44 replies to this topic

[apricots]

This is a bit embarrassing, but I've looked through all my running books, and "back issue" posts on CR, and can't find any info, let alone useful info! So I'm hoping some fellow CRs might have some helpful tips for me, please.
In this hot weather, I'm getting up pre-dawn to go running as soon as it's light enough to see where I'm going. I have a good drink of water, but don't eat anything before I go.
I go to the loo (obviously!) but I can't psych myself into doing a bowel movement before I run. I'm "regular" and all is well in that department, but I can't "go" first thing in the morning. This is creating problems for me with my distance, because after about 9km, I"m absolutely busting to "go", so I'm sort of stuck at 10km runs, because I'm too scared to go for longer in case ..... you know what!

In cooler weather, running a bit later in the morning, it's fine - but right NOW it isn't fine!
(I told you it was a bit embarrassing)

[Colin]

Do a 9km loop taking you back home then continue your run.

Also gives a chance for a cold drink at home at that point.

[pbig]

Orange Juice first thing usually works well / quickly for me, plus I like to allow at least 15mins from getting out of bed till heading out the door - times I've had problems are mainly when I've got up with only minutes to spare before needing to head off and meet someone for a run....

[Bellthorpe]

I run an hour or so after breakfast, so I've usually gone by then. I would suggest that you take a magazine to the bathroom, sit down and relax, and wait until it happens. I know that's a 'guy thing', but give it a go.

I always take toilet paper with me in a ziplock bag clipped to my shorts. Fortunately I run in the forest, so if I have to go it's not an issue. You might keep an eye out for spots where you can go if you have to, and make an anticipatory stop.

Finally, there's Immodium. Works pretty well. I always pop one before a long (over 15k) event. And there's really only one side effect.

[undercover brother]

the no 2's thread.

[Goughy]

Luckily I have an open public toilet on my runs! I'm in the same boat. 4am seems just too early. It's also a problem on my long rides. You just have to 'force' the issue!

You know the one about the old guy who tells his mate he hates getting old. His mate says why, and he says 'every day, without fail, I has a bowel movement at 6am'. His mate says he'd love to be that regular. But the old guys says 'problem is I don't get up until 7!'

[BeesKnees]

Become 'friendly' with the local petrol station, they are happy to let you use their toilets, then do the right thing and go back and buy petrol from them, though one petrol station wouldn't let me in till 6am, not happy but it was dark.
Check out where a Mcdonalds store is on your run, they are clean, just be careful they may lock their toilets from midnight til 6am, if in a slightly dodgy area

[DoggieDoctor]

At one stage I found I had to go up to 4 times before and during a run. Realised I was OD'ing on Extra chewing gum after reading the label with my glasses on.

DD

[apricots]

Thanks for all the suggestions!
There are a couple of servos on my route, and I'd already thought of those. But I'd rather train my body to do as it's told!
I read somewhere that a large glass of hot water works quite well; and I might try the orange juice one too.
Sorry Bellthorpe, reading in the loo is NOT an option! Definitely a guy thing.
I might just have to get up even earlier, and see how I go.
Doing two laps of my circuit would be boring, and I get sick enough of the 800m hill at the end anyway. Also, I like to time my runs, so stopping in the middle would muck them up.
Just got to train the body.....!

[JackW]

Yep, I have this happen frequently as well, altho I'm lucky there are a lot of public loos around where i run. You may be onto something with the glass of warm/hot water. I find a coffee usually does the trick.

Jack

[20thCenturyBoy]

Cup of coffee half an hour before setting off does the trick for me

[Seano]

apricots, on Jan 5 2010, 07:58 PM, said:

I read somewhere that a large glass of hot water works quite well; and I might try the orange juice one too.

Hot water with half a lemon squeezed into it.

[Spectre]

I have my morning "routine" (whether running or not) of having 2 cups of coffee. Part way through the second cup without fail the urge appears, I finish the coffee and visit the bathroom. It helps that I absolutely love drinking coffee too!

[Solace]

+1 for coffee

I have a coffee upon waking and about 15 minutes later have breakie. After which it's normally time to 'go' and then I head off.

