Gail's Urbanite Results
The results are finally out! đ As mentioned in part 1, I wasn’t expecting to beat my PR but heck I didn’t really care anymore. The experience was way worth it. I did hope to get to see more photos of me courtesy of the very reliable Photovendo but I only found 2 pictures of moi and I was really sweating it out. Hahaha! đ Hubby had more pictures which was good since I only found 1 decent picture of him during Globe’s Run for Home. Tita Tiff, Titos Jombet and Mark had pretty awesome pics too. Thank you Photovendo and Finishline for giving us something great to look forward to post-race day. Kudos!
Gail in the Urbanite 1
Gail's Urbanite Run 2
Hunky hubby pushing through...
Sweating it out!
Go Noy go! Push hard!
Push hard ka ng push hard...Pagod na ako!
After the race
My 1st night race didn’t turn out as expected.
I was hoping to see the glow in the dark sticks and bibs brightening up the race path. However, I should’ve expected that the route will be a well-lit one and one should expect that the place would be filled with vehicles trying to pass, and they do have lights too.
I was also hoping that I would do better as I always train in the evening. However, this was not again the case. Anxious about last night’s run, I skipped dinner. I opted to eat AFTER the race. Knowing that the race will start later than the published time, I should’ve eaten at least a banana an hour before the race. Having nothing for dinner and barely anything for lunch, gave me lesser energy for the run. I felt really weak from the halfway point onwards. At the 4km mark, I had major side stitches in BOTH sides of my body. One is your usual right anteriolateral side and another in the posteriolateral section of my body. And this felt exceptionally painful that I actually had to stop and walk for a few seconds. Yes, walk…I actually walked during a race. One thing that I never, ever did no matter how tired I felt. My theory is that you lose momentum when you stop to walk and rest. Pushing your body to initiate a run from a walk actually spends more energy than than increasing your pace from a slow run to a faster run. One of the other reasons why I had to stop running was my number 3 hopeful expectation.
I was hoping that there would be lesser vehicles on the road. I was dead wrong. In fact, they seemed to be pretty pissed than vehicles we encounter during early morning races. They resorted to blaring their horns (very distracting to a runner trying to focus on the path ahead), revving their engines (which added to the smog which made me dizzy) and to actually trying to push their way through the crowd (which at one point I almost rammed into one vehicle as it “accidentally” moved forward from it’s position).
I was hoping to beat my PR. However, I am certain that I didn’t. Well, that will have to wait then đ
On each race I join, I always have a lesson to bring home.
I was hoping for a cool night. I was dead wrong again. It was really humid and hot. The race hasn’t even started, we were already perspiring.
1. Practice uphill climbs on each opportunity you can. Noy and I often practiced running uphill inside ULTRA, outside the oval. I benefited from this during last night’s uphill climb from McKinley hill. Too bad the blaring of the car horns distracted me from being focused enough to run faster.
2. Be mindful of your steps. I almost fell on running on this slanted slope that had a pothole. Thank God I didn’t have an embarrassing fall.
3. Eat SOMETHING two hours before the race for energy.
4. If you’ve donning a hydration belt, fill it with your favorite sports drink. Sometimes water is not enough.
5. Love every minute of your run. Enjoy the sites and have fun. I was too busy looking for Noy that I didn’t enjoy the run. We had a pact that we would finish together. But I lost him in the crowd.
Comparing this run to the Run for Home. I do prefer this than the latter. They had ample water stations, which didn’t matter to me since I had a hydration belt. It did matter to some of the runners đ And these stations seemed more prepared than the Run for Home. No lines on water stations. I liked their route. It was more challenging than the Run for Home. They also had ample portalets with lesser lines. Plus they had giveaways and certificates đ
All in all, it was a fun run. I had fun running with my favorite running partner, hubby Noy. I had fun hanging out with the Takbo.ph peeps. I had fun seeing the kids greet us after the race, they tagged along last night. I had fun seeing Tito Jombet start his 15k race. I had fun seeing Tita Tiff (tita sa pinsan, there Tita Tiff I mentioned it) and Tito Mark (tito by affinity) before and after the race. I had fun actually seeing Tito Mark running…FAST! đ All in all, this night of hopeful anticipations was really worth experiencing đ
Until the next race! No barriers…
While surfing the net for interesting reads, I came across this blog from Happy Feraren. I was shocked, disgusted but not surprised. I was actually expecting this kind of thing to happen during Tita Cory’s memorial service. Politicians politicking in front of cameras in a well-attended, much covered event. I mean, they will find ways and means to be on TV and to be seen to be one with the Filipino people. Aren’t paid advertisements enough? Of course, as expected, the very “respectable”, the very “classy” Jamby Madrigal tops everyone else. (” ” reeks with sarcasm of course).
