Needing the toilet during long runs. Quite urgently.

I'll put this in... simple terms. I use the toilet before I go for a long run, but when I come back, it feels like I had a Vindaloo curry the night before and the world's just dropped out of my arse. More than once I've debated taking toilet roll with me on runs over 10 miles or so.

I haven't changed my diet at all (although the student accommodation hall food is debatable to say the least), the only thing I've done is upped my mileage to 60 or so. Yet I'm almost getting the squits.

I'd like to get this sorted, as one of these days it ain't gonna be a pretty sight image

Comments

  • Fido2DogsFido2Dogs ✭✭✭

    Tried Immodium? Seriously, one or two before a run may do the trick. As long as you keep to the dosage limits it's fine.

    Count yourself lucky you're not stopping *during* the run! A lot of us have to!

    Also try keeping a food diary. Could be your tum is now more sensitive to something or other.

  • Immodium seems to work. I adopted a bush named George when I did long runs. I put toilet roll in plastic bag inside him.

     image Hope you get sorted.

    lovely greyhound Fido btw. I got rescue one called Noah

  • MuttleyMuttley ✭✭✭

    I do carry loo paper with me on long runs. And often have to stop and use it. Fortunately, most of my running is in semi-rural terrain or better.

    Beware Immodium. On me it certainly worked. It worked so well that it was days afterwards that I had an eye-watering experience.

    So put briefly - you can either tackle it or go with it. I go with it. The bowels are a vital part of the body and I prefer not to mess with them.

  • Im in the same boat, anything around 10 miles and its bushes, back alleys or sprinting to public toilets - i have been an advocate of leaf usage in the past but now i am all for carrying toilet paper or tissues with me - this is after far too many incidents with nettles and holly trees... 

    It makes no difference what i eat or when i eat - i think its just the constant jigging around of my insides.  So after the Bath Half Marathon where I visited every portaloo twice I decided to try immodium. wow. it has made my running life so much better.  As an ultra runner where its all about distances I now feel confident during my run and no longer have the cramping and bloating afterwards either.

    I am doing back to back long runs for the comrades trainings (i.e. 20 miles+ two days in a row) and admittedly after 2 days of immodium it can be hard to get things going again but i find some papaya, coffee and porridge gets things going image

  • Fido2DogsFido2Dogs ✭✭✭
    Before I got my IBS meds I did once, in desperation, take more than the maximum dose of loperamide (immodium, generic) that it specified on the packet. I was struck down by a day of horrific headache, nausea, and generally feeling absolutely terrible - could do nothing but stay in bed I felt so sick. So learn from my mistake, and if the max safe dose of immod. doesn't work, talk to the GP - they have Prescrip. only stuff which can help.
  • McBoodMcBood ✭✭✭
    Wear brown camouflage shorts
  • I used to suffer a lot from this, used to use the leaf approach but found during winter wet leaves = chapped red bum, so always carry toilet paper now, it got to a point when I used to dread going for anything over 6M and had to plan my routes to make sure there was always somewhere handy (going to the toilet before the run didn't stop it either)
    Not always successful and I apologise to all the people who have found an unwanted present behind their car or in a passageway (and no the dogs haven't started using toilet paper it was me)

    Have cut out dairy over the last 2 months, not manic still have milk in tea and coffee but don't have cereal, yoghurt or butter and it seems to have done the trick at the moment, still carry toilet paper just in case.

    Funny thing is it never happend in races.

  • Fido2DogsFido2Dogs ✭✭✭
    I have also found out that even if I have breakfast at 5:30 AND HAVE IMMODIUM the oats still come out the other end at mile 12... yes in a portaloo! image - so clearly I can only tolerate a choccy bar on the start line as brekkie... image
  • I'm with TomS on the dairy. I take no dairy before a run. If I need breakfast I go with toast.

    Also planing ahead the night before can help. Avoid dinner of things which are harder to digest works for me. So I avoid salad and fibersom up to 12 hours before a looong run.

    Also, I'm slightly suspicious that running after dairy (and getting an ill bottom from it) contributed in some way to my lactose intolerance which I developed a few months after I started running. But that may just be paranoia image
Sign In or Register to comment.