Avoiding that "paula radcliffe" moment...

I assume you're talking about GI distress on the run: nausea, stomach bloating (and maybe vomiting or diarrhea).  Usually this comes from a combination of too much of the wrong stuff in your stomach and the jostling that’s unavoidable during running.

I am sorry to say that there is no one trick to help you because it varies person to person.  Its a combination of what you eat and drink, the timing of that and how much you eat and drink during the actual race.  Basically, you need to find out what types of nutrition and liquids (water vs. carbohydrate-electrolyte drinks, etc) work best for you and in what amounts. I found that training and racing provided different nutrition/hydration schedules so you will want to consider simulating race conditions in training to figure this out or consider racing as a kind of experimentation.  This testing starts the day before the race and you keep testing during races to see what works best for you.  There are books on this if you want a lot of detail.

Here's some other things that have worked for me -

Try to empty your system before a race (or course).

Another thing is to avoid certain foods 24 hours in advance and see if this helps you.  I found that foods high in fiber or fat were a problem for me and caffeine, unfortunately, can be a problem if I drink too much coffee.  Although, I find some coffee on race morning helps me to "go" before the race.

Last - I suggest you eat dinner at least two hours before bed the night before a race and give three hours between your last big meal and your race.






Edited by Gritty 2009-07-03 8:59 AM

x2 on the coffee.  I have some every morning, and you can pretty much set your watch by my morning trip.  

you might try an immodium (I love that stuff for my infrequent troubles) to keep things settled down and in place during your race.  Take one the night before and one in the AM and it should keep you from having the urge.

Maybe even some Pepto.

Ginger Ale can settle your stomach as well. 

If you drink coffee regularly, the diuretic effects become negligible.

On another note, I would be wary of using immodium 'just in case'. They really aren't very easy on your lower GI, and can cause problems both long term and short term.

I second basically experimenting with stuff in training and seeing what works.

Edited by redfoot31415 2009-07-03 8:07 PM