[reply]
option 2. learn to let go really fast so you don't lose time and run on trails with lots of "options". a trail runner friend told me his best time was 9 secs (no wipe).
[/reply]


eeeeewwwww!!!!!
i mean, this whole thread, well, it is what it is, but...


eeeeewwwww!!!!!

[reply]I've found that pre-run coffee makes my stomach irritable. Plus, coffee is the ultimate laxative, so there's 2 reasons why you should skip it until after you finish running.

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i'm aware of that, but pre-run no-coffee makes my personality irritable; i'm just not goign to be pleasant and i'm not going to enjoy my run.
OTOH, i drink espresso - not the litres of coffee that most people drink, nor the huge amounts of steamed milk, so it has _less_ of an effect. but it still does have one.

a bunch of people have mentioned immodium, and it does work. but in a similar thread a few months ago, someone referred to immodium as the "nuclear option" which seems pretty apt to me. don't get too reliant on it.

-charles

I occasionally get into a cycle when after about 30 minutes of running, I gotta go. Neither recent diet nor previous morning activities seem to matter. My strategy is to do a "warm up loop" that puts me near my house or make sure I'm passing one of the scoccer fields with portolets. Once all is clear, it's a beautiful day for a run.

I've done it everywhere imaginable !!... I run country roads.. corn fields are my friend. With me .... I can make it an hour then it hits ...BAMB... It doesn't matter what I eat or when I run !! One time my running tights had a knot in the string, not a good thing ...LOL

Common problem obviously. I love oatmeal but it'll definitely make you go, as will the coffee. When I used to run in the evenings, if I had oatmeal/granola for breakfast I could only make it 3 miles or so - and there was no coffee involved. No oats, no problem.

Now, on early morning runs, It's what I ate the night before + the coffee + the amount of water I drink before the run. Pizza or salad for dinner, forget it. Plus if you drink alot before the run, your stomach will just empty it into your gut once the coffee and running stress take affect, and then there's no turning back. Best solution IMO is to avoid the fiber and grease 12 hours before, and don't hydrate much before the run - ideally drink small amounts every 15mins during.

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TK
ttbikefit.com

Oatmeal is high in fiber, not to mention the nuts and raisins you added to it. That could be part of your problem -- if I have oatmeal for breakfast and then run in the afternoon, I always have to go. Could you change what you're eating? Maybe do just the toast/peanut butter and skip the oatmeal?

I know a couple people who take immodium before long runs, but I'd only do that as a last resort.

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maybe she's born with it, maybe it's chlorine
If you're injured and need some sympathy, PM me and I'm very happy to write back.
disclaimer: PhD not MD

Immodium (loperamide) 1/2 tab (1mg) an hour prior to running. Increase dose if needed but start low. Too much can cause stomach cramps / side stiches. I've used it for years with no adverse effects.

dm (pharmacist)

Who would have known this thread would end up being so informative. I am pleasantly suprised. Thanks to everyone who has contributed some great ideas and things that work for them. I going to try and put a few things in practice. Also:

1. I agree the Immodium is the "nuclear" answer. Don't want to, but as a last resort I will keep it in mind.

2. As for seeing a doctor--don't really see a need right now. I doubt it is an medical issue they would beable to do anything for other than what I have read here. I am in the medical field currently. The more time I spend doing what I do the more I understand the statement, "practicing medicine". I have probably done more research and am far more educated on this particular subject and my body than andy GP could be. I am in no way cutting down the medical field, but I can exercise most options they would give me without the $20 copay. There is a time and place for seeing a doctor. I just don't think this is either.

3. I figured oatmeal was a pretty safe bet. I do see that it is pretty high in fiber. I am going to switch to something like Ensure or Boost the morning before a long run. As for the other times when life runs me before I can run--well, I guess it is time to start carrying baby wipes in the Fuel Belt.



Thanks all,



chris

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"You can quit, and no one will care if you do. But you will know."
~John Collins, Ironman founder

Member HED Mafia

ad 4) I have no idea, and I don't think the coach did either. But she said that it did relieve the pain of the butplug.

