How to run...

From a baby that learns how to hold their head up to learning how to crawl, learning how to walk without falling and then learning how to run seems natural and oh so simplistic. It is, and should be for most people but I just diagnosed myself with "I'm 25 and don't know how to run properly syndrom..."

I am training for an 8k race March 12th in Raleigh and have been training for awhile now. Training according to my NOVICE training schedule (yes, I am a rookie long distance runner) includes strength training, conditioning, stretching, and relax days which I love! The running part varies to how many miles and what days to do them on. Sounds simple to follow, good routine, and its great except for my problem: RUNNIING CRAMPS.

I am a little dramatic, I know this :) but.... these running cramps are UNBEARABLE for real! Right up under my ribs and sometimes on the left and right side. The most frustrating part is when you have the energy along with a really good song on like this one (download it to your ipod NOW!):  Michael Jackson - Hold My Hand Duet With Akon ft. Akon http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-oCCnxBos10  .... AND YOU HAVE TO STOP!

So... I did a little research on trusty ol' google, asked for advice from facebook friends, even stopped a trainer at my gym to ask what the cause was and how to fix it for good! Here is my list I have composed, literally, I wrote it out so I'll remember what to do each day:
1- Do ab work (apparently your core needs to be worked before you run)
2- Take evenly spaced deep breaths while you run
3- Eat a banana an hour before you go running
4- Get some electrolytes in you (I prefer the gummy bear kind!)
5-Do not drink or eat anything an hour and a half before your run (so when your mom said to you when you were 8 at the pool, "wait 30 minutes after your pizza before you go play with Jamie" she was right, but off an hour :)
6- You need to move the lactic acid out of your body, it builds up as you run.. so drink water through the day
7- Inhale through your nose, and exhale through your mouth
8- Drink sports drinks occasionally, but dilute to half and half.
9- When you feel the painful monster coming on, find it and push as hard as you can upward
10-Don't run with your hands in a fist aka make them go floppy floppy... attractive right?
11- Every two steps breath in and the next two breath out


So if you can imagine, I'm counting breaths, making sure I'm stepping and breathing right, making sure my hands are not clinched, making sure i'm breathing in through the right hole and out the right hole, while all along pushing on my stomach................ This is what I felt like, are you ready? :



I am just praying this goes away!!! ...and that I can go back to just worrying about whether I'm lip singing the right words or not, that was way easier HA!