What did you drink during your last two? A lot of people get cramps if they don't get enough sodium. Some marathons serve Gatorade Endurance, which has a lot more electrolytes than the regular kind.

If electrolytes aren't the issue, do you have some tightness in your hamstrings or piriformis that's fighting against your hip flexors and groin? I sometimes have tight hamstrings and it makes my hip flexors work a lot harder so they can be really sore in the last few miles.

Those Hammer tabs only have 40 mg sodium. That's not much if you are running for say 4 hours or so, and losing roughly a liter of sweat/hour.

You might try something that has a few hundred mg sodium, like powergels, which have 200 mg each. Using five or six of those during marathons cured my leg cramping problems.

Sadly, most marthons have little or nothing in the way of salty food/liquid available. Drinking water only makes your electrolyte problems worse.

Ultras usually correct this, often with potato chips or even potatoes that you can dredge in salt. Now that's talking sodium!

It also helps to eat an increased amount of salty foods during the days leading up to the race.

quote:<HR>Originally posted by slimfastshady:
Okay, I'm feeling pretty dumb now !
I've only ever drunk water during the race - is it really as simple as a salt/sodium/electrolyte (are these all the same thing ?)deficit ?
Cripes wish I had of asked you guys earlier.
If you dont want to carryyour own sports drink around and the race doesn't provide any is salt tablets the best solution ( pun partially intended !)
d

http://This message has been edited by slimfastshady (edited Nov-21-2007).<HR>

Pretty much, yes. I'm guessing you weren't running in a really hot marathon.

I use one of two combinations during my marathons. I either take 2 to 3 "salt stick" capsules (higher sodium content that many other brands) and GU's. (not so much sodium in GU's)

Or, I'll simply take the 4x sodium Powergels.

Then again....when I ran in Minneapolis when it was 73 and very humid I used both the 4x sodium Powergels and 2 capsules before the race. I also tried to drink a bit more of the Powerade than normal as well since it was so hot out.

Cramping is due to an electrolyte imbalance brought on by sweating. The solution is as simple as drinking some sports drink during your race or long run. I like to alternate between sports drink and water.

Tom

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I read somewhere, might have been this website, that the is crapping is caused by a breathing spasm or something along those lines and to get rid of it you have to breath ing heavily and exhale quickly. This is suppose to help get your breathing back in line with your steps. It really works though, I have the same problem and this helps to stop the cramping. But I am not an expert on the subject and the other post are probably more helpful.