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Aka answering natures
call or taking a "comfort break"! I guess I have the kind of
gut that just doesn’t play
ball but I have come to terms with it a long time ago. When
you gotta go, you gotta go!
Over the years I have tried all
the tricks in terms of eating, drinking and medication with regard to a
happy gut. You name it, I tried it. But alas, shit
happens!
So this page is about dealing
with the situation, rather than finding a ‘cure’ for it. What
I have worked out over the years is that my gut does eventually settle
down and sort itself out. My pit stops happen in
the early stages of a run, about 4 to 5 kays into the run. On
long runs I’ll often have to make 3 or 4 pit stops within the
first 20 kays, thereafter I’m fine. This is something I know
so I no longer stress out about whether I will need to go or
not. I now see pit
stops in a very positive light. To me, they are
quad stretch opportunities. You’ll be amazed at how your legs
appreciate the break and the little stretch.
Here follows
my guide to pit stopping
- Get over it! Don’t
let modesty hold you back.
Probably easier for women who have experienced natural
childbirth!
- When running, don’t turn back
to go and pit stop!
Keep moving forward and look ahead and suss out a good spot to
go. I look for fynbos or similar bush and hide behind it.
- Watch your footing – don’t
twist an ankle in the process!
- Be careful where you
squat. Look out for poison ivy, stinging
nettles and puffadders.
- Make sure you have some tissue
or toilet
paper. If not, the fynbos tends to be pretty scratchy!
- I avoid the portable
toilets en route. By the time I get to one of
them, they are already a health hazard. The seat is
usually ‘soiled’ which means one has to ‘hover’ which is not easy on
tired legs! I rather take my chances in the
fynbos which is pleasing to the eye and the nostrils.
- Where possible, especially in
built up areas, make use of public
restrooms at shops, petrol and railway stations. If
none are available, try knocking on someone’s door and explain your
dilemma. Whatever you do, do
it quickly. You don’t have much time to waste!
- Ladies, there is a trick to
standing and weeing! I never
learnt it! I much prefer to wee like a girl!
- Running with a cramping gut or
a full bladder can be very uncomfortable
and can affect your overall performance. It is quite
easy to completely lose focus as
you struggle along. Deal with it before it is too
late!
- If my guts play up during a
run/race, I usually take 2 Imodium’s
or Lomotils
and that
seems to help.
- Occasionally I get the
continuous urge to wee all the time. I
think it is probably linked to a low grade bladder
infection. This makes running quite uncomfortable.
I now carry an emergency sachet of Citro-soda in my goody bag.
It’s an alkaline which works as a neutraliser. It
does offer some
relief!
- If you wake up in the morning
with 'out and out' jippo guts (the
squirts and the throw ups) it is not advisable to even start!
You will be
putting your body under tremendous strain when it doesn’t
have the
reserves to deal with it. If your jippo guts only start
during the course of the run, try
taking some
Imodium and be mindful of what’s going in and out of your
body. If the squirts abate, try continuing but with
care. Rather be
safe than sorry! It’s your call.
And
Lastly
- Make sure you have a wee within
2 hours of finishing any training run
or race. That way you know your kidneys are working.
Hopefully
you will not have this problem but when shit does happens, I hope you
have learnt something from this page. Take this knowledge
with you into Comrades!
Key words: bad
guts, pit stops, toilets, Imodium, Lomotil
Internal links: goody bag,
focus
External
links: Official Comrades Marathon
website
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