Yehey! Way to go Jamby for triggering the ire of the Filipino people for your behavior. Thank you for being such a class act đ Now at least more people will not vote for you.
Please continue to read Happy Feraren’s Blog below. Kindly repost and pass on. Thank you.
Shame on your Jamby Madrigal by Happy Feraren
Now that weâve remembered, relived and recreated the spirit of â86 letâs make sure this yellow ribbon doesnât get tangled up in other peopleâs political campaigns.
Subtle electioneering IN A FUNERAL?!?! SHAME ON YOU. Do not ride on Coryâs wave to pursue your vested interest. The people who waited in the streets werenât there to see you! The revolution doesnât belong to you, phony politician, it belongs to the people. And what makes you think you could get away with such a dirty trick? Coryâs lasting impression of sincerity, humility and honesty is now the benchmark of what leaders are supposed to be. You think people donât see through you? The respect we have for Cory is not something you acquire with falsity (or through endorsement from Judy Ann Santos) it is earned. How dare you pose as someone offering sympathy to the Aquino family while you think about the votes youâre going to get come election time.
As I waited for the cortege (news networksâ new favourite word) along the South Super Highway, my mom and I bought 2 yellow umbrellas from this street vendor who was also selling nuts. And then as we paid, he pulled out something from his pocket â a yellow beaded bracelet nicely packed in a small clear plastic bag. Upon handing it over to us, he said: âEto o, bonus para sa inyo.âOf course my mom and I were pleased and were all âawww how sweet.âUntil I actually looked at the bracelet and saw a little tag with the name and photo of Jamby Madrigal.
I called out to him and asked, âO bakit may Jamby Madrigal itong bracelet na itoâ and when I looked at the vendor for an answer he had already walked away.
Maybe an hour before this incident, I saw her car passing by the growing sea of people. Window open, flashing the L sign and strangely enough, a cameraman in front filming the people. My mom started shouting âTransparencyyyy!â and then I looked at her asking if I could put up my middle finger and my mom looked at me and said I should just shout transparency, accountability or good governance. In other words âBOOOOOOOO!!!!â And then the two of us just started shouting BOO JAMBY!!!
I am utterly disgusted by you, Ms.Madrigal. And to you other filthy politicians, behave yourselves because we are all watching you, even if youâre supposedly Coryâs âfavoriteâ mayor. Genuine democracy is People Power and everything Ninoy and Cory stood for. It also means that now, whenever thereâs a phony claiming he or she is there to protect Coryâs legacy, we will be able to speak up and act with the same fearless fervour we had before.
You know sometimes I wish I could march in the government offices with a magical broom that can sweep away all the dirty politicians we have in this country. A giant clean up, but this time not just for the environment but for our government. Haha, imagine if we could really do that? Iâm already writing down the names of the people Iâd attack first with my magic walis!
So, before you file for candidacy (a bit too late though in this case) think again. Actually, good luck! The people have remembered.
Runners from different areas within the Metro, ran yesterday in different locations, different time but with one common goal. This is to commemorate a great Mother of Democracy, Corazon Aquino, Tita Cory to many.
It was a rainy day yesterday, but this didn’t stop us and our co-running addicts from running. A group ran in AAV. Another in UP at 5am; in Mandaluyong at 5am. We chose to run with the Makati group who met up at 6pm to run around Ayala Triangle and Salcedo Village. Most donned yellow shirts or their iamninoy runner shirts. I for one, have not picked up my shirt from BHS yet so I decided to tie a yellow ribbon on my cap instead.
