Running Upright Relieves Cramps

17 Jul 2019   fitness

A few friends and I are running the second half of the San Francisco Marathon on Sunday, July 28th. I’ve been pretty good about following a ten week training schedule - haven’t missed a day so far. (This is in stark contrast with half marathon I ran two years ago, for which I was woefully unprepared.)

Something I’ve noticed while training: midway through long runs, I tend to cramp up in my abdomen area - a sharp stabbing pain right underneath my rib cage. Apparently it’s called a “side stitch” (Wikipedia). In any case, it’s no fun, so I’ve put some effort into figuring out how to mitigate/prevent.

The obvious remedy is simply to slow down. To catch my breath. But to do so is to admit defeat, and I will not let the cramp win. Another pretty common piece of advice is to drink more water. Unfortunately, I don’t have much anecdotal evidence for this one, as my hydration has been solid over the past couple of weeks (shout out to my new huge water bottle).

In any case, here’s what’s worked for me:

• Breathing in through the nose, out through the mouth
  • It’s probably less about the nose/mouth thing and more about controlling my breathing. (And in fact, a quick Google search reveals that breathing through the nose is inefficient and dumb. It’s all about controlling your breathing.)
• Running upright
  • It’s probably less about my posture and more about pulling back a bit, but not enough to feel like I’m cheating. (Again, a quick Google search reveals that leaning forward is the remedy, not standing upright. I’m just a weirdo.)
• Pinching oneself
  • According to something someone once said, the best way to stop feeling intense pain in one area of your body is to start feeling intense pain elsewhere on your body. Don’t believe me? Try it next time you have a cramp - 10/10 relief guaranteed.
• Anthropomorphizing the cramp
  • The cramp is not me. The cramp is the devil. I grit my teeth and silently curse at the cramp. I will not be defeated - I’ve spent too much time training to let it get the best of me.

Looking forward to next Sunday!

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