I do really good on workouts, drink enough water everyday. But I always get a side stitch/cramp after the first half of a 5k xc race. Or any race which matters, how do I prevent this?
I do really good on workouts, drink enough water everyday. But I always get a side stitch/cramp after the first half of a 5k xc race. Or any race which matters, how do I prevent this?
You are starting too fast.
If your coach is telling you to sprint out of the starting line to "get out of the pack" ignore him. Start at your pace, even go too slow if you must, but don't charge out of the gate.
Look if you get to the half way point "feeling too good" you can always run faster over the second half of the race. Starting too fast, cramping up is the worst way to attack a race.
I usually start off in a slightly faster pace but I feel really good at first. Also, I do so well on workouts. So I guess I just need to start a little slower, right?
Learn to belly breathe and don't consume any dairy the day or morning before. If you get a stitch purse your lips as you exhale.
Lay off the dairy and hydrate consistently
When I get a side stitch (always on my right side), I change my breathing so that I exhale every other time my left foot hits the ground. That often helps hold off the stitch. That pattern works if I'm breathing once every four steps (2 in, 2 out), but in a 5K race you may be pushing harder and so may need to exhale every time your left foot hits the ground (1 in, 1 out).
anxiousrunner wrote:
I usually start off in a slightly faster pace but I feel really good at first. Also, I do so well on workouts. So I guess I just need to start a little slower, right?
Ignore all this bs about dairy and breathing out on a certain foot. Your diaphram is cramping because you are running too fast. You probably think you are running pace, you are not.
If you start slower, you will not cramp up (at least the side stitch cramp.) When it's hot I often get stomach issues because I'm trying to balance staying hydrated with not having a full gut before a workout/race. So be wary of that, and hopefully it will be getting cooler and it wont be such an issue.
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