Cramping

Can try slowing down and stretching the offending muscles.

Your friend was likely going too hard for his fitness.  Not insufficient nutrition/hydration.

That's a possibility. He had done a 46 minute 10K in an oly a month before with no problems. The bike course was tougher and the weather was hotter for the oly as well. He did try stretching and running slower but neither seemed to help and he struggled in with a 2:30 run.

Once the damage is done, there's only so much you can do.

And no offense to you or your friend, but an oly is not a HIM.  It was almost surely a fitness/pacing issue.

On all my races where I cramped up (marathons and long runs) it's because I pushed the pace to hard.

He burned himself out on the bike and paid the price on the run. That's how this game is played when you go hard.

Same thing happened to me. The guys in the medical tent, said once the fluids are gone from your tissues, iv is the only way to get them back. I was into hour 7 in my him in the 90 degree Florida heat and not even sweating.

edited:going too hard and fast can cause fatique, but not cramps like I suffered. It was clearly a nutrition/hydration issue.

Edited by stateu 2009-08-18 3:41 PM

I would like to give some thoughts on this and please respond. This is a huge issue with me right now.

I believe that cramping is not as simple as some of the replies are implying. He may or may not have been just going too hard, beyond his fitness level, and he may or may not have been dehydrated.

I am extremely prone to cramping. Not in every race, but sometimes. I can cramp in pure running races but also in triathlons.

Two days ago I did a HIM, and I cramped in the SWIM, really bad. In both legs (quads and calves) but horribly so in my left calf. In fact I had to wave down a boat and relax on it for about 3 minutes before I could start again, then swim with dead legs to keep them from cramping more. I was alright during the bike but during the whole run I was on the verge of cramping, and totally siezed up about 50 yards from the finish (trying to push it too hard to finish under 6 hrs, which I did with a time of 5:59:19).

Regarding causes, there seems to be a few factors.

1. Genetics. I'm convinced I'm just prone to tight muscles and cramping. Not only can my legs cramp but so do my arms, back, shoulders, neck and even face muscles. Only the leg cramps cause severe issues though.

2. Hydration/electrolytes. At this point, after 10 triathlons and many running races (including ultras) I'm convinced I'm getting in enough water and electrolytes.

3. Muscle tightness/flexibility/stretching. Recently we're reading more and more that stretching is useless, if not harmful. The Kenyans don't stretch, we hear. Others still do plenty of it though.

For me, it's Factors #1 and #3. I hate stretching. I rarely do it. Few things on earth bore me more than stretching does. All last week I was very tight in the legs. I stupidly ignored it and I paid the price. It's my own fault I cramped. The problem is that I really wanted to believe that just hydrating well and taking electrolytes would keep me from cramping. But I think that we must all pay attention to our OWN bodies. I need to bite the bullet and make myself loosen up, either by some conventional stretching or other strategies to keep loose. Or do some yoga. I don't think I have to be gymnast-flexible but it's ridiculous that I allow myself to be tight as a drum. I cannot touch my toes. There's no excuse in my case for losing so many valuable minutes just because I didn't take any time to become a little more flexible.

All the above is my current thinking. I'd appreciate any thoughtful replies/thoughts/suggestions. Thank you!

Thanks. That's what I wanted to know. Apparently there is nothing that can be done to alleviate the problem once it occurs, so it's crucial to do whatever is necessary to prevent it. Whether that means more training, easier racing paces, or whatever.

I would venture to say that your friend found the solution to cramps by walking. I wouldn't think that it would have much to do with nutrition/hydration and more to do with the effort on the swim/bike portion.

I have had lots of cramping problems as well, in both races and training.  It CAN be caused by dehydration, but usually isn't.  Other than that, X2 to everything JohnnyKay said. 
Greg

Precisely.

Last year, I got bad hammie cramps during the run in both Olys and the marathon (my first ever) that I did which was a total disappointment since I never got them training. This year after 2 Olys and a HIM, no cramps so far. I tried a few things:

* Did more sprint and hill workouts to build leg strength.

* Slowed down during the first mile of the run. Really stayed on myself to know what I was capable of doing based on training times. If I got out too fast, I slowed down to my realistic pace. If I had something left in the tank, I would use it in the last 1/2 mile. My overall time did not suffer.

* Did a basic sweat test. Weighed in before workouts and then weighed after adjusting for water intake. Realized I had been replacing less than half of what I was sweating. Started drinking more during races.

* Switched from Gatorade G2 to water plus tablets (Camelback I think) which have much more sodium

* Took electrolyte tabs during the HIM

So far so good. Of course, now I am destined to get a full body cramp at my next race.