Help! Runners Trots!

[footballmum]

Sorry for the TMI topic but I've recently started running again after 2 bunion ops led to an 18 month break. Before my op I generally ran with friends on an evening but their fitness, speed and distance are now far superior to mine so I've started running on my own first thing in a morning. I set my alarm for 5.45am, get dressed, gulp some water down and go straight out. No food, no hot drinks. But I'm finding every time I go if I've not managed to go to the loo before I leave I get hit with the runners trots! It's really affecting my runs because I know I can't go far from home and this morning I had to cut my run short to get back home

Has anyone got any tips to avoid this? I've looked on the Internet but all the suggestions are about pre-run food and drink but other than water I'm not eating or drinking anything!

The only thing I can think of doing is running on an evening but I won't be able to run as often due to family commitments and I struggle with motivation at that end of the day.

Could try having something very light before you go out? Maybe a glass of milk or a smoothie? I get runner's trots if I run on an empty stomach.

skip the water before the run?
apparently there is a reflex of cold water on an empty stomach.

I had to stop running because of the RTs 😖
Nothing I tried seemed to work. It doesn't happen with taking up walking.

I ran later in the day on Saturday and was absolutely fine but I'd had some breakfast and been to the loo before I went out. I'm hoping to run again early tomorrow so we'll see how I go. Was going to try the suggestions above and have a glass of milk and a banana to see whether that helps.

Hi footballmum. I run in the mornings - either just after school run or around 8am at weekends. I can only run on an empty stomach so can't comment on the glass of milk and banana suggestion. I just have a coffee and a glass of water before I leave the house but I have the same problem as you with the RTs.

I have worked out that if I do need to go (always the case if I haven't managed to go beforehand and quite often the case even if I have been before) it's always around the 20 minute mark. I have 3 routes from my house which all pass either a public toilet or coffee shop or supermarket with loo around the 20 minute mark so that I have places I can stop if I am taken short. Is this an option for you or is your needing the loo a lot less predictable? If I lived out in the country I think I'd need to run for 10 minutes then turn round and head home, pop to the loo and then go out again. I am always reluctant to enter any races because of this though, although to be fair I have done a couple of 10Ks and somehow been OK.