does anyone else suffer with problems in the um, toilet department?
Bowel disturbances when running are very common. It’s rare to meet a runner who hasn’t got a tale to tell about bowel problems at some time or other. I myself know a runner who has “claimed” many parts of rural Ayrshire. It’s a problem that even the elites have to cope with. (Remember Paula when she set the new record during the London marathon? Whatever the press may have said, it wasn’t a “pee stop”. ) There’s an excellent little article that you can read here that will, at the very least, let you know that you’re in good company. The best way to deal with it is by trail an error, finding out how much you can eat (and what) before you run. Anti-diarrhoeal medicines sometimes help but aren’t completely reliable. If it only happens on long runs, stick to rural roads, there’s a lot more cover there. Don’t leave the countryside littered with toilet paper. With practice, you’ll soon learn what plants and leaves work well enough. You’ll know you’re a real runner when a handful of gravel su
