stomach. I wear compression around my belly when I run to keep things still-er

taylor3636

What are you eating before your run? I know for me that eating too much and not eating enough can really effect me. I’ve learned that my stomach likes to have a granola bar or some light snack before a run.

chelny

This sounds like the same problem I had last summer. For me, it was a problem of hydration & electrolytes. Trying to drink plain water after the race made me feel sicker & nauseated. Having Gatorade, then a little food, made me feel better. Now instead of Gatorade, I use Nuun tablets or sometimes salt capsules. I also plan ahead to try to be well hydrated before a run in the hot weather. I don’t feel thirsty, either, and I really don’t like drinking on my runs. But if I’m doing more than an hour, I know I need the hydration.

Contrary to some of the posts above, I sometimes run before breakfast. If I do eat first, it has to be like 2-3 hours before running or I get cramps. I feel like the food aspect is very individual , and you need to figure out what works for you.

jcmetzke

Hi, I (think) I am an experienced runner - 18 marathons, 1 ultra and multiple half marathons

I find everyone is different but I am very much like you. I can not even look at food for a good few hours after a long run or training session or race. It is not ideal but it is something that I try to manage since recovery is an extremely important part of the process!.

For me I can stomach a chocolate milk drink after I run, this gives me the right amount of protein, carbs and fat to aid in my recovery until I can eat again... or if I don't have that, I try to down a Gatorade/Powerade... even if it is just a few sips it is something! As soon as I get my appetite back I usually go for eggs or something similar.

mgodniak2106

Thanks again everyone. As I said before, I sometimes run fasted or sometimes a few hours after food but that depends on what time of the day I am running, which can also vary greatly. I sometimes run first thing in the morning and sometimes after an hour of cardio or strength and conditioning class and I never had a problem. It all started with increasing my distance. First nausea was after my 8k then 10k and yesterday after my morning 5k but that was unusual. Maybe it's hydration because this is the only constant thing with these runs. Maybe my body was coping with lack of water with my 5k runs but once I increased the distance it became too much? 🤔I might try to address this and see if it makes a difference. My other question in this case would be: how do you know when to supplement electrolytes, or just salt or just water?

chelny

From conversations I've had with people at running groups, they will tell you what they do, but everyone is different. How they hydrate may work for them, but not for someone else. It takes trial and error to find what works for you. Especially if your stomach is sensitive to some products.

Personally, I am working very hard to be well hydrated before a long run (like the day before a long run), and I take a Salt Stick capsule an hour or so before running. I bring Nuun beverage with me, but have water in the car or know there's a water fountain on the route. This is working for me thus far, but I'm still new to the realization that hydration was my main problem (after 10 years of running and not having a problem).

SCoil123

You said you started C25K on June 23rd and you are now already running twice that distance. That is an 8-9 week training program though. Did you take any rest days at all? The program is designed to help you build your runs at a healthy pace gradually. Did you run at all before starting? It sounds like too much too soon and over training.

mgodniak2106

Hello! Thank you for the replies. So there's a little update. I went for my martial art class yesterday and as soon as I started the class I started having bad stomach cramps. I was drinking throughout the class thinking it my be hydration related but it made no difference. The cramps started to ease off when I finished the class. By the time I got home I was ready to eat something. So it would seem this is not running related, but potentially just exercise related. The only thing that I changed recently is that I increased my calorie intake by around 200 per day. I was on a low calorie intake (1340) as I'm still trying to lose weight but i started to feel fatigued for prolonged periods of time, so decided to drop my weight loss rate in favour of more calories. And I think not long after this I started having my stomach issues🤔 I'm really quite lost here and not sure what to do now.

mgodniak2106

SCoil123 wrote: »

You said you started C25K on June 23rd and you are now already running twice that distance. That is an 8-9 week training program though. Did you take any rest days at all? The program is designed to help you build your runs at a healthy pace gradually. Did you run at all before starting? It sounds like too much too soon and over training.

Hi! Thank you for your reply. I finished using the app only a little bit faster maybe like mid way through week 8 but only because I was running 5k by then and the app was really distracting. My running wasn't very regular due to work. I work long hours so Im not able to fit running in those days do I would run everyday for maybe 2-3 days and then have a 3 to 4 days if no running. So I can't say that 8 was heavily overdoing it and really, I was feeling fine until recently. Now I have also discovered that these stomach problems are more general exercise related than just specifically to running. I don't know what is going on 🤷‍♀️

rcarter91

Sounds to me like it may be worth a trip to the doctor who can advise further.

SCoil123

mgodniak2106 wrote: »

SCoil123 wrote: »

You said you started C25K on June 23rd and you are now already running twice that distance. That is an 8-9 week training program though. Did you take any rest days at all? The program is designed to help you build your runs at a healthy pace gradually. Did you run at all before starting? It sounds like too much too soon and over training.

Hi! Thank you for your reply. I finished using the app only a little bit faster maybe like mid way through week 8 but only because I was running 5k by then and the app was really distracting. My running wasn't very regular due to work. I work long hours so Im not able to fit running in those days do I would run everyday for maybe 2-3 days and then have a 3 to 4 days if no running. So I can't say that 8 was heavily overdoing it and really, I was feeling fine until recently. Now I have also discovered that these stomach problems are more general exercise related than just specifically to running. I don't know what is going on 🤷‍♀️

So C25K would have had you at an easy steady 5k run last week if the program had been followed, starting June 23rd. To be running double that now already still looks like too much too soon. I personally would be concerned about shin splints and soft tissue inflammation increasing that quickly. I run 2-3 days a week and started 2yr a go with C25K. I usually run 3-4 miles unless I am training for an event still now but I know plenty of others (my husband for one) who can easily do further who have also been running for awhile.

C25K is a 8-9wk program running 3-4 days a week (recommenced 9 weeks running 3 days on alternating days but I did it in 8 running both days every weekend). It does not sound like you followed this program from what you’ve posted, which is fine since no program is right for everyone.

There are reasons why these programs are designed to build run distance and speed gradually. It helps your body adjust to the activity and avoid injury. You haven’t given your body adequate time and training to build up to what you are currently doing.