I ate less for breakfast (8 Wheetbix instead of 12) and didn't get a stitch . I'll keep trying with my morning and evening meal as I was low on energy after the race.

Thanks for the idea

Brian

I remember when I could eat 12 wheetbix, I must be getting old....

_________________
Ride lightly!

RESULT! Glad you had some success with it. Like I said, to make up for eating a bit less, try supplementing it with an electrolyte drink. How did the race go?

I've changed clubs cause the A Grade at my club wasn't strong enuff, friendly and fun but I'd platued due to a lack of competition.
Last week I strugled to finish 11km, this week I held on till 20km.
I'll have to work on strengthening my rubber band , the electrolite drink could be a good start.

I also have a habit of bonking on the way home but I've lost 7cm around my waist since X'mas so something inside me is working well.

Cheers

Brian

Had an early breakfast on Sat and completed the race without a stitch.
Will practice with smaller lunches and early breakfasts to see what's best.

Cheers

Brian

I used to get them running cross-country all the time in the early season. My coach at the time said it was related to my breathing and suggested establising a rythmic breathing pattern, which seemed to help.

When I turned to road racing, I would get them again while climbing in the mountains in the early season. My coach, a Czech trained in the old school, said that the stiches were indeed caused by breathing, but that the trick was not just a rythmic breathing pattern, but concentrating on exhaling, not inhaling. He suggested that the next time the stich started to come on, I should exhale fully and not 'try' to fill my lungs when I inhaled. I have not had a stich since (unless I am sick and am just not getting enough air in because of that).

I've done a few races without stitches in the last month, however they returned this weekend.

Sat- Full breakfast 4 hours prior to Road race.
I tried a few lone breakaways and kept getting a stitch. Later found that with a little help (recovery periods) I could push at 90-95% of MHR. All in all I had a very satisfying race (2nd in bunch sprint).

Sun- 1/2 breakfast 2 hours prior to 9am XC race.
1-10km Got a stitch in the first few km, though it went away when I had a little to eat (musli bar & mars bar).
10-25km I was in my rythem,
30km I bonked, finished my mars bar,
35-40km I was fatigued but back in the rythym.

Sat appears to be induced by excertion, Sun appears to be food related, both felt exactly the same (and my abs are still sore).
I'm in really good form and I have to sort this out so I can time trial away from bunches.

Any ideas?

Brian

I heard a method of getting rid of stitches yesterday.

Put your right hand on your head

Seems to stretch your abs, but I found it worked.

Pain from my stitch resignated in my abs for 24 hours. I'm going to return to building my abs and stretching them in prep for races.

I was allways told that stitces are caused by blood buildup in the spleen, but i will no argue with the doc.

In running we allways stretced the stich away, not that easy on a bike.

Can your riding position contribute to this problem?
I guess you will have a more aerodynamic position on a timetrial than on a "normal" road bike, and therefore can this affect your breathing?

Regards

You can stretch it out by putting your hand on your head.

I had riders asking if my head was falling off, but it worked a treat.

Brian,

My personal experience and that of the athletes I work with is that it is quite rare to get stitches on the bike. In my 16 years of riding i have never had one but I do get them very infrequently during the run of a triathlon.

My take on it, again from experience of working with triathletes is that they tend to get the stitches just after eating or drinking something, more so after drinking. Therefore I think that perhaps it may have something to do with air trapped in the system?

When running, I fully exhale prior to drinking - I then drink and then inhale, thereby stopping from excess air getting in with the drink.

It works superbly and as I said, as a frequent cyclist and triathlete I never get stitches. ...

Cheers

B