Those are DEATH and I've had them a couple of times and they hurt for at least a week afterward. It's like having a speed governor based only on pain and not how fit you are. A year ago I did a search on ST and found very good info from past posts. The main thing I do is when coming in on the bike to T2 and at the beginning of the run, I focus hard on belly breathing, really stretching out the stomach muscles. I also do some cobra stretches as part of my warm up. As I recall from my search, they talked about a muscle that is very deep in your stomach that gets used to being contracted while on the bike and then it has a hard time stretching out for the run. Another recommendation was to take a little extra salt the day before your race.

this is something that has worked for me. simple, but it seems to work. develop an odd numbered breathing sequence, ie two steps exhale/one step inhale. that way your diaphragm contractions move from right foot strike to left foot strike, back and forth, and makes the muscle firing more balanced. i don't know if i accurately explained it the way it was explained to me many years ago, but it has worked and i've never had the problem reoccur. ymmv

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"that which does not destroy me will only make me stronger" Frederick Nietzsche
andrew peabody
http://BREAKAWAYMULTISPORT.COM

I started having this about a month ago to the point where I could feel them even when not moving (I would wake up in the morning feeling them). I had them set in during a race over the weekend about 1/2 mile in. It made it next 12.5 miles a hell of a lot of fun (cost me 10 minutes off my PR).

My thing is that they won't go away. I can't really run at all any more without feeling them. If start out slow, and gradually speed up, I can keep them at a tolerable level, but any speed work is out of the question.

I personally think mine are related to my lungs, as I used to get the same pain in conjunction with asthma attacks. I did a race just before I started having issues where I started to feel constricted with 5k to go, pushed through it and wound up with massive piercing chest pain (like that side split but 10 times stronger and radiating through my whole chest) for the rest of the day.

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sometimes you just have to eat the cake

From about 1996 - 2002, stitches were my achilles heel. It really did not matter the distance of the race. It would happen in a sprint and always would happen in an Ironman. Since around 2002 or 03 (I can't really remember) I stopped having problems. I will list in priority what I THINK made the difference:

1. Not breathing too fast/too hard in the swim. In other words, getting in good swim shape and swimming an appropriate pace and not sprinting in the water.
2. Calming my breathing down at the start of the bike and start of the run. Especially at the start of the run, I would bolt out of transition and my breathing would get shallow/rapid and eventually end up in stitches.
3. Liquid diets only on race day. People frown on this and some people can eat a lot on race day. I can not. I can get ample calories through liquids, not be hungry and have lots of energy and no stomach problems.
4. Good fuel plan that makes sense. In other words, maintaining an appropriate osmolality in whatever I put in my gut.
5. Getting Fitter.

When I first started racing I used to have exercise induced asthma. Now (or once every 4 years) I have a minor attack when racing really hard. So, I think controling what you do now is the most important but recognize that as you get fitter you will probably have less problems.

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Scott McMillan, M.Sc
Twitter@Factor9Coaching | Factor9Coaching.com | Facebook

So what you're saying is that you didn't have this problem for 9 1/2 years? Is that right?

Have you made ANY changes to your bike this year?

sorry to inform you shimbike but your condition is terminal! throw the towel in now. Marco is King. there is absolutely no cure for your disease.

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Team Endurance Nation

No, I have been cramping for almost every race for the past 10 years.

Yes, I agree this feels like this is terminal. the only way I can beat Oc3ram is to slash his tires prior to my exit on T1....which actually gives me an idea

do you see a chiropractor?

bumpo

you guys crack me up... maybe if you stop picking your nose the running cramps will subside.. just a crazy thought.. see you sat for the silly smackdown...

King, i likey... i might join you for madiera beach tri.

Are you sure the pain wasn't from knowing I was running you down!?!?

Seriously though, it could also be from the heat. I got the same thing at St. Anthony's and it was the first time in about a year. Taking shorter harder breaths while racing can cause the lack of O2 to the body and cause the pain.

Just my 2 pennies. BTW Great Race on Sunday.

Phil

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"What would you do if you knew you could not fail?” Robert H. Schuller

http://www.triathlondiaries.com