I used to have this problem until one of my PT buddies gave me some advice for battling it mid-run:
-Breathe in and out normally 3 times.
-On the next breath, take a much larger than normal breath and let all of the air out of your lungs. I mean to the point to where you almost feel like you're suffocating.
-Repeat this until the stitch absolves.
This has always been effective for me.
Excess oxygen buildup will normally be the cause, so removal of that excess tends to take the stitch away.
Wow I literally experienced the same thing today and jogged parts of my last mile. And it was also hot.
Eat potassium
Side-aches were never chronic with me, but they would creep up in racing form time to time. Usually early to mid season before I'd get fit. As dorkey as it sounds, I started to do a few, may 10 sit-ups right before racing. I felt like it tightened/firmed up my core and it was less apt to spasm. It worked for me. Looked stupid - Everyone else doing run-outs and a guy decides to to 10 quick sit-ups.
Getting rid of a stitch is EASY.
Normal breath in, then a huge breathe out expelling all of the air from your lungs. Normal breath in, huge breathe out expelling all of the air from your lungs, and then do it one more time. You’ll lose a few seconds, but it works. I actually raced yesterday, got a stitch and did my usual trick and it went. The variable I am blaming is diet/hydration. It was a midday race! So, I either had too much milk (one extra coffee!) or not enough water.
knightwing wrote:
I used to have this problem until one of my PT buddies gave me some advice for battling it mid-run:
-Breathe in and out normally 3 times.
-On the next breath, take a much larger than normal breath and let all of the air out of your lungs. I mean to the point to where you almost feel like you're suffocating.
-Repeat this until the stitch absolves.
This has always been effective for me.
Excess oxygen buildup will normally be the cause, so removal of that excess tends to take the stitch away.
Will definitely try this if it happens in the middle of my race. Last race, it was 60-64° rainy and I was able to stay stitch-free until about 400-500m to go, and even then it was only mild and I was able to push right through it.
Not going to reply to everyone individually, so just a collective, "thank you for your advice!" everyone else.
DistanceRunner68 wrote:
Zede wrote:
Same problem and never completely solved. It happens usually in 10k races, so in intense and extended breathing effort, usually after half of the race.
I suppose that there is a complex system on the right side with scalene muscles, intercostal muscles, phrenic nerve, diaphragm
You said never completely solved? Did you find anything the helped at all or did you just have to learn how to cope with it?
in acute, pressing the stitch point with fingers, it helps to finish races in decent way.
I'm trying exercises to strengthen upper body front and back. Also during training neck movements in "radcliffe style" to relax the zone, obviously every many steps, not that every step like Radcliffe ;-)
Let's see.
Outside of proper hydration, a key fact to note is that exercise-associated cramping is multifactorial and can occur without any dehydration or electrolyte imbalance. While dehydration and electrolyte imbalances are an important contributor to cramping for many, in most cases, cramping is related to muscular and nervous system fatigue. Thus, proper training, heat acclimatization, nutrition, and rest coming into a long event in the heat are also critical factors to consider. Regardless of your hydration and nutrition strategy, anytime the body is pushed past what it's accustomed to, fatigue ensues, often in the form of cramps.
It is very possible that you were having an issue with your hydration. It is possible that you were not getting enough sodium, which makes it likely that you didn’t have the same thirst drive and didn’t drink enough. That said, remember that cramping is multi-factorial. Anything that is going to cause you to fatigue earlier may also lead to cramping. This can range the gamut from training, hydration, electrolyte balance, thermal regulation, weather, fuel, and even the novelty of the terrain or pacing strategy. Break down the runs and explore whether there were other changes to your routine or other possible bottlenecks. I’m willing to bet it was hydration (especially if it happens more in the heat), but remember that there are a lot of additional variables that could have contributed to the perfect and unfortunate storm of cramping.