I Thought Running Was GOOD For Your Body

Relax, running IS good for your body. It sheds fat and makes your body lean and your heart strong. But, it does have some side effects...see if any of these issues sound familiar:

1. Runners Trots - Thought I'd start off with the fun one! When you run, your intestines get jostled around and move any contents they may have on down the "road". This can result in some unexpected cramps that have you desperately looking for a bathroom. Best way to avoid this is to stay clear of fiber and any new foods 24 hours before a long run.
2. Nipple Irritation - This usually only pertains to men...unless you are a woman who runs bra-less (there's lots of jokes here, but I will leave it alone). Sweat is a mix of mostly water and salt, and a few other minerals. When the water evaporates, you are left with salt. I'm sure you've all seen a white streak on your face or arms after a long workout. This salt is abrasive and makes the makes a sweaty shirt rubbing on a nibble feel like sandpaper! The solutions include wearing bandaids on your nips or a tightly fitted mositure-wicking shirt.
3. Leg Twitching (aka the "Jimmy Legs")- If your legs twitch when you lay down to go to bed at night, you are not alone. When you have a hard workout, you lose sodium and calcium, which are responsible for muscle relaxation. If these electrolytes haven't been replaced, your muscles can't relax. To keep this from happening, don't skip your post-workout meal or get up and drink some milk if you are already in bed.
4. Black Toenails - For regular runners, getting a black toenail is not a matter of if, but when. Three things cause this not-so-beautiful pedicure. A shoe that's too small, a toenail that comes in contact with the top of your shoe too often, and using your toes to "grip" when you run. Usually, they just look bad, but if they hurt, there's is something you can do. Heat up the end of a safety pin with a match and press it through the top of your toenail to release the pressure. If you are too big of a scaredy-cat to do that...go see your doctor. The nail will eventually die and fall off, with a new one growing underneath or after the old one is gone.
5. Side Stitches - This is caused by breathing. Your diaphragm is the muscle that controls your breathing. It is attached to your liver on the right side. When you run, the attaching ligaments stretch, which stresses the diaphragm and causes pain. You can slow down or take deep, slow breaths to ease the pain. These are more typical for beginners, so keep running...and they will eventually go away.

YESTERDAY'S WORKOUT:

Run

16.88 miles in 2:22:39 (8:27 min/mile pace)
Pretty good run, although I found it hard to get me heart rate HIGH enough. This usually isn't the problem, but my heart was telling my legs that they could go faster but the legs just didn't have it in them. I still got in a good Long Slow Run, which by the way, was the furthest my legs have ever carried me! I plan on breaking this new record next week!
Avg HR = 151 bpm
Max HR = 161 bpm

Here's my HR data from the run (notice that the majority of the time was spent in Zone 1):

TODAY'S WORKOUT:

Bike

55 minutes on the bike: 10 minute warm-up followed by 45 minute Spin Class
Some really good long intervals today, ranging from 1 minute to 3 minutes in length
Avg HR = 129 bpm
Max HR = 150 bpm

Swim

1776 yards (1 mile) in 33:04 (1:52/100yd pace)
I felt pretty good during the swim, focusing on sighting and body position.