+1 also for the Maccas stops. Can't tell you my disappointment when one which was conveniently located within part of many of my different runs was closed for renovations for a number of weeks!

Good luck with it!

[RobHall]

I used to have this problem but now I wear compression socks I sit on the can after breakfast to pull them on. This straining and heaving to get them on causes me to dump more than ample borrie to get me through at least 24hrs.

Do you realise that Jo Blake did C3K in 26:03? In his race report he states he took 6mins to back out a brown buick. This means that single stool cost him going under 26hr into the 25hr zone. Unless it was such an awesome and uplifting moment of refreshment that he pulled back more time than he lost. I guess we will never know cos I'm not going to ask.

[Bellthorpe]

RobHall, on Jan 6 2010, 09:28 PM, said:

I used to have this problem but now I wear compression socks I sit on the can after breakfast to pull them on.

Rob, I think you're meant to put them on your feet.

[brewer]

RobHall, on Jan 6 2010, 10:28 PM, said:

... such an awesome and uplifting moment of refreshment ...

Don't underestimate this possibility, as a good dump really can brighten your day.

[Leofisio]

There are two things that increase bowel movements: 1) exercise and 2) food...

My suggestion is to eat or drink something before you start running... if you cannot tolerate food so early... 1-2 cups of coffee will do the trick (+ BT's advice i.e. a good reading).

Leo

[Gento]

apricots, on Jan 5 2010, 05:57 PM, said:

I go to the loo (obviously!) but I can't psych myself into doing a bowel movement before I run. I'm "regular" and all is well in that department, but I can't "go" first thing in the morning. This is creating problems for me with my distance, because after about 9km, I"m absolutely busting to "go", so I'm sort of stuck at 10km runs, because I'm too scared to go for longer in case ..... you know what!

This depends on your metabolism rate. Find out after eating how long it takes before you feel the need to go to the toilet. I my "cycle" and have adjusted accordingly - usually, by eating a large bowl of spaghetti for dinner the night before a race, I end up feeling the need to go towards the end of the race. However, by adjusting to the "cycle". if I have the bowl of spag for lunch and go light for dinner instead, I still retain the same amount of carbs, but can go first thing in the morning. Hence easier and more comfortable to run the longer distances.
It takes a few trail and error attempts to figure out what works best.

[Bellthorpe]

Trail and error attempts are fine, but what if one has to run on the road?

[julz83]

aha are we talking trail and error or trial and error?!

i can tell you that there is nothing worse than having close calls with nature. it;s a problem currently plagueing my running and im not happy at all.

closest ive come to 'solving' the problem so far is doing a 2k warm up culminating in a toilet stop before meeting up with others for a run. doesnt always work but better than nothing.

someone needs to do a bumper sticker that says 'who needs laxatives when you've got running'

[Gento]

Bellthorpe, on Jan 7 2010, 01:24 PM, said:

Trail and error attempts are fine, but what if one has to run on the road?

Should've been written as trial and error.
My bad

Ususally in event runs there are toilet stops every few kms

[Colin]

Don't realise how lucky I am sometimes.

Never cramp, never need nature stops etc...running's good

[rachinaus]

Colin, on Jan 7 2010, 01:47 PM, said:

Don't realise how lucky I am sometimes.

Never cramp, never need nature stops etc...running's good

....can run easily with a few beers and some late afternoon champers in you

[Davo]

Just as a slight diversion, why have we fallen into the appalling American habit of calling it a bathroom?
Tell it like it is!
You're going to empty your bowels. Are you going to do that in the bath?
It's a toilet, lavatory, loo, bog, john.......but it ain't a bathroom!!!

[Leofisio]

Davo, on Jan 7 2010, 03:25 PM, said:

Just as a slight diversion, why have we fallen into the appalling American habit of calling it a bathroom?
Tell it like it is!
You're going to empty your bowels. Are you going to do that in the bath?
It's a toilet, lavatory, loo, bog, john.......but it ain't a bathroom!!!

s*&ter?