I didn’t realize that it would be pleasant to run in Makati. I always thought it would be polluted and too stressful, as one will have to avoid getting bumped by a number of vehicles. Fortunately, this was not the case. We started to run around the Ayala Triangle. Since it was raining, the sidewalks were a bit too slippery. We opted to run on asphalt instead making sure that we do not interfere with the flow of traffic. We then made our way to Sedeno, Valero and HV Dela Costa. I was pleasantly surprised to see a number of runners on the route as us. I even saw a friend of mine running his heart out along Dela Costa! đ
A great run for a great and well loved leader. Maraming Salamat Tita Cory.
Keep running! No barriers…
The Bund, Shanghai 2009
Have you ever wondered if your work was good enough? What do I mean by “good enough”. In my personal opinion, a good enough photo is one that tells the tale you want to share to your audience when you decided to take and share that photo. It is how you perceive the photo should be seen. If you are taking a picture that depicts a happy family and most of the people looking at that picture is convinced that it’s actually the opposite, then unfortunately, you have failed to share the tale of your photo. At least the correct one based on the author.
When I took up a Basic Photography class, I was scared as hell to show my photos to the class. I felt that I wasn’t a good enough photo story teller. (To top it off, my mentor Jo Avila was teasing the class that nobody’s picture was nice anyway. Funny, scary guy but is a really great teacher. Haha!) Then again, how will I ever be a good or maybe potentially a great photographer if I do not share and open my work to criticisms? How will I get the feedback I need to assess whether my photo was giving the correct impression or if it was telling the story which I wanted it to tell in the first place? There was no other way but to open my work to criticisms and feedback.
In this time and age, there is actually a great way to get feedback from a community of photographers. Join online photo contests đ True, you can use Multiply or Facebook to share your photos to your family and friends but they probably won’t burst your bubble and they will most certainly be too easy on you. So my suggestion is to go join a shutterbug community. Share your work!
My personal favorite sites are Digital Photography School (http://digital-photography-school.com/) and Inspire (http://inspi.re/).
Inspire is an all-contests photography site wherein you can vote for your favorite photos, provide feedback to the work of others, start a discussion and of course, submit your work as a contest entry and wait for valuable votes and more valuable feedback from the community.
DPS on the other hand, is an informal digital photography school which provides you tips and tricks on how to improve your composition, shooting techniques and other essential topics every photography enthusiasts should know. You also get to join forums wherein you get to submit pictures honed to the topics for the community to critique.
Both sites provides an avenue for all photographers to learn more about their passion.
Good luck and be a happy shutterbug! đ
Finally! After waiting for almost 4 days, the results for last Sunday’s race are out. To get your results, go to http://www.globe.com.ph/runforhome. Input either your last name or your bib number and POOF..you get your graphical results. Thank the organizers for promoting the use of timing/Champion Chips to accurately get our start and end time and for getting Runpix to interpret everyone’s data and translating these into a graphical report.
As I mentioned in my previous blog (Globe Run for Home), we were late to catch the start of the race. I can only assume my net time. Apparently, I was 4mins late and if it wasn’t for the timing chip, I wouldn’t have broken my PR. Thank you Finishline!
Gailcons' Run for Home Results
Can’t wait for the next race!
Keep on running! No barriers…
586 out of 1933 runners
131 out of 899 female runners
44 out of 268 runners in my division
When I started to run again, I assumed that running was one of the cheapest sport there is. All you needed was a shirt, a pair of shorts and a pair of rubber shoes and you’re ready to go. Boy, was I wrong! I learned that the more I get addicted to running, the more I needed gear to improve my PRs. Still, running is cheaper than my old sport (golf) and less time consuming.
I ran because I wanted to lose weight. I had to engage in another exercise besides Hip Hop Abs and Yoga. I had a pair of rubber shoes which I bought from Singapore during one of my trip as the family and I did ALOT of walking and I was forced to buy a pair. Hubby didn’t like Nikes as he felt that these were overrated. So he bought me a pair of Adidas Eva, Adidas being his favorite brand. This was the pair I used when I started to run.
