Cramps while running

[Oscarsjava]

Here's my background: On January 3rd, I weighed 291lbs. - I am now at 267lbs., on my way to 210. I'm dieting (by dieting, I mean eating better, not necessarily less, as my BSM is relatively high), and have started a serious exercise regimen. I was a powerlifter in high school, but wrecked my knee in a quad accident junior year and have since been out of a gym. My knee is fully healed, but I just never went back to the gym. With my desire to become a LEO, I've stepped up and started getting back into shape. The weight lifting part isn't my problem...the running part is.

I've never been a good runner, and being a "clydesdale" doesn't help matters. Aside from the usual aches and pains in the feet and knees (less so with me because I'm a server, so I'm on my feet all day), I find myself having to stop my jogging/running because of severe cramps on my right side. The trainer at the gym I go to immediately recognized this as dehydration. This is something I've dealt with since I can remember. I rarely get thirsty...I'm not going to blame it on some condition, because I honestly don't know, but I just don't really get thirsty. I have to force myself to drink, and even then I barely drink, at most, a gallon, on a good day, and then I feel like I'm going to throw up. I've pretty much eliminated diet soda from what I drink because no matter how much of it I drink, I can't seem to properly hydrate myself with it (although at work I'm guilty of drinking quite a bit, as it's free), and am trying to only drink water and 100% fruit juices. I just can't get past these cramps , and it's getting very discouraging.

Does anybody here know of any "tricks" or ways to know that I'm properly hydrated, or how I can get past these cramps? I know there's going to be a lot of running in my future, and it'd be silly to not be able to accomplish my goals because I feel like I'm getting punched in the ribs every time I run.

I'm sorry for the length of this post, but this is something that is really irritating me. Thanks for any help that you can offer!

[mxwelch]

Electrolytes or salt intake might help would be a guess of mine, but I'm no expert. Can you switch up and do cardio in place of running so you're not running everyday?

[CityOfChicago]

Run at an intensity below that which causes the discomfort. Over time slowly increase the intensity (speed and/or distance).

[Jynkxxie]

O.k. Dr. Jynkx here. Yeah right. LOL

I usually get cramps if A) some time has passed since I last ran, or B) I just finished a drinking something. I am a person who cannot have liquids while I run. I get stomach cramps everytime. So I just don't drink until I am finished. That might not help you at all, but this might...

It sounds really stupid but, when I am running, and I start getting a cramp, I breath in through the nose, and then breathe out (through the mouth and from the stomach) really hard. I mean with a lot of force. After doing that a dozen or so times, it will usually go away.

[hopefull]

I'm not really a runner either, but I've become one since the academy started. I try to drink water through out the day, I keep a water bottle with me and take sips all day long. I pretty much drink nothing but water and the occasional glass of tea.
For side cramps, I was always told that they were caused by a spasm in your diaphragm. This article explains how to work through them
http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_5/227.shtml
good luck

[Oscarsjava]

Thanks all for the help! Gonna have to push through this...hard work ahead!

[ejoyner]

Do not give up! We are about the same size right now, I'm 265 - Its tough I could only run a few minutes when I first started. I would say get a multi-vitamin and drink water. Make sure you get enough food, thats my problem right now im going through a bad breakup and it really takes away your appetite. Keep up the work man, keep the dedication and you'll get it!!

Evan.

[Patience]

What i know about water and workingout, every 15 minutes of working out, you have to drink a cup of water, this is really works.

Drinking water helps you in many other things, like preventing constipation, healthy skin, better metapolism,...etc

[Morgan20]

Do not give up! We are about the same size right now, I'm 265 - Its tough I could only run a few minutes when I first started. I would say get a multi-vitamin and drink water. Make sure you get enough food, thats my problem right now im going through a bad breakup and it really takes away your appetite. Keep up the work man, keep the dedication and you'll get it!!

Evan.

right on, I passed the agility test at 265lbs, it can be done.

[ILikeCheescake]

Pay attention to your urin color. Barring a large intake of diuretics (things that dehydrate you like caffeine) the darker your urin is the less hydrated you are. Most times mornings is when you'll be least hydrated, and your urin will most likely be very dark. If you drink a large amount of coffee, it will flush alot of the water from your system fairly rapidly, during which time your urin will most likely be clear. But it is dehydrating you none-the-less.

To be well hydrated its best to drink smaller amounts of water throughout the day. Intaking large amounts of water at once will usually just cause you're system to flush out the extra, with the exception of workout periods.

As to your cramps and such, its normal. When you first start out, dont go for speed, just do whatever distance you're comfortable with at whatever pace your comfortable with. Once your body gets used to it you will:
1. Cramp less
2. Use/need less water

Once i left the Marines, I did very little running. 10 years later I decided to change my life and go for LAPD. I started with 1 mile, then 2, 3, 4, 5. Took about 3 months, running every other day, with my third break being 2 days. When I first started I had the endurance (lots jiu-jitsu) but my body wasn't used to the pounding. Knees hurt, back hurt, cramps from hell, etc. After some time, it mostly goes away. I generally don't even feel it now till mile 4.

Now that I'm up to 5 miles comfortably, I alternate every other run, 3miles for speed followed by sprints, next run day is distance, 5 miles or more if i have time.

Anyways, hope this helps.

[ILikeCheescake]

Also, the 'thirst mechanism' doen't work in cold environments. Generally that applies to outdoors winter environments, but could also apply to an indoor setting where the AC was set pretty low.

[TheDeuce]

Sorry to be the resurrector of the dead thread over here... but I felt it was important to reply and throw this out there. It helped me and I hope it will help Oscarsjava and anyone else.

I'm training for the LVMPD Academy (start date July 18th) and have been doing runs between 3-5 miles. I have never been a good runner either. But in high school, I ran track to get in better shape for football, and our coach basically taught us exactly to do what Jynkxxie did.

(sidenote: Our track team has one a couple of state championships in track, as well as football, and in Ohio that is no small feat).

His view was that when we run, if we do not get all of the oxygen out of our lungs while running, it will cause us to get cramps easier. So, if we breathe in through our nose, and force, and I mean really FORCE all the air out of your mouth, it will help. Junk science or not... when I start feeling a cramp, I start breathing like that, and for me it takes between 30 and 45 seconds before the cramp is completely gone, but it is definitely gone.

Hope this helps.

[Oscarsjava]

His view was that when we run, if we do not get all of the oxygen out of our lungs while running, it will cause us to get cramps easier. So, if we breathe in through our nose, and force, and I mean really FORCE all the air out of your mouth, it will help. Junk science or not... when I start feeling a cramp, I start breathing like that, and for me it takes between 30 and 45 seconds before the cramp is completely gone, but it is definitely gone.

Hope this helps.

Wow, blast from the past :p Thanks for the info, Deuce, I'm gonna try that tonight when I run. On a sidenote, I haven't had bad cramps in a while, but if I don't drink a lot the day of a run, I feel it coming on.

[Roger Dat]

I used to get bad leg pains when I started training for my agility exam, Hydration throughout the day is the major hurdle. I also used to use creatine occassionally after a workout, a personal trainer told me it was good to use to replenish after a workout. The better shape I got into the less I cramped. I try not to drink too much before I run.


Also if you start to cramp walk a 1/4 then pick it back up if you can. I mapped out a 2.5 mile route. At first I couldnt run the entire thing so I just stopped and walked when I needed to. Now I can run it no problem. The only bad thing about physical training is different strokes for different folks. GOOD LUCK!