I don't think anyone suggested that yet. I like it though.



chris

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"You can quit, and no one will care if you do. But you will know."
~John Collins, Ironman founder

Member HED Mafia

I can sympathize with all who've had this problem - have been a runner for 30+ years, and have confirmed the well-known fact that runners (more than cyclists or other endurance athletes) enjoy "enhanced gastrointestinal motility" - e.g., the s*** moves through pretty darn quick.

I agree with the ability to "train" the GI tract - and with the need for routine. Problem always comes up that my pre-long-run routine (up two hours before departure, 1-2 cups of coffee with gatorade + energy bar + banana) works great if I've slept the night before - but I always have insomnia the night before a marathon, so wake up tired, which gets things going. If I follow the routine, however, I 'take care of business' before heading out (first part of training the GI tract: perform on demand!). Often go through a period of 15 - 20 minutes beginning about 30 minutes into the run when I might stop if there's a convenient location nearby; if I get through that (there's the second part of training the GI tract: learn how and when to ignore your body). Of course, learned the latter while training for surgery - very inconvenient to pop out for something as insignificant as a trip to the rest room in the middle of an operation.

Caffeine does increase GI motility, so can stimulate activity - but many (like me) use it because it's a mild bronchodilator and helps if you have a tendency toward exercise-induced asthma. And any of the NSAIDs (such as ibuprofen - e.g. advil and motrin) can have a stimulant effect on GI motility - which may be related to increased acid production in the stomach. If you find that happening, tylenol (acetaminophen) may be preferable, as it tends to have less impact on gastric acid.

Used to run with a guy - who was chairman and ceo of a good-sized industrial company - who had this problem, and delighted in making deposits in the carefully-groomed shrubbery of other well-to-do execs on our early morning runs. Always knew when this was coming - he would steer our group away from our usual runs over toward Snob Hill - curious, as we had a pretty diverse group of runners in age and background, and he was completely un-self-conscious about this predilection. I never figured out whether to be embarassed by, or to admire, his attitude.

Try cutting out the caffeine AND the peanut butter. I don't know, caffeine actually makes me feel more sluggish rather than energized, and the acid does a number on my stomach. Peanut butter is actually pretty hard to digest. It tastes great AFTER your run.

As for things with fiber - that is personal. I can eat carbs that have fiber and run just fine.

Chris, I saw this thread and wanted to post what Kim Brown posted in the infinIT forum about your topic. Hope that is OK.

Kim Brown wrote this post in the infinIT Nutrition "Ask the Experts" Forum.

"Hi Chris,

Running is always going to be a bit more jarring on the stomach as compared to non-weight-bearing activities such as cycling and swimming but don't worry, your marathon training is not a lost cause.

You are doing the right thing in experimenting with different foods right now. Just on what you told me, going off on a long run with merely a gel in your system or quite the opposite (a couple burgers) is not the best scenario. In general, you should aim at consuming 400-600 calories 2 hours before and you can even experiment by splitting the calories up. Aim at ~1 gram of protein per 4 grams of carbohydrate ingested. Avoid consuming more than 20 grams of protein, 10 grams of fiber, 15 grams of fat in the 2 hours prior to as excessive amounts of these nutrients tend to slow down digestion and can increase the likelihood of you "trottin" to the bathroom rather than to the finishline. You also should try to eat your dinner the night prior to running a bit earlier (at least 3 hours before bedtime) and this meal should be carb-focused and light on fat/protein/fiber (e.g., spaghetti with marinara sauce). Some common pre-run meals (morning of run) include:

1) My pre-race meal of choice: Purefit bar (http://www.purefit.com) plus 1 banana taken 2 hours before with 16 ounces water. In addition, I sip on 16 ounces of a salty sports drink (my InfinIT solution) in the hour leading up to the race.

2) A little smear of peanut butter and sliced banana on 2 slices toast.

3) Special K cereal with nonfat milk and berries.

4) Plain instant oatmeal topped with banana, a sprinkling of nuts, and nonfat milk.

5) Low fat yogurt topped with berries and granola.

