Have to pee while running?

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starrynight1929
starrynight1929 Posts: 92 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I used to drink a lot of diet coke instead of water, so I had 4 glasses of water 2 hours before I ran today. I went to the bathroom before I ran.

About half a mile into my run, I had to go to the bathroom reallllly badly. It was so bad that I had to walk the rest of the way.

Anyone have any suggestions on how to prevent this, but also be hydrated for a run?
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Replies

  • vtmoon
    vtmoon Posts: 3,436 Member
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    I go pee right before running, and I drink then too.
  • Flixie00
    Flixie00 Posts: 1,195 Member
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    I don't. I did a 10 mile run today, and went out shortly after getting up in the morning with no food or drink. I used to take a water bottle with me, but worked out that I run better fasted.
  • bluefox9er
    bluefox9er Posts: 2,917 Member
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    I don't. I did a 10 mile run today, and went out shortly after getting up in the morning with no food or drink. I used to take a water bottle with me, but worked out that I run better fasted.

    ^^ this ^^ I run fasted too, and if I do eat, it's oatmeal 2 hours before at the very earliest. Make good hydration a habit.
  • 1223345
    1223345 Posts: 1,386 Member
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    You don't really need 4 glasses. You could just have one or two. Just drink a glass of water after the run.
  • MelisRunning
    MelisRunning Posts: 819 Member
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    I am very, very careful about what I eat/drink before a run... learned that lesson the hard way. Visiting the trees when you are running w/ a group is embarrassing. Before a run I have (this is a ritual, mind you) one serving of grits and one cup of coffee. This is one to 1 1/2 hrs before the run. This gives things a chance to move through the "system". No more embarrassment. Problem solved.
  • starrynight1929
    starrynight1929 Posts: 92 Member
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    Thanks for your responses!

    I'm surprised so many people don't drink much (if anything) before running. I have tried that before but I got so thirsty and dizzy.

    Maybe I need to drink more water overall...
  • krhn
    krhn Posts: 781 Member
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    Have one glass before you run, then take a water bottle and sip during the run...
    obviously bathroom before the run! You should be fine! :bigsmile:
  • waterwing
    waterwing Posts: 214 Member
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    I usually run on an empty stomach in the morning but sometimes I will have a glass of hot water with lemon juice. I find that it hydrates me and doesn't cause me to need to stop.

    It does take your body a bit of time to get used to being properly hydrated so hang in there and keep drinking lots of water!
  • bfpower
    bfpower Posts: 92 Member
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    One of the keys is staying hydrated ALL the time. If I am not fully hydrated and I drink a lot before/during a workout I have to make some 4 trips to the bathroom later.

    On the other hand, if I'm doing my 8 glasses daily, I usually don't have too much of a problem with urinary interruptions. And the folks saying one glass before a run are correct - you'll probably have better results that way.
  • biff54928
    biff54928 Posts: 35
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    Love this topic! I don't run but I do get out and walk when the weather is good so I know how you feel about having to pee... I am a country girl that of course lives in the country and thank god I do! "If" I can hold it I wait until I get down our road and I can just squat in the ditch and if I can't hold it I go to a neighbors. I try not to drink a lot of water or coffee before going for a walk and chew gum while walking to help keep my mouth moist
  • bobf279
    bobf279 Posts: 342 Member
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    I always go before I run, I don't overload with fluids before I run but when it is really hot I take a water bottle with me. I have had to stop and pee before but fortunately it was in a place where I could hide in the bushes
  • alychil820
    alychil820 Posts: 219 Member
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    I always pee before running, and I never run with a water bottle. I only do short runs though (3-5miles)
  • sleona
    sleona Posts: 29
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    I eat very little before running. I do not drink very much before running either, but I am a very hydrated person in general, as I only drink water and carbonated water. I would recommend drinking less prior to running. I would imagine you can feel all that water in your stomach which must make for an uncomfortable run!
  • RunnerElizabeth
    RunnerElizabeth Posts: 1,091 Member
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    If you are running around first thing in the morning, you should have taken care of your hydration the day before. I drink 48 to 64 oz of water after 5pm the night before my long run. Yes, I get up every couple of hours to pee, but I can handle a 12 or 13 mile run without having to stop. Of course on my long runs, I have a public bathroom I can stop at half way thru if I need it. Helps to consider bathroom breaks when planning runs. But the most important thing is if you are consistently hydrated, you won't have to worry about chugging a bunch of water before you go out.
  • castelluzzo99
    castelluzzo99 Posts: 313 Member
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    Thanks for your responses!