[Colin]

rachinaus, on Jan 7 2010, 02:42 PM, said:

....can run easily with a few beers and some late afternoon champers in you

...I don't know about 'easily' ...I certainly felt like crap

[RobHall]

Thanks BT, I will start putting the socks on my feet, you are the wise sage.

Colin, never cramped, never bogged, you must have at least another 5% in you.....or we need to ANALyse your turds to see what the magic is

Ahh the good old days of eating fish and chips drinking 2 or 3 beers and then heading off for 10km, for some reason it always felt faster than the time I actually did.

Calcium is a binder, why not take a couple of calcium tablets the night before to block it up a bit and then take a couple of mag after the run to loosen it up again.

Edited by RobHall, 07 January 2010 - 05:49 PM.

[Colin]

RobHall, on Jan 7 2010, 06:18 PM, said:

Colin, never cramped, never bogged, you must have at least another 5% in you.....or we need to ANALyse your turds to see what the magic is

... I just don't bog while running.

I'm a very 'regular' guy. Wake up, cup of black coffee, glass of water with two spoons of psyllium, bowl of 'all bran' with hot (boiled) skim milk and honey, drink cup of tea with hot milk, grab the cryptic x-word and head for toilet and have a great dump. A good dump is one where you don't have time to solve one clue

I cramped once...but wasn't running then

Edited by Colin, 07 January 2010 - 06:38 PM.

[RobHall]

"I cramped once...but wasn't running then "

Oh I see, I hope you apologised to your partner and made it up to them the following night.

[Twopennys]

Davo - it's called a dunny

For early morning runs (no pun intended) I make a thermos of coffee before I go to bed as I know I couldn't be arsed to make a cuppa in the morning.

That first cup does it every time for me.

[Colin]

RobHall, on Jan 7 2010, 10:40 PM, said:

"I cramped once...but wasn't running then "

Oh I see, I hope you apologised to your partner and made it up to them the following night.

"Them" ? ...do you think I am Tiger Woods

[Bellthorpe]

It's OK Colin, it's a generational thing.

You and I would have said 'him' or 'her'.

These kids now all say 'their'. No sense at all of speaking plurally.

Now that you've entered your twilight years you will have to adjust to this.

[redbackrun]

Typical of some CR threads - turning to S#*T

look out Kenny, CR will be number 1 with number 2's

[run2work]

Bellthorpe, on Jan 7 2010, 11:58 PM, said:

It's OK Colin, it's a generational thing.

You and I would have said 'him' or 'her'.

These kids now all say 'their'. No sense at all of speaking plurally.

Now that you've entered your twilight years you will have to adjust to this.

BT and Colin,

I think the use of 'them' and 'their' in the plural sense when singular is meant, has come about to create a gender neutral reference. It is not only a generational thing perhaps.

For example, "I am going running with them" It could mean I am going to run with a man or woman, and not necessarily a group, maybe only one runner of unknown gender. If it is not known whether it is a 'him' or 'her' perhaps we can use 'them' even though it is a plural word traditionally. English is always evolving.

r2w

[RobHall]

That's the one, I did write 'her' originally but then thought, I can't make that assumption. You just never know, it could just be a him or a her...or maybe even a bit of both...

But I did get a laugh from the Tiger Woods bit, but that didn't answer any questions, for all I know you might prefer playing the back 9........


Now that is all sorted, lets get back to talking about poo

[undercover brother]

Colin, on Jan 7 2010, 12:47 PM, said:

Don't realise how lucky I am sometimes.
Never cramp, never need nature stops etc...running's good

if you've never squeezed one out on the run then you just haven't run far enough.

[Goughy]

Found another unlocked local park toilet at 5:30am this morning, which was great because 4k from home I wasn't going to make it! Was getting concerned about having to back into the bush and getting bitten by a snake. So I have two now which depending on my run can be anywhere from 2k to 9k from home, and I can include them in my loops on the longer runs.

[Bellthorpe]

run2work, on Jan 8 2010, 08:46 AM, said:

BT and Colin,

I think the use of 'them' and 'their' in the plural sense when singular is meant, has come about to create a gender neutral reference. It is not only a generational thing perhaps.

'Gender neutral'. Exactly. Political correctness at its best.

And I abhor it.