Hope this helps!

Healthy regards,

Kim Mueller, MS, RD
InfinIT Sports Nutritionist
www.kbnutrition.com "

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infinIT Nutrition
Custom Blended Nutrition Solutions
http://www.infinITNutrition.com

Look at what you ate. Oatmeal! What is it???? Way too much fiber. Before runs, stay away from oatmeal, cliff bars, corn the night before, etc, or I'll guarantee you'll have stops. Caffeine's fine, just not the roughage.

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Gary Geiger
http://www.geigerphoto.com Professional photographer

TEAM KiWAMi NORTH AMERICA http://www.kiwamitri.com, Rudy Project http://www.rudyprojectusa.com, GU https://guenergy.com/shop/ ; Salming World Ambassador; https://www.shopsalming.com

I've only had occasional problems with this since I stopped using some of the drink mixes with protein in them (Accelerade, E3, etc) and went back to Gu2O. This was the 100% guaranteed source of major Dreaded Atomic Gut Bombs. I've noted a few things that definitely give me problems though:

1) Bananas are really high in fiber, usually about 4 or 5 hours later it's time to go! Eating part of one doesn't affect things (less than half a banana) and I sometimes will munch half a banana at halfway in a 15-20 miler.
2) Snack bars/breakfast bars with high content of oats/raisins/etc like the Nature Valley Trail Mix Fruit and Nut. This also goes for other bars like Clif Bars and things.
3) Huge and/or greasy meals at lunch with a run right after work. Big meals are obvious because there's a lot of food there that wants to get out. Greasy burgers and fries are bad for the obvious reasons. Get a baked potato instead of fries if you have to stop at a Wendy's or something for lunch.
4) Certain beers will mess with your stomach, sometimes delayed by many hours. Carlsberg is one of them for me, no clue why.

The other thing mentioned a couple posts back was training your GI. Can't describe how to do this, but I never go for a run longer than about 30-40 minutes without going for a p00p first. Consider that your First Commandment. Caffeine doesn't bother me (but I don't drink coffee or sodas), I get it only from the Gu gels.

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Thanks for the tip. I used this on my 15-miler yesterday, and it worked great! First run in over a week that I haven't had to stop at least once. And, no adverse affects that I can tell.

Steve

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Steve

"If you ain't first, you're last." Reese Bobby Talladega Nights

Wish I had that problem, I'm the opposite. Long runs = hard stool = hemmies = OUCH :(

I also put a bunch of tricks to use over my last two long runs. Thanks for all the input so that I could stop the OUTPUT!!!!

Here is what I found

1. Afternoons seems best for long runs.

2. No coffee

3. Extremely light breakfast

4. Boost about 2 hours before my run

5. 20oz. or more of water an hour before the run.



The only side affects are that my stomach is still really screwed up for the rest of the day and maybe part of the next day. I must really stir up some acid.



BTW, this week was the real test because the night before I at authentic Mexican food including a ton of beans, salsa, and fried chips. 14 miles and no unscheduled pitstops.



chris

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"You can quit, and no one will care if you do. But you will know."
~John Collins, Ironman founder

Member HED Mafia

Try some Calcium-Magnesium tablets the night before. then have coffee and a small, low fiber meal. Usually will have to go right after the coffee and/or meal. If this doesn't work, run where you have access to a bathroom until you get it right.

The Magnesium holds water in the bowel, so it move through faster. Eat the fiber after the run and at dinner.

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_________________
Dick

Take everything I say with a grain of salt. I know nothing.

Not sure if someone has already posted this, but have you looked at some of the ingredients of the food or drink you are consuming? I had a similar problem a couple of years ago. After three weeks or so of running in agony, I took an inventory of everything I ate during the day. The only thing I had changed during the time period was switching to Splenda (sucralose) as a sweetener. After a little research, I found that sucralose can have similar effects as the fat free oil Olestra (stomach cramps and the runs). I switched sweeteners and have been running without running to the crapper ever since.

I didn't read through the entire thread so sorry if this has been said but pop an Imodium before your run.