Run-Down Forums

[Guest]

I have a Rather odd question for you. I am a relatively new runner and recently began running at 6:00 a.m. during the warm summer months. The odd thing is that about 3-4km into my run I find that I need to have a bowel movement. Is this normal?
It feels as though my whole system flushes out once I get home. Am I missing something in my diet that causes this to happen. It happens on occasion to my running partner too.
Thanks

[Dan]

How can you read this without smiling! While I haven't had any such problems regularly (ooh, 10 minutes in the corner for that awful pun), I have several friends who wouldn't consider it real running if they felt any differently. I don't know what causes this for some people, but my hunch is the answer is related to diet.

Dan

[Jeff Shelton]

I hate to make a large topic of conversation on bowel movements but this happens to me at least twice a month and is related to diet.
Pay attention to what you eat before bed and try to well... you know before your run. It will become natural for your body to do this every morning. Some kind of fiber with dinner will help. Do you drink coffee before your run or eat or drink anything directly before you run? Give your body time to flush out before your runs. You will feel better as well>

[Dan]

I'll try to add something constructive to Jeff's comments... It might also help to allow a good 3-4 hours to digest food before going to bed. Only downside to this is you'll be hungrier in the morning, which makes morning runs a little more difficult. But, I'd take a little tummy rumble over desperately seeking a port-o-potty any day (although I do consider myself somewhat of a port-o-potty connoisseur!).

Dan

[Guest]

Thanks for your advice guys It was very helpful.
It's nice to ask this sort of question anonymously.
None of the books I have read so far have mentioned this problem. I will try eating more fiber at dinner and not eating 3-4 hrs before I go to bed and see how those work.

[Dan]

You're welcome (I'll let Jeff speak for himself). While my obvious preference is for people to not post anonymously, I can certainly understand why it is desireable in some cases. As long as people don't use it as a way to make cowardly rude statements (which fortunately has not been an issue), I have no problems with it.

Best of luck with your new night time regimen.

Dan

[Guest]

Dear Dan the Man,
What do you think about Red Bull and running? Do you think its good or is there any side effects of long term use of Red Bull like before races and stuff? Is the carbonation bad for a runner running sub 27 minute 8k's? whats your review of it... seems to give me a boost, but don't want to get hooked on it or to rely on it. What do you think?

[Anonymously Posted by: 'd']

[Dan]

I've actually never tried it, so I don't really have any basis for comment. My major concern is the carbonation, which I don't think has any place in a runner's diet. At least not on a regular basis, and especially not before racing.

If you feel it gives you a good boost, I'd recommend letting it go flat overnight. That's an old marathoner's trick that has been shown to work pretty well for 1500m and up -- mixing flat Coke with water, about 50/50. Leaving the cap off for 24 hours or so should be sufficient.

I'm not sure about Red Bull's caffeine content, so it might be wise to experiement with dillution. Too much caffeine actually is not better, both in terms of performance boost (legal) and hydration.

Dan

[Guest]

Yeah, i researched, and the caffeine content in Red Bull is about as much as in a cup of coffee. Good idea, to leave the top open. I'm going to do that tonight! Thanks for the tip, bro!

[Anonymously Posted by: 'd']

[Dan]

Based on studies from about 6 years ago, the most beneficial amount of caffeine was shown to be the equivalent of about 3 cups of coffee. The illegal limit for international competition -- 5 cups worth -- is actually detrimental to performance. Go figure.

Dan

[Guest]

Dan, I've always wondered, when and how do you find time to answer all these questions??! I mean thats a lot of questions to go through. Wow, but you get the job done. Keep up the good work and remeber, keep running!!

[Anonymously Posted by: 'D']

[Dan]

I'm near the computer most of the time (the weight bench is literally 3 feet away), and it doesn't take much time to answer questions as they come along. Now, answering a pile of them, like I have in my email inbox, is quite another matter...

It's nice to see more active forum participation of late. I don't like to see a question go unanswered, so it's great that others have been chiming in and helping out.

I have a question for you, as well. What might the name be of this mystery guest that shares my favorite letter?

Dan

[Guest]

its of couse Danny, but i go by Dan sometimes. We have awesome names! It rhymes with man, can, fan, tan, and much more. So we are Dan the Man, Dan with a tan, and of course, Dan who Ran.

[Anonymously Posted by: 'd']

[Dan]

And it almost rhymes with Dan with too much time on his Hands...

Dan