Fast forward 4 months, now a certified running addict, I have 4 pairs of running shoes. My old Adidas Eva which I still use for XT; a pair of Adizero Ace, which I bought to avail of the recent Trade-in promo; a pair of Nike Air Alaris 2+, an impulse buy as it was on sale and I really wanted to try out the Nike+ iPod sensor (I didn’t know then that you could use non-Nike shoes with the sensor, check out my previous blog Adizero, Nike+ and Google Knowing All) and pair of Mizuno Wave Frontier 2, which I bought from the very helpful shop…SecondWind).
Reviews:
Adizero Ace
My husband has been using Adidas since he was a kid. From casual wear to soccer and now running, he is a diehard Adidas fan. His favorite running shoes is a pair of limited edition Adizero Mana. So it was no surprise that he decided on Adidas as my 2nd pair of shoes for running, this besides the fact that Adidas had a 1k off trade-in promo. He is a practical person đ
I broke these shoes during an evening run in Ultra. These were the lightest shoes I’ve ever worn. It worked well for me during slow runs, speed work and even the drills. Since it has a mesh upper, I felt that these shoes were well-ventilated. I also noticed that I improved my time running with these shoes compared to my heavier Nike Air Alaris 2+.
However, I have noticed that the cushioning is just right for running 5k-8k. Any distance beyond 8k would require more cushioning. Then again, I am a bit on the heavy side. I also experienced blistering on my left arch while running with these shoes during my last race (Globe Run for Home). My hubby blamed it on the socks I wore that day.
Pros:
Lightweight – These are the lightest shoes I have every tried on.
Mesh upper – Well-ventilated.
Responsiveness- Quite good.
Good price points- P3,490
Cons:
A bit narrow for wide feet like mine. I believe this is the reason why I got blisters on my left foot arch. The upper mesh was rubbing on to my arch.
Cushioning might not be enough for some as the rubber sole was a bit too thin as to not compromise the lightweight feature, I assume.
I rate these shoes 8/10. I would wear them again, maybe with thicker socks.
Nike Air Alaris 2+
Nike Air Alaris 2+
An impulse buy as I said, I bought this pair due to two things: Its Nike+ ready capability and the fact that it was on sale that day.
I wore these shoes more during training and only once during a race.
I loved the fact that it was Nike+ ready. My world was opened to the world of responsive racing and AI coaching using Nike + iPod sensors.
Heavier than the Adizero, these shoes gave me the cushioning that I felt my knees require. The upper and body was wide enough to accommodate my feet and were very comfortable to wear.
However, the front are of the shoe felt too hard and might need more cushioning/padding. Wearing these shoes I felt made me more prone to shin splints. Little did I know that Air Alaris 2+ was made to accommodate moderate overpronation, a condition which I do not have. These are stability shoes. I guess impulse buying isn’t paying off when buying a good pair of running shoes đ Tsk, tsk…I guess I need to buy another pair of Nikes soon (maybe a LunarGlide+ ;-))
Pros
Great cushioning
Nike+ ready
Wide upper
Lightweight -Even if it’s a bit heavier than Adizero, I would still consider this lightweight
Good stability shoes
Good price point -P3,690
Cons
Hard front upper
Needs improvement on front cushioning
Rating: 7.5/10. It might not be the correct pair for me but I was still comfortable wearing these nonetheless.
