Long runs causing the runs
2563
Member
1222 days
Anton posted 15 weeks ago.
Dehydration.
Your gut has a fair amount to food in it at any one time in some stage of being processed.
When you get dehydrated the body says: " I have to move all the water I have to my major organs to keep them functioning correctly and preserve homeostasis (normal body function).
I can't waste water processing the nutrients out of all this crap, so out you go!"
Most people walk around in a state of chronic dehydration all the time.. athletes even more so...despite all the fluids we should consume everyday. 100 ounces of any liquid daily, except alcohol, will do (Runners World).
I'm concerned that you try to keep your hydration "in check." Do you mean that you are restricting fluids in an effort to keep from having the" runs"? If you are restricting...you may be making the situation worse.
Proper hydration takes practice.
"What would life be if we had no courage to attempt anything?" - Vincent Van Gogh
My Blog: http://anton.trifuel.net
182
Member
300 days
psychosyd posted 15 weeks ago.
very very common. Running is a great laxative. I often have the runs on long runs. Thankfully I live in the country and run on very quiet farm roads with lots of bushes to duck into. Dehydration is definetely the leading cause. Also don't drink coffee within 2 or 3 hrs before a long run. This is a sure fire way to clear your system.
Start hydrating the day before (like you would a race) and the morning of, and you should avoid the worst of the runs. You can't avoid them all.
75
Member
178 days
M posted 15 weeks ago.
It's one thing to have to "go" while or shortly after running, but actual "runs" well after the run is another thing. I wouldn't be so quick to think that dehydration is the cause, but in any case it's a worry since you will need more water the day after a long run and you lose a lot of water when having a bad case of the runs.
If the long run is strenuous, your GI system will not function normally and may move things through in a suboptimal way, so you may need to pay attention to keeping a more relaxed pace. Another thing to pay attention to if you are hydrating after the run is whether you are drinking too much too fast, which truly leads to a "down the hatch" situation and is not helpful: the water doesn't stick around long enough to do any good and it may flush (sorry) more stuff out as it speeds through. One thing I've always wondered about, too (total speculation), is the role of electrolytes in the things we drink. Some laxatives (osmotic) work by changing the concentration of salts in your gut so that water is drawn into it...which is good if you're having the opposite problem, but could be really unhelpful in your situation.
Maybe the thing to do is to keep track of what you are consuming/drinking and when, and maybe something will emerge as a possible culprit. Also, does anything like that happen after a long bike? If not, that may point to your GI just shutting down while you run...then it wakes up once it's "safe" and tries to make up for lost time. Good luck.
653
Member
201 days
TriSooner posted 15 weeks ago.
I had the same issue, and still do on occassion. I had a girlfriend once (can you believe it?) who told me that your lower GI system "sweats" and this liquifies the poo. But your system will get used to running long distances and over time, you lower GI will stop sweating so much. Dont' know if this is true or not, but at IM and marathons I never stop for a duece anymore. It is like your legs says to your lower GI, "Hey, we are running here! No doo-dooing yet." In other words, it will go away. Now when it happens it is a result of what I ate the night before (hot wings, mexican food, beer). It is predictable. I think that is the key to managing it. Knowing what triggers it, about what time before (or into the run) it starts, and having a plan. Run in the woods if you can, or early, EARLY am and duck into the bushes. Or get rid of it before you run. I know, I know, you don't have to go. But unlike other posers, I would recommend coffee before the run. Trigger the morning evacuation before you run. And if you happen to be in a race and lose it in your pants, big deal. They don't take finish line photos from the back. :)
Ironman Germany (July 6, 2008)
Without getting into the specifics, the bottom line is my long runs are causing some major intestinal issues. I've been trying to keep my hydration in check, and making sure fiber levels are low, but for some reason the 2-4 hrs after my long runs are causing many trips to my "office". Any suggestions?