M2LR

Do you ever have anxiety running outside? Not like a social anxiety, or a fear of being hurt or anything, but more like the anxiety of not having a bathroom?
Do you stick to trails or other areas to where if you needed to go, you had a place to go?

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cmb4314

I don't worry too much. I'm lucky where I live now there are a lot of small lakes with parks and restrooms. I mainly stick to those primarily for the water fountains so I don't have to carry a water bottle with me. Where I used to live, I didn't have bathrooms along most of my routes.

If the need hits me, I've never been bad enough that I couldn't walk. I figure as long as I can walk, I can make it home.

In the marathon training I've been doing, I've only stopped at the restroom once in the past 14 weeks, so I try not to worry too much.

mad scientist

I worried a lot about this when I started running.

I start from home, so I do neighbourhood trails (like bike paths that go behind houses). My regular 10k circuit passes by the public library, and a gas station and some other shops so I know there are places I can stop if I need to.

I always run alone so I've never been very adventurous about going on trails.

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Nej

Nah, it's all in the prep. No food 2 hours before and I make sure my last sip of water is an hour before (and I hydrate either the night before or the morning before) .. I'm pretty much emptied out by the time I hit the road.

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WileE-Dead

ita w/ Nej...If I don't go in the AM, then it's usually a bust for that day..

mrspoppers

If I didn't drink water for an hour before running and carry water to drink on my run, I'd pass out! Isn't it dangerous to run more than 3 or 4 miles without water? I need to take food with me as well, if I'm running more than an hour.

Nej

The more muscle one has the more water they store! I think it all depends on the person. I can easily go 10km without a sip of water, and be fine as long as I've properly hydrated myself the day before/leading up to the run.

In fact drinking water on a partially empty stomach makes me feel sick and sloshy!! It also distracts me and gives me excuses to stop.

I also never drink during Bikram yoga cause it makes me feel hotter. Again, as long as I'm sufficiently hydrated prior to exercise I have no issues.

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M2LR

What if it is not about the fear of having to pee, but the fear of having to do the other while out running?

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Nej

I have bad issues with diahhrea and on those days I either stock up on Imodium or stick to the treadmill

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cmb4314

I usually don't have stomach issues, but when I do I find that the urgency usually settles down to a controllable level if I walk slowly.

I ran a 20 mile race just this past Saturday where my intestines just got upset at mile 7 and didn't let up until 3 port-o-potty stops later at mile 15. Worst 8 miles ever, and had I been at home I'd have just walked home, but I was stubborn enough to finish since it was a race. Even then it was never bad enough that I couldn't walk.

Short runs I can't let myself worry, because I don't get far enough from my house that I could even plan to go past bathrooms. Long runs, I try to make sure and eat very simply surrounding the run. Don't eat too much too soon before the run, don't eat anything odd the night before (I think some of the stuff I ate at a BBQ on Friday night did me in on Saturday).

If it's really bad, I have heard of a lot of runners taking Immodium before they do longer runs. I've seen some people say to take only one, because two will bind you up for too long.