Once upon a time in a land far far away, there was a newbie trail runner who was out frolicking through the forest enjoying the scenery, munching on gold fish and oranges and sipping a sweet hydration drink. She was in heaven! Wild animals, beautiful flowers, sweet smells of nature and crazy runners, what could be better? Upon reaching an aid station that marked there was only 35 miles to go, more joy entered her heart. Did I mention crazy people?
While looking over the spread of sandwhiches, soups, salty things, sweet things, various drinks, electrolytes and the works, she noticed a large vat of vaseline with tongue depressors sticking out of it. Hmmm...I wonder what that could be for? Perplexed, she continued refueling. Suddenly she saw runners coming in and taking the tongue depressors with the goopy stuff and disappearing into the bushes. What?! Then it hit her...insert record scratching sound here! She realized where the goopy stuff was being placed. Chaffing!! This would be an experience that would escape this newbie for a while but when it hit...oh boy...there was no question to what it was.
Chaffing happens! Skin rubbing continually on clothing or other skin, especially when hot or sweaty will create the raw skin we call chaffing. Skin gets red, raised, raw and burns. If it continues to rub for long enough the skin will become raw enough to bleed. Chaffing happens on any area where there is rubbing and is uncomfortable at the least and can be downright painful. Most of us have seen the tale tell sign of blood spotted shirts on unlucky men who get nipple chaffing. Ouch! Some of you may have experienced it on your legs, arms, bum cheeks and groin areas. Yep, I can hear the amens and the feel the wincing of those of you who are part of this club.
So how do you prevent or lessen chaffing? Great question. Luckily we live in a time when there are all kinds of products available to assist with this "oh so fun" part of running. Your options are many and include everything from band-aids to vaseline to glide sticks to specialized products. Like anything, everyone has their favