Are your clothes slowing you down?
                       Training tip of the week (side stitch)

So you get side stitch when running, that stabbing pain at the side just under your rib cage.
Well there are a few reasons why this might happen;
(1) Inadequate blood flow to the diaphragm.
(2) Food in the stomach.
(3) Shallow breathing.

(1) The pressure from your lung expansion during breathing and the force against your diaphragm from your abdominal muscle caused from the tumbling of your legs puts an upward and downward force which restricts blood flow to the diaphragm.

(2) Food in the stomach can be a factor, if you eat to close to your running time can cause this to happen, avoid eating fatty food they take longest to digest and stays longer in your stomach, I normally eat 3 hours before running. This gives me enough time to make a pit stop so I am 100% ready for training or racing.

(3) Shallow breathing, many beginner runners suffer with this, you’re breathing should not be one to one, that is one step when you inhale and one step when you exhale,  try one to two, slow your breathing when exhaling and try taking two steps, the main factor is to slow down your breathing you are going to fast. Remember you are a beginner and you are here to learn, take it easy and let your body build gradually. You should be able to have a conversation while running this is a good means of measure.
After a while your abdominal will get stronger and will get faster be patient.



Don’t give up keep running, if sever condition develop seek medical help, sometimes these symptoms can be mimic as a hearth attack , use judgment you will know your medical history so play it safe .

See you at the races.