    I'm surprised so many people don't drink much (if anything) before running. I have tried that before but I got so thirsty and dizzy.

    Maybe I need to drink more water overall...

    At this time of year, I probably wouldn't bother with water, but when it's hot, I carry water or better yet, an electrolyte drink. I don't tank up before, because then I get a stomach cramp a couple of blocks down the road, just drink 8-12 ounces.

    How much water do you drink every day? Soda pop is dehydrating, so you might want to think about drinking it less often. I mean, you can do what you want, but once I heard a lady talking about skin care and make-up, and she said that soda pop is really bad for the skin because of it being dehydrating. You've probably noticed the cute little cup of water at the bottom of the food diary page. See if you can make 8 eight-ounce cups a day, but not right before a run. That's like drinking a bunch of water right before bed! LOL!
  • starrynight1929
    starrynight1929 Posts: 92 Member
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    At this time of year, I probably wouldn't bother with water, but when it's hot, I carry water or better yet, an electrolyte drink. I don't tank up before, because then I get a stomach cramp a couple of blocks down the road, just drink 8-12 ounces.

    How much water do you drink every day? Soda pop is dehydrating, so you might want to think about drinking it less often. I mean, you can do what you want, but once I heard a lady talking about skin care and make-up, and she said that soda pop is really bad for the skin because of it being dehydrating. You've probably noticed the cute little cup of water at the bottom of the food diary page. See if you can make 8 eight-ounce cups a day, but not right before a run. That's like drinking a bunch of water right before bed! LOL!

    Well I used to drink 6 cans of diet coke a day. Now my limit is 2, and I can't have any at all until I drink at least 4 8-oz servings of water. I'm kind of addicted to it :-/ and it does make my skin look bad

    On weekends I replace the soda with green tea, is that also dehydrating?
  • castelluzzo99
    castelluzzo99 Posts: 313 Member
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    I don't know much about green tea, since I never drink it, but what I do know is that it is superior to black tea in so many ways, and has a lot of good properties, like antioxidants. I believe it is pretty low in caffeine, which is also a diuretic, but only in large quantities, according to the Mayo Clinic, so it's probably not an issue, and way better than soda! So you might try drinking that more often during the week.

    I'm not going to tell you what to do, but if I were you, I would try to work toward having soda only on special occasions, like a party or a movie night or something, instead of regularly. I don't know how much you are spending on it (dispensing machines are more costly than buying a 6-pack or a 12-pack or by the liter), but maybe you could save the money you would have spent on it and do something fun with it, like buy a cute bikini or something for the body you're working toward, or go to an event that you would otherwise not do because of funds.
  • joyfulrunner22
    joyfulrunner22 Posts: 33 Member
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    As long as you are well hydrated before you start your run you should not need to drink before you start. Drinking a large amount of liquid could actually slow you down. Make sure you drink plenty of water throughout the day and you should not have a problem.
  • abideedum
    abideedum Posts: 71 Member
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    Just pee outside? I guess this depends where you run, i walk and run outside in areas. seven day hike and you have to go outside so i have kinda got over that fear. However yeah if your in a street then i'd say hold it in and walk back sharpish!
  • JessHealthKick
    JessHealthKick Posts: 800 Member
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    I personally drink about 3L of water a day. I am always sure to use the bathroom just before exercising and straight after. Just give your body some time to get used to adjusting to all the lovely water you're feeding it :) Also, you shouldn't have to have 4 glasses at once - space them out more evenly. I just continuously drink all day, probably every 30mins I have some water.

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