[Davo83]

a strong coffee works for me.

[run2work]

Bellthorpe, on Jan 8 2010, 12:42 PM, said:

'Gender neutral'. Exactly. Political correctness at its best.

And I abhor it.

Say that again BT.


Back to the toileting dilemma. It has and continues to be sticky issue for me as I run to work but not home. Sometimes I have to 'use' the nature areas on route twice on the 5.5km run to work. Sometimes none. I cannot work it out, as it were.

Probably, the key is just the lack of time before the run to let things gurgle through after the pre run drink. I need to wake up earlier, but am not prepared to sacrifice precious sleep.

So I guess I will continue to 'do the doo doo' on the run, discretely of course.

r2w

[blush]

I have the same "problem" now I'm running first thing in the morning to avoid the heat. I have found a loo which can be either 2km or 5km from home, depending on which way I run... sometimes I use it, sometimes I can run 10km without needing too... weird... but I feel a lot better knowing its there if I need it. I have done my share of dashing into the bush (when there is bush!) and once when there was no bush, into a builders port-a-loo... that was probably the worst experience!!

I don't drink coffee, but might try a cup of tea before-hand, but like Apricots, I like to get as much sleep as I can before I run...

[XavierMoney]

apricots, on Jan 5 2010, 08:58 PM, said:

Thanks for all the suggestions!
There are a couple of servos on my route, and I'd already thought of those. But I'd rather train my body to do as it's told!
I read somewhere that a large glass of hot water works quite well; and I might try the orange juice one too.
Sorry Bellthorpe, reading in the loo is NOT an option! Definitely a guy thing.
I might just have to get up even earlier, and see how I go.
Doing two laps of my circuit would be boring, and I get sick enough of the 800m hill at the end anyway. Also, I like to time my runs, so stopping in the middle would muck them up.
Just got to train the body.....!

I have chronic constipation (which runs in our family!) due to a condition called Acromegaly and found that in race walking I would get to 17k and be forced to "detour", very frustrating in a 20k race. A few years ago I found a set of exercises called the "8 minute Ab's" which you can find on Youtube. Apart from being a very good set of exercises for the ab's I also found that they were the best thing to deal with the constipation without resorting to things like suppositories which are quite dehydrating and often not effective unless things are in the lower bowel.

For early morning runners you would need to do the exercises before tea on the night before to allow time for it to work. Sometimes it is quite quick and other times can take 2 hours or so but is generally better than eating/drinking special foods as I often found these wouldn't work properly until put under pressure in a race. The other good thing about the program is that even if they dont achieve the clean out that you wanted at least your ab's get a good work out. Also you should avoid straining as this can cause a hernia, yes I found out the hard way.

Best of luck

[sunny1]

julz83, on Jan 7 2010, 12:58 PM, said:

aha are we talking trail and error or trial and error?!

i can tell you that there is nothing worse than having close calls with nature. it;s a problem currently plagueing my running and im not happy at all.

closest ive come to 'solving' the problem so far is doing a 2k warm up culminating in a toilet stop before meeting up with others for a run. doesnt always work but better than nothing.

This seems to be the best solution for me too, although I can't guarantee that I won't need to go again.

In response to this (below), written by my dear friend, Rocker (post 96 on the Summit to Sea thread) ...

'Sunny, who’s training on hills,
(Instead of a route which is flatter),
To improve running skills, can dispense with the drills.
She just needs to train up her bladder.'

I wrote this ...

'Your intentions, dear Rocker,
I know to be fine.
My problem's a shocker
But you won't hear me whine.

T'would make others much sadder
and perhaps throw in the towel.
Problem's not with the bladder
It sits with my bowel.

Running gives me the runs
Tís an issue most common
The 'number twos' thread
(A thread not so solemn)
Jumps into my head.

It stuffed up my pace
Getting down to the sea.
Gives me stress in a race
Have to stop - not to pee.
Puts a blush on my face
I have to POO and not WEE!'



I fear my friends over on that thread didn't really get it. Hope that some of you here can sympathise with the problem!

[blush]

update: last few early morning runs, I have had a quick cup of tea before heading out, and that has done the trick...