Mizuno Wave Frontier 2
I visited a running specialty store called Second Wind to have my gait analyzed and checked. I was procrastinating on this task for months before that very fortunate day. Good thing Hector was there to assist me. He asked me to run in a treadmill while in my business attire. I had to fold my slacks up to my knees so he can give an accurate assessment. I must’ve looked ridiculous! đ After the assessment, he diagnosed me to be a neutral runner. Wow! This is great! Neutral gait = more shoes to choose from. Ok, so the shopaholic in me is coming out…
I then asked him to recommend a good pair of shoes with ample cushioning for neutral runners. He gave me 3 options. His best reco was a pair of Asics Gel Nimbus 10. I loved the fit and the bounce but he didn’t have my size and it was really expensive at P6,750. Next was Mizuno Wave Precision 9. The colors were psychedelic. Hector recommended I get the orange one. I was a bit hesitant but seriously considered it. However, upon trying it on, I felt that the for wasn’t for me. We tried a larger size but it was too big. He then recommended 2 more shoes. The Mizuno Wave Frontier 2 and the Asics Gel Kanbarra 3.
I first tried on the Mizunos. These shoes felt great! Although they were a bit heavy, the comfort you would feel would be worth it. It felt like I had my feet enveloped in pillows. Whether that’s a good comparison or not, I felt that I had finally found my training shoes đ Just to make sure, I tried on the Asics Kanbarra. It looked and felt durable but it was just too hard compared to the Frontiers.
I tried training and racing with these shoes. Training was great. Racing was alright but if you are aiming to beat your PR, running on 5k-10k then a lighter shoes would be more suited. For cushioning, these shoes are the best I’ve tried so far. I am a midfoot runner but sometimes would experiment running with heel strikes. I injured myself doing this with my Nike and my Adizeros. It doesn’t make a difference with Mizunos.
Pros
Very comfortable
Well-cushioned
Wide upper
Good price point at P3,995
Cons
Quite heavy
Moderate ventilation
Limited color options (I got it in white and silver, the only color available in SecondWind)
Rating: 8.5/10
Now to get me one of those Nike LunarGlide+ and Asics Gel Nimbus 10. Yes, running is not becoming an expensive sport.
I FINALLY managed to get my hands on a pair of Nike LunarGlide+, an early Christmas present from my sister Claire. I love the color she chose…RED! I was planning to get ’em in purple but I fell in love with this color đ
Red Nike LunarGlide+
I chose my favorite route, BHS to Mckinley Hills and back, to test Max (name a gave my LunarGlide+).  I promised hubby that I would run with him as long as we go to McKinley Hills…well, at least the 1st part of the route đ We initially decided to run at a very relaxed pace of 7:30.  After 1.2k of warm up, we headed to McKinley Hills. I guess hubby felt motivated to run faster. I was surprised to see that he started to run with a pace of 6:30, 6:00 to 5:30 until we reached the intersection of McKinley. It was exhilarating to run side-by-side with him at that pace. Max was doing great! He was very light and yet, he gave me enough cushioning. I also did not experience any shin splints which was great!
McKinley Hills (Downhill, Uphill, Roundabout)
Great performance! Max was great during my run downhill towards McKinley Hills, uphill back towards BHS! Still no shin splints. By this time, I had decided to push myself to a faster pace to further test Max. I was maintaining a 6:00 to 6:15 pace from Essensa to further down McKinley intersection and back to BHS. I cannot find anything to complain about these LunarGlides. Such awesome pair of shoes!
Pros
Lightweight
Well-cushioned
Variety of colors to choose from (hey, an essential for every girl!)
Nike+ iPod Kit compatible
Cons
Quite pricey at P5,495
Rating: 9.5/10 (I would’ve given it a 10 if it were not priced so high, then again…I got it for free đ )
I got my 2nd pair already in the classic white and orange.
Keep on running! No barriers…
Globe sponsored one of the most well-attended (meaning jam-packed) running events I have ever been to. Then again, this was only my 4th/5th race. There were approximately 6,000 runners who registered for the event. You can choose to run 3k, 5k, 10k and the most sought-after (but limited only to those brave enough) the 21k. The 21k allows you to run through the usual Buendia route (familiar to 10k runners) including Paseo and Ayala. In addition, if you join this race, you get to use a Champion Chip which is a mini transponder that acts like an RFID tag. It provides accurate feedback on when you crossed the starting line, when you hit the half-point and what your actual time was when you cross the finish line.
