For the last few months I've been getting into a HIIT routine of running on the treadmill for 25 minutes before my workouts. I do a 5 minute brisk walk and then start running at 1:15 on, 1:30 off. As I've been doing this, I've increased the intensity so that between run/walk cycles it's now a hard run/jog cycle.

I've noticed recently that I'm starting to get abdominal cramping around my the sides of my lower ribcage (either side, sometimes both) when I start my run/job cycle. Around minute 17 (including my warm up) the pain becomes pretty intense, and around minute 21-22 it's overwhelming and I have to stop.

I'm not sure what causes this type of cramping, but it's putting a dent in my routine. Normally, I try not to drink or eat anything for about an hour before I go to the gym to make sure that I have nothing sloshing around in my gut when I run, but that hasn't seemed to help. I thought it might be due to dehydration, but I normally drink about 2-2.5 liters of water per day (including my workouts). I just recently bought some suppliments from AtLarge (I've been taking just a multi-vitamin since I started working out), but they have not yet arrived, so maybe my answer lies there - maybe I should be having a protein shake or something with substance that's easily digested just before my workouts. Any suggestions would be much appreciated. Thanks!

The dreaded side stitch (http://www.mothernature.com/Library/Bookshelf/Books/16/191.cfm)!

Personally I've always been able to avoid this by consciously taking full-breaths when running and avoiding the temptation to half-breathe, but there are some other good suggestions in that link. Overall, it should go away as you become more and more used to running.

M@

That's a good point you make. I do tend to shorten and speed up my breaths the faster I run. I've tried to force myself to take longer breaths, but the pain becomes sharp and stabbing when I take full breaths even at the onset when the cramps first begin. This makes it even more difficult to continue.