with my back against the wall

i would like to open this blog by saying this:

if you did something stupid and get yourself out of that stupid situation you have put yourself in, you have done amazing.

i joined an LSD (long slow distance) practice run yesterday and i put myself in a situation where i cannot be left behind because 1) i don't know the place, 2) i stashed my phone in a bag of a companion and 3) the route is mostly hills, which is more demanding on leg strength and conditioning. the worst part of it is, they all run faster and longer than i can.

what i did amazing?

my biggest problem in long distance running is endurance. i cannot run long without taking a walk break and the longer i run, i take more and longer walk breaks. i cannot do that in this particular run because i cannot afford to be left behind by the party.

in my desperate efforts to keep up with the party, i have developed what i have always wanted to develop. rhythmic breathing. with this, i was able to keep up with them throughout the run.
what went wrong?

well, almost. i hit the wall when my right leg cramped. this is because of dehydration. i used up my gatorade and water (which i bought along the way) and there was a stretch where there no store to buy hydration from. this is where my leg cramped.

when we saw a store, my coach told me to drink up not water but soda. i needed sugar that time so i gulped down a bottle of coke then i stretched. i was able to recover at the last kilometer to finish running.

what i started appreciating?

throughout the run, sweat run down from my head down to my face. when sweat get to my eyes, my eyes hurt a lot and my focus is distracted. i don't wanna wear my headband because i think it looks gay. yes, i have my own stereotype. XD but having gone through all the pain and sweat in my eyes, i think i will start wearing my headband in my next run. to hell with my stereotype. hahaha!

i am winding down my training since milo marathon is just 2 weeks away. my target this time is sub-2 hour performance. it won't be easy so i would need your support and prayers. cheers!

note: photo is not mine. no patent infringement intended. credit goes to the owner.

run breathe run

last night, i did intervals training. well, i attempted to do so. however, i wasn't able to finish the drill because i had side stitch while running. what is side stitch?

today, researchers refer to this nagging abdominal pain by the much more technical and scientific term, "exercise-related transient abdominal pain" (etap). regardless of what you call it, the pain is often enough to stop runners and swimmers in their tracks and hold their sides in agony.

so, i asked my coach why it happened. he told me that it has something to do with my breathing. he asked about my breathing rhythm and i told him that i inhale when my left foot strikes the ground and exhales the next time my left foot strikes the ground. i was told that i should've breathed differently according to my speed and effort. the slower i go, the slower i should breathe, he said.

well, i did some research and found out that he's right (more on that later) and it makes me feel proud and relieved that my coach actually know his thing. not that i doubt him but knowing he's no fluke makes my breathing easier. hehehe.

though the cause of side stitch is still unknown, there are some theories regarding its causes. they are as follows:

1. too much food intake before running
2. improper pacing
3. quick and shallow breathing
4. lack of warm-up

so, knowing the causes of side stitch, it is now easier to avoid it. so how do we avoid it, exactly? here's the list:

1. eat mildly pre-run
2. regulate your breathing
3. invest in a solid warmup

hmm, so what if i get side stitch during a run? there's a solution too! here's what you have to do:

as with any muscle cramp, the best immediate treatment is to try to stretch the cramping muscle as much as possible. how do you get to the diaphragm on the inside of your body?, try altering your breathing pattern. take a deep breath in as quickly as you can, to force the diaphragm down. hold the breath for a couple of seconds and then forcibly exhale through pursed lips to restrict the outward air flow. you may also find that bending forward can help you expel as much air as possible.

with all these new knowledge, i hope to get a better breathing rhythm in my runs and i hope to preven side stitch that stops me on my tracks during runs. i hope i helped you somehow, too!

happy running!

references:

http://sportsmedicine.about.com/cs/injuries/a/aa053100a.htm
http://askcoachjenny.runnersworld.com/2012/05/four-ways-to-stop-the-dreaded-side-stitch.html
http://www.bodyresults.com/e2sidestitches.asp