While cramping is annoying to many runners, it can be severe enough to stop some people in their tracks. The best way to prevent a cramp is to stop it from happening in the first place. Here are a few tips to prevent getting painful cramps.

Drink lots of water. If I could give any beginning runner one tip, this one would be it. All the sweat you produce when you run is water leaving your body. If you are a heavy sweater, you could lose up to 5% of your body weight on a run, causing painful cramps as well as other problems. Bring water on your runs and make sure to drink it.

Stretch. Don’t skip stretching before and after every run.

Eat right. If you continually get cramps, you may be deficient in potassium, sodium, calcium, or magnesium. Try eating healthier.

Watch for triggers. Not everyone gets cramps for the same reason. Pay attention to what you do and the level of your cramps. You may find you can’t eat too closely to your run, or that something else is increasing your cramps.

Practice deep breathing. Not only will this help you feel better, the more you concentrate on your breathing, the less you concentrate on the pain.

To learn more you can go to diet and nutrition for runners or go to my forum and ask a question and I will address it personally.

If you have any questions or topics you would like for me to talk about Email them. Until next time, have a Great Run. Sign up for my newsletter for more tips.

Running blisters can be a pain if you do not take care of your feet. Skin can be very sensitive to the constant moving and rubbing caused from regular running. In addition to chafing, another painful skin problem runners often face is blisters. Here are a few tips to help prevent and treat running shoe blisters.

Prevention:
1. Don’t wear just any old socks; get one’s made especially for running. A good pair of running socks are made of materials less likely to absorb moisture and cause blisters.

2. If you get blisters on your toes, try wrapping them in micropore tape before long runs or races.

3. Apply a product called bodyglide to your feet. It prevents blisters and helps to protect the skin.

Treatment:

Drain the blister using a needle and cotton to absorb the liquid. You can also drain it by removing the fluid with a hypodermic needle.
Apply an antiseptic or antibiotic cream and cover with a bandage to prevent infection.

To learn more you can go to running shoes for runners or go to my forum and ask a question and I will address it personally.

If you have any questions or topics you would like for me to talk about Email them. Until next time, have a Great Run. Sign up for my newsletter for more tips.
Thanks,
John
TheRunnersGuide

Runners at one point or another get the dreaded side stitches. The sharp pain is normally below the rib cage on the right side of the belly. A side stitch is common in distance runners and usually they need to slow down or even stop to eliminate the pain.
In the past there was no real cause for this uncomfortable cramp. Recently though, researches believe the side stitch is caused by the stretching of ligaments from the diaphragm to the liver. Most runners usually breathe out every three to four steps depending on their running gait and speed. Runners who exhale when their right foot strikes the ground are more apt to receive side stitches.

If you receive a stitch while you are running, stop immediately and place your hand on the right side of the stomach and push up and move the liver slightly. Make sure you breathe in and out evenly while you are pushing up. Do this until the pain is gone and you feel comfortable to run.
Here are a few tips to help you prevent side stitches.

1. To prevent a side cramp, take deep breaths evenly while running and try to breathe out when your left foot hits the ground.
2. Eat a light meal three or four hours before you run. This will help with having nothing in your stomach and decreasing the chances of a stitch.
3. Stretching the core is also important. Raise your right arm up and lean toward the left side for 15 to 20 seconds. Then stretch the other side doing the same exercise.
4. Make sure you hydrate well before the race. Take in your last drink about an hour before you run. Making sure you hydrate before you run will help prevent cramps.
5. Warm up properly before you run. Make sure you jog lightly for a mile before you run a tempo run or a race.

To learn more you can go to breathing exercises for runners or go to my forum and I will address them personally.

If you have any questions or topics you would like for me to talk about Email them. Until next time, have a Great Run. Sign up for my newsletter for more tips.
Thanks,
John
TheRunnersGuide