We can all run, we might not look at cool or as intimidating as Usain Bolt running on TV, but we can at least run and get some benefits out of it. So long as we go about it the right way, our bodies will thank us for getting off of the coach. Hans Koeleman, a renowned long distance runner from the Netherlands, imparts his words of wisdom on how to run and get the most out of it.

Running is a completely individualistic sport, where everyone excels at their own pace Hans reminds me. He is a firm believer that the slower you run as a beginner the better it will be in the end. He tells me that running 5 minutes slow has a greater impact on your body than sprinting for 1 minute and feeling like death afterwards.

Running at an easy pace or a conversational pace (meaning you could either talk to someone next to you or that you could sing Happy Birthday without gasping if you really wanted to) will help with:

o    Refining your threshold and running style
o    Teaches your muscles to learn to burn fat more efficiently
o    Your body will learn to receive and process oxygen better and deal better with lactic acid

Running at a slower pace will also aid in your tempo and recovery time being as close as possible, meaning that you wont feel like death after your run. Hans tells me that as a beginner you should never feel completely exhausted after your run and that if you do then you are doing something wrong and need to relook your pace.

There I was merely running along, having a blast. When tragedy struck. I felt this sharp pain under my ribcage stopping me almost dead in my tracks. Side stitches– eugh

It turns out that these usually occur with new runners, who tend to breathe quick and shallow; like I really needed to be reminded that I am new to this sport?!

Asking around not many could tell me how to ensure that I will never be plagued by side stitches ever again or if my running career was over before it began. Again, my ‘Grey’s Anatomy enthusiast and aspiring doctor’ friend came to the rescue and mentioned that this was merely a muscle spasm of the diaphragm–Don’t know if that was supposed to make me feel better, because it didn’t.

In turns out that when we inhale we fill our lungs with air, which presses the diaphragm downwards. When we exhale it moves up. (I was following so far, nothing abnormal about that). But if you have some air trapped below the diaphragm, which will happen if you ate right before running or if you run too robustly, it will actually begin to cramp, causing the severe and intense pain under the rip cage on the right side of your body that we fondly call side stitches.

Prevention of Side Stitches
o    Don’t eat within an hour of going for your run
o    Always warm-up before running
o    When running in cold temperature try breathing through a scarf or neck warmer

Treatment of Side Stitches
o    Alter your breathing pattern:
o    Take a deep breath in as quickly as you can (forcing the diaphragm down)
o    Hold our breath for a few seconds
o    Exhale through pursed lips
o    Stop and walk briskly for a few seconds and concentrate on breathing deeply

It seems like a good warm-up session solves all problems…