So Hubs, the girls, and I are all registered for the upcoming Jingle Bell 5K. This will be the first 5K race for all of us! I have run 10Ks and a half-marathon, the girls have run the 1-mile Kids' Pittsburgh Race, but none of us have ever run a 5K! It sounds like fun. This particular race raises money for arthritis research, and everyone attaches jingle bells to their shoelaces for the race.
Sky (12) and Em (9) are accustomed to running a mile or a little more here and there with me, but neither have run the distance of a full 3 miles yet. They have both been faithfully running three times a week now in preparation for the race, and working on their distance. When Em runs, she goes all out (and the little booger is FAST) but poops out after about 3/4 of a mile. It's hard for me to teach her to save her energy to last longer. She does make it past a mile, but not without crying and wailing. (Which cracks me up, because she will NOT QUIT, even though she is very vocal and dramatic about how miserable she is. I worry that people who see us as we pass by are going to think I'm acting like a drill sergeant, but I always tell her she can stop. She never wants to!)
Sky gets the concept of saving her energy to last. Today, she ran 2.23 miles and felt great. She had planned on going 3 miles, but she got a severe cramp and needed to walk. She encounters cramping nearly every time she runs.
I can't figure it out. I don't have this problem, so it is hard for me to relate. I have looked "cramping when running" online, and still can't find anything suspicious. She doesn't gulp down huge amounts of water before running (although she will sip a little to hydrate). She doesn't eat within a half-hour of running. She starts out slowly (either a slow jog or walk) - so she has warmed up before running. Sky is the opposite of Em - she rarely complains - so when she tells me she has a "really bad cramp" I know she has a really bad cramp. Hopefully we can figure this out soon, so she can increase her mileage without too much pain!
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2 comments:
You might try focusing on her breathing. If it's a cramp as in "side stitch", then it typically happens when the breathing becomes irregular. Try to get her to focus on breathing in and out based on her footfalls. Most people use a 2-2 pattern or a 3-3 pattern (That is breathing in on three footfalls and breathing out on the next three footfalls).
Brian, thank you for your comment! I will take your advice and help Sky learn to focus on her breathing, and maybe that will help.
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