Problems running

Khorner84

I would love to be a runner. Anytime i jog/run i get side and belly cramps.....bad enough that i have to stop. I have been avoiding running for years because of this reason. Anyone have any suggestions or know why this is happening?

wolfchild59

If I get an upset stmach or cramps while running it's typically one of three reasons:

1. Running on an empty stomach
2. Running on too full of a stomach
- general rule for the above, two hours after a normal meal, three-four hours after a really big meal, 30 minutes after a light snack like a Luna Bar or Banana
3. I drank too much water too close to starting my run. I try to stop 30-45 minutes before a run and use the bathroom immediately before

Those are my experiences, I'm sure other folks will have others.

PBmaria

It sounds like you're not breathing properly or maybe you're just going too fast for your lungs to keep up.
When it hurts, take BIG breaths from your belly, NOT your chest (does that make sense?)

Running really does get easier so don't get discouraged!!

AZTrailRunner

Research "Side Stitch" + "running". There are a ton of websites that address this and give stretches and proper warm-ups to prevent it.

jamiealdridge02

It could be a lot of different things including dehydration, hunger, too much food before running, etc. Can you run at all? I would suggest drinking water throughout the day and eating a light snack before you run. I would also run as far as you can until you get a cramp, then stop, walk until it goes away and run again. I deal with side sttches a lot and I've been running consistently for almost 4 years. I find it gets better the more I run Good luck and I'm curious to see other repsonses. BTW-I did a full marathon and two half marathons with no cramps at all-but lots during training.

calderst

Do you eat or drink right before you run? I have to wait at least 90 minutes after I eat or I get crampy queasy; same if I guzzle water.

Also, have you tried slowing your pace? I usually only get side stitches when I'm going at a faster pace than what I can maintain. Try going slower than you feel like you need to. If you can't manage to say a short sentence, you're probably running too hard (for endurance building).

If neither of those help-- just a thought-- do you have any other medical issues? Or pain in the same area when you do any other activities? I recently had surgery for endometriosis-- running in general but especially downhill running would really exacerbate my pain because of the repeated impact. Just this evening I went on my first post-surgery run and was able to push even on the downhills because the awful stabbing pain was gone!

wbgolden

Research "Side Stitch" + "running". There are a ton of websites that address this and give stretches and proper warm-ups to prevent it.

Thanks for saving me the typing

Really though...this is what I did (search google as suggested) and it completely helped when I was starting out.

Khorner84

Thanks everyone for the responses! Ill check out side stitches.