Side pain when you run is mechanical because you don’t get it when you don’t run, eating certain foods before you run will not affect the pain and is most likely coincidental.
Everyone is different and you each need to analyse the way you run and walk so you can combat the problem. I suggest creating a diary for the same route for a week or 2 that you train on, noting the point at which you achieved the side ache then start thinking about if it is a time problem, or road level issue or how your breathing changes at this point.

I haven’t run in years due to vitamin d deficiency however if yuo have flat feet and poor core muscles you are more likely to get side ache. get some proper orthotic inserts and work on your abs and hip muscles and do breathing exercises.

If anyone wants to discuss anything to do with running give me an email happy to help.

regards

Paul

Try paying attention to your breathing and make sure that you’re not inhaling or exhaling every time you step with the same foot. If you do, try changing your breathing pattern to see if you can be breathing as your foot-falls alternate sides. This may help with the side-aches.

Good luck!

Joe

Interesting note..I went to the Reebok Indoor games this past weekend and witnessed a world class athlete having side stitch pains. Read the recap below. apparently she has had this problem for awhile and cant solve it. We watched her hold her side for 2 laps ( at a very fast pace) and still win.
Im sure she has some of the best trainers and doctors trying to solve her problem..with no answers yet

Women’s 3000m: Tirunesh Dibaba Wins but Is Upset Afterwards
It was disappointing to see Tirunesh Dibaba basically race the same race as Meseret Defar (Dibaba the 3000m, Defar the 2 mile) and not have them in the same race, but there is no way these two will race each other without a lot of money or prestige on the line. The best solution would have been for one of them to run either the 1500 or the 5k.

Nonetheless, Dibaba opted for the 3000m and ran before Defar. The women’s 3000m was the Dibaba show as Tirunesh and her sister, Ejegayehu, dominated from gun to finish. As would be expected Tirunesh got the win (she overshadows her sister so much we think most people don’t realize how good Ejegayehu is. Ejegayehu ran 30:24 for silver at the 2004 Olympics in the 10k and has 2 World Championship track medals as well)

The 1600 was reached in 4:36.1 and Tirunesh would actually pick things up the 2nd half to finish in 8:33.37. Nonetheless, her expectations are high and after having set 2 world records at this meet (in the 5k in 2005 and 2007) she was disappointed afterwards. She had a sullen look on her face as she addressed the press afterwards through her translator. She said she was inflicted by the same stomach pains that hampered her run at the World Championships last year (she still won the gold). “It’s a very serious problem, and I think it’s getting worse. We have seen so many doctors and they told me I have nothing,” her translator told the press as quoted by David Monti (the translator was very hard to hear).

A rare site was what was going on in the back of the women’s 3000m. Sally Kipyego the NCAA star who just dominates the NCAA ranks was almost lapped and finished in last place in 9:05.45. It just shows you how great the top pros are as Kipyego’s time was still a collegiate leader.

Event 13 Women 3000 Meter Run
===============================================================
Name Year Team Finals
===============================================================
Finals
1 Tirunesh Dibaba ETH 8:33.37
2 Ejegayehu Dibaba ETH 8:36.59
3 Megan Metcalfe CAN 8:52.85
4 Christin Wurth-Thomas USA 8:54.97
5 Sally Kipyego KEN 9:05.45
— Miesha Marzell USADNF

It’s interesting to hear you say that milk may give you side-aches. Milk gets blamed for all kinds of ailments and I’m not sure which are real and which coincidental.

Some people do suggest cutting out dairy before running, but I’ve eaten dairy products for years and have never had trouble. I think this is truly an individual issue based on your diet and tolerance for milk products.

Coach Joe