Cardio: Avoiding the ’Side-Ache’

It's a beautiful day; you're out training for the Big Race. You've just taken that hill with gusto, and then wham! Bam! It's that old 'side-ache'! The Enemy from within. It's excruciating, so you stop, grab your side and curl up! Ooooh, it hurts! You ask yourself, "Why does this always happen?"

It's every runner's nightmare! If you're prone to side-ache, you'll almost hate your training sessions and fear will paralyze you and keep you from "going all-out." You avoid eating or drinking too much water before your workout, try to take it easy, think happy thoughts and still it hits like a bee sting, just as you're feeling invincible.

So how can we avoid it? Ask a running coach she'll say, "You've got to breathe!" Frustrated, you come back, "What in the heck does that mean? Of course, I'm breathing or I'd drop dead!" And so she'll say:

First, and most important in running, is to relax. When you relax you will allow your body the opportunity to inhale more deeply, either through the nose or the mouth, filling your bloodstream with the necessary oxygen it needs to pump blood to the heart at an accelerated rate. Your body depends on the oxygen you breathe in order for the body to function at its best during training or competition. If you are holding your breath, which many runners unknowingly do when they are running tense or tired, you are cutting off the oxygen supply, and bingo, side-ache. (Just the thought of it, gives me the chills!) Relaxing will allow freer, deeper breathing and will enable your tired body to rejuvenate slowly.

What to do when you're hit with that stabbing pain in your side? Slow your pace down, relax your tense body and start inhaling slowly and deeply until your lungs are filled to capacity, then exhale naturally (not blowing the air out). The pain will disappear. But you must continue your deep breathing, or it will return.

Practice deep breathing before and after your run. While you stretch your muscles during your pre-warm-up or warm-down, train your mind and body to breathe right. Inhale as you stretch, hold for three seconds and then exhale as you release the tension in your muscles. Do this daily, and your mind, body and spirit will replicate this during your run. You will run relaxed, free and you will avoid the dreaded side-ache!