You are having the race of your life. Suddenly, you feel a slight twinge in your side. After a few more steps, the twinge gets worse…and then it gets worse…soon it feels like you have a knife being dug into your side. Eventually, you can’t even run anymore and have to walk to the finish. Side aches will quickly destroy a would-be good workout or race and leave you in a world of hurt. How do you prevent them for happening? This article has some good advice. Also, try to follow these rules of thumb:
- 1. Eat light: Try not to eat too much 2-3 hours before your race. A power bar and/or bagel are okay, but try to stay from anything too heavy.
- 2. Drink enough fluids: You should try to drink at least 24-32 oz. (bottle of gatorade) of fluids within 4 hours of your race or workout. Of course, be careful not to drink too much, but ensuring that your are hydrated is very important in preventing side aches
- 3. Stay away from pop: Drinking soda pop close to a race or workout is a sure way to get bring on a side ache. For that matter, for at least 4 hours before running, stay away from any drinks that contain carbonation.
- 4. Stretch: It is very important to stretch out your mid-section before a race to prevent side aches. My favorite stretch is the appropriately named “side ache strecth.” You can find that stretch here.
