For day 8 I planned to run 5km.
However 1km into my run, I got a stomach cramp. I tried to push through as I though that it was just a stitch, however, the pain got worse. I stopped running, tried to walk around, but felt very uncomfortable, and sat down. I later researched that if one experiences stomach pain you should sit upright, avoid laying down or bending over at the waist, but because I felt so uncomfortable I was sitting down so that my elbows were on my knees, which meant I was bending over at the waist which is wrong. Although I had to stop running after 1km of my 5km run, I still wanted to do some sort of exercise. So, after my stomach cramp went away, I walked the rest of the 5km at a comfortable and easy pace.
After doing some more additional research, I found some information given by a Marine Coast Guard Officer that was quite useful. According to this Marine, in order to prevent or lessen the effects of a stomach cramp of (more or less) any sort, you should not run on a full stomach, decrease pace, and breath deeply, pre-stretch with side torso twists, perform lower back and abdominal exercises.
Overall, it felt good to get out and do some form of exercise, even though it wasn’t running. I also learned a lot of new information which will hopefully help in making my journey to 12km more comfortable.