Being a newbie runner, I decided to run my usual 5k. Since I lacked sleep the night before, I decided to take it slow and just aim to beat my PR of 39 mins (buddy run). I wanted to shoot for at least a 32mins as this was my training record but once I got to Fort, I knew this was a lost cause.
The place was PACKED! Parking spaces were limited and the line to the restroom was LONG. Needing to do number 1, I missed the gun start. I didn’t mind though as I can expect an accurate time due to the use of the Champion Chip. When I finally got to the starting line, the 3k runners were already waiting for their gun start. I thought I had to rush to catch up but apparently due to the multitude of people who joined the 5k, it was so difficult to push your way through the crowd. I had a difficult time weaving through the crowd. Ended my run approximately 31-32mins. I will know on the 23rd.
Here are some tips I can share to help you run in “well-attended” races like this.
1. Observe proper running etiquette.
Slow runners/walkers stay on the right-most lane to make way for fast runners. I also have to note though that in reality, you should not expect all runners to observe proper running etiquette. Sad to say, most do not observe this. We are in an imperfect world. My suggestion for fast runners: make use of sidewalks instead, if available. If you’re having a hard time weaving through the crowd, run on the sidewalk and saying “excuse me” also helps. It reminds the other runners that there is such a thing as etiquette. For slow runners, get out of the way of fast runners. Try to stay on the right side of the road. Be aware of your surroundings to make sure you’re not pissing anyone by being insensitive.
2. Bring your own water/drink.
If you want to break your PR, do not stop at the water station as you will end up lining up for a drink. Yes, this happened in the Run for Home run. They say that you just need a hydration belt when you’re aiming to run 10k up but after this run, I beg to disagree.
3. Arrive early.
Arriving early has its benefits. You get to check where the restrooms are. You get to do your warm-ups and light stretching before the start of the race. And you get better parking space options.
Hope these help.
Keep running! No barriers…
Often I would feel a stabbing pain on my shins after a vigorous running. Apparently, (as per good old reliable Google) I was suffering from a condition called Shin Splints. I have never heard of this term even when I was still studying Physical Therapy. But upon checking Wikipedia, Shin Splints are also knows as Medial Tibial Stress Syndrome, and yes, I do remember this from school :).
What are shin splints anyway? How do we treat this condition?
As per Wikipedia:
Shin splints is a general term used to refer to a painful condition in the shins.[1] It is often caused by running or jumping, and may be very slow to heal. A formal medical term for the condition is medial tibial stress syndrome.[2][3]
How do we treat and avoid shin splints?
One treatment that always works for me is RICE. Rest, Ice, Compress and Elevate. Although compressing is not really needed unless there is swelling involved. I usually rest by avoiding vigorous lower body activities that involves ground impacts. Instead of running, engage in exercises involving less stress to the legs. (eg yoga, swimming)
Prevention is still the best option to take. You prevent conditions like these and other injuries by:
1. Using the correct pair of shoes.
Any runner should have their gait checked BEFORE investing on a good pair of running shoes. I learned this the hard way. I had to endure painful shins and knees, invested in 3 pairs of shoes that were actually not for the kind of gait I have! It was a physically and economically painful experience for me đ Specialty shops such as Secondwind in Teacher’s Village, Runnr is Bonifacio High Street, actually provides this service, even possibly for free (SecondWind does but I am unsure about Runnr).
2. Static Stretches
Stretch your shins as part of your cool down exercise. You can also make this a part of your warm up but make sure that you do not stretch cold muscles as this might be a source of further injury. Walk around 1st to warn up your muscles and ligaments and then do your stretches.
3. Strengthen your shins
Your gastrocnemius (calves), quadriceps and shins have to be strengthened to support your body when you run. To strengthen your shins, you should place “controlled” stress on your shins. Try walking on your heels and downhill running. I used to do this when I was training to be a mountaineer.
4. Avoid overstriding and heel impacts
I notice that whenever I try to sprint (usually to beat Not to the finish line), which causes me to overstride and shift from midfoot-strike running to heel-strike running, I experience really painful shin splints. Some say that due to my running style which is basically midfoot to forefoot-strikes, I experience more injuries. Another school of thought says that using the heel on impact actually promotes more injuries. But based on personal experience, I have more problems with my shin whenever I use my heel on ground impact.
These tips are not fool-proof. But I do hope that it will help others who are experiencing this nasty condition đ Happy running!
Have you ever felt a stabbing, intense pain on your lower rib cage, mostly on the right side whenever you’re running or engaged in vigorous exercise or activity? If yes, then you’re a victim of side stitches. Side stitches is also known as Exercise-related Transient Abdominal Pain (ETAP) (or as most runners would call it, Runner’s Cramps). As the name implies, it is a temporary pain and will subside in time. However, this is one of the most annoying feeling you get whenever you’re in the middle of the run and is the most frequent cause of halting in the middle of races.
What is a side stitch anyway and how can you prevent it? I came across a great article describing this topic in detail. My personal experience tells me that deep breathing exercises while experiencing side stitches can help ease the pain. However, I still have to slow down my pace and this is something that I really wish to avoid.
I hope this article helps. See you at the races.
Trivia: Did you know that side stitches occur more frequently in swimmers than runners? đ
Diaphragm Role in Breathing
What is a Side Stitch?
A side stitch, also known as exercise related transient abdominal pain (ETAP), is one of the most annoying and painful conditions suffered by participants of sport and exercise. Although not considered a true sports injury, it has been estimated that 70% of regular runners suffered from a side stitch in the last 12 months.
A side stitch causes an intense, stabbing pain under the lower edge of the ribcage and although it can occur on both sides of the abdomen, research has found that it occurs more frequently on the right side.
The pain is usually brought on by vigorous exercise and activity. Side stitches occur more frequently in sports that require a lot of up and down movement, like running, jumping and horse riding. They also occur more frequently in novice or amateur athletes.
What Causes a Side Stitch?
The pain is caused by a spasm of the diaphragm muscle. The diaphragm is a dome shaped muscle that separates the thoracic (lung) cavity from the abdominal cavity and moves up and down when you inhale and exhale. To understand why the diaphragm muscle spasms, we need to understand what is happening during exercise: Let’s use the sport of running as an example.
It is interesting to note that more than 70% of humans exhale when their left foot strikes the ground, while less than 30% exhale when their right foot hits the ground.
When you inhale, your lungs fill with air and force your diaphragm downward. Conversely, when you exhale your lungs contract and your diaphragm rises. This pattern of rising and falling occurs quite rapidly when you’re running and as most side stitches occur on the right hand side, consider what happens to your diaphragm when your right foot strikes the ground.
As your right foot strikes the ground, gravity forces your internal organs downward. Some of these organs are attached to the diaphragm, which in turn pulls the diaphragm downward. Now if you’re also exhaling at the same time as your right foot hits the ground, your diaphragm is being pulled upward as your lungs contract. This creates a stretching of the diaphragm muscle and the ligaments that are attached to your internal organs, which inturn causes the pain.
Treating a Side Stitch
Like any other muscle spasm, when a side stitch occurs it is important to stop the activity that brought the stitch on in the first place, or at the very least reduce the intensity of the activity.
Another effective treatment for a side stitch is to alter your breathing pattern. First concentrate on taking full, deep breathes and avoid shallow breathing. Then, if you are one of those people who exhale when your right foot hits the ground, try instead to exhale when your left foot hits the ground.
Preventing a Side Stitch
There are a number of measures that help to prevent side stitch, the main ones being:
- Improve your cardiovascular fitness;
- Concentrate on breathing deeply during exercise;
- Warm up properly before exercising;
- Gradually increase exercise intensity;
- Strengthen your core muscles (lower back, abdominal and oblique muscles);
- Stretch more, especially your lower back and abdominal muscles;
- Avoid eating before exercising; and
- Drink more fluids.
Article by Brad Walker. Brad is a leading stretching and
sports injury consultant with nearly 20 years experience
in the health and fitness industry. For more articles on
stretching, flexibility and sports injury, please visit
The Stretching Institute.
Last full review/revision August 2006 by Joseph D. Brain, ScD
Gailcons's Blog 