I feel your pain! For me, I would get a side stitch at least 50% of my runs. What I found worked for me - a combo of drinking every mile (I walk and drink) even if only on a short 3 mile run - I'm never without my water belt and bottle of water. Also, salt tablets, anything over 45 minutes and I pop a salt tablet prior to the run, if longer runs, then every hour I eat another one. Took me a LONG TIME to get the combo right, but if I'm diligent on the drinking and the salt intake, I can run a marathon without a side cramp. They suck. I hope you get some good feedback here and find something to help you out!!

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Harry: "I expected the Rocky Mountains to be a little rockier than this."
Loyd: "I was thinking the same thing. That John Denver's full of shit, man."

(this is for side stitches)

I sometimes get them when I do my first race-pace run of the year. I can stop them dead 100% of the time by breathing out as hard and as fully and as quickly as I can, at most three exhales in a row. Then they are gone. I mean really hard and really fast and really deep: all the air in your lungs. Best not to do it with people around if possible, as it might sound like you are in serious trouble.

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"Go yell at an M&M"

It might not be caused as much by what you are ingesting as by how you are breathing. If you are pulling your belling in on the inhales you are contracting your diaphragm, which will cause a cramp.

Practice correct breathing by laying your our back, placing a book on your belly. When you inhale, your belly should rise and the book goes up. On the inhale, the book goes down. When you are running you can periodically check yourself by placing your hand on our belly to feel it rise on an inhale.

It is possible that when you start to over-exert yourself you begin to contract your diaphragm by sucking your belly in on the inhale.

Interesting. I do something kind of similar. I just change up my breathing- so that I'm like a blowfish on the exhale. It looks and sounds stupid, but it works! Takes more than 3 breaths, unfortunately, but within a mile they are gone and I know to just run through them until then.

Here's a long article that might help:
http://www.pponline.co.uk/...god-into-a-dnf-39661

I am just like you- the only time I can run is in the morning. Any other time it is almost guaranteed that I will get a side stitch.

This has been really helpful everyone. I appreciate all of the suggestions. Tomorrow I'm running a 10K bright and early. I'm not looking to PR, this is simply a great 10K to enjoy, so I'm going to pay attention to my breathing. I have never been a "good breather." I tend to breath shallow. Thanks so much everyone! Anyone else with suggestions... keep 'em coming.

Cheers.

alaina, same here WRT side stitches during PM runs but not AM!

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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

Hope your 10K went well!

Sometimes side stitches are more a matter of a diaphragm that is overworked/tired tan anything else. I used to get side stitches all the time but now that I've been running a long time/frequently I don't get them at all anymore. And sometimes I eat a bowl of cereal right before running! :)

Thanks again for the wonderful suggestions everyone. I really appreciate them. The 10K that I ran on Saturday was pretty sucky because of cramping. I started off just fine and by mile-one my right side was trying to kill me. I pushed through it and kept running, although my pace slowed to a dismal 9 minute mile. But mile-four I was still in agony, pushing through and maintaining pace. I'd stop for a ten step walk and then pick it back up again. I finished at 60 minutes, which I'm not happy about, but like I said before, this was not a PR race. I love running, I will solve this issue. Thanks for all the support!