CRAMPS! Is it about WHAT I eat?

doriharvey

I have completed a c25K program and did my first 5k in 37 minutes the beginning of October. I have continued running 3 times a week and use Jeff Galloway 2:1 interval music to help me increase my speed. Just in the past two weeks I have been getting cramps under my rib cage within the very first run segment.... I am not going "all out" in that run and I always do the five minute warm up walk.

I hold the cramp, press it, rub it, limp along trying to get it to go away but I haven't stopped doing my best. As long as I keep a moderate pace by the end of the 6th run segment it begins to go away but I still feel a little discomfort during the cool down walk and then it goes away.

Yesterday I attended a holiday open house at downtown businesses and ate more sugary fatty stuff than usual. Later when doing my normal run I had more energy in my legs, lifted them higher and maintained a faster pace overall than ever before. I'm thinking it can't be the crap I ate that did this???? I didn't have ANY cramps what so ever.

Then I realized that I usually have a high fiber granola bar or cookie in the early afternoon or late morning and yesterday I did not.

Could the fiber bars be causing my discomfort during runs as much as 2 - 4 hours later??

Any advice/ thoughts welcome, realize I am still fairly new at this.

timeasterday

Sounds like a side stitch. What you eat and when you eat it can cause this. Typically it's from eating too close to your run, or too much. I avoid anything with fiber before a run. That stuff takes a lot more time to digest and can cause an unexpected trip to the restroom, usually at the most inconvenient times. Before a run I like a small amount simple carbs.

likitisplit

I think the only thing to do is try skipping the granola bar and see what happens. You also might want to try hydrating with gatorade at another time and see whether the simple carbs are also boosting your performance.