HELP WITH MY RuNNING!?!?

Question

I like to run to stay in shape. When i run long distances i get this really sharp pain in my side. Why does it happen? Is it uncommon? How to prevent it?

Thanks! :]

Answer 1

cramps are common, if i get them i push till they go away... but bananas help. and don't give up just cause of some sharp pain. try to limit high sugar foods, and improve your carbs. they will give you long distance energy.

as for stretching, its not good to stretch cold. but if you do say 20-40 jumping jacks to loosen and warm up your muscles, than stretching is good. don't over stretch, just stretch enough to make the muscle barely hurt, if it hurts to stretch back off a tad.

always stretch after running.

some tips, also check out running sites like runnersworld.com for tips aswell.

good luck :D

p.s. never underestimate diet, dont starve your body of what it needs, and then push yourself farther than the energy you have. if you run a lot, eat the amount needed to keep up the energy :D

too much sugar, not enough complex carbs (wheaties, potatoes, pasta etc...) not enough sodium (salt)

there are many sites with tips, based on how much you run.

Answer 2

yeah.. uh, i am not to sure if the banana thing is true.

but what you do to prevent this is breath through your nose and out your mouth. And try not to drink so much or eat before you run, those cause cramps.

But it's not un-common.

Eventually you will work tthrough themm. Because i run to stay in shape to =]

and i run alot and i dno't get them anymore.

Answer 3

thats called a cramp...no, they're not uncommon, just work through it.  actualy, eat lots of bannanas, they prevent cramps.  try not to eat or drink too much before running.  hope this works. :)

Answer 4

What you need to do before you run is stretch. Cramps are common when you don't stretch.  

Answer 5

These are called side stitches.  It happens because your body is digesting food while you are running.  To avoid them, eat no more than a small amount of food, i.e., a banana, no less than 2 hours before you run.  If you can wait longer before you run, i.e., 3 hours, that's better.

Answer 6

When I run sometimes I get a sharp pain right under my ribs so that I physically can't push on them to make them go away, so I usually slow down a little and really focus on breathing in through the nose and out through the mouth.

It hurts, but usually if I just keep running and focusing on my breathing it goes away after a couple minutes.

Also, my coach tells me not to eat for 3 hours before a big race, and that drinking milk in the morning might cause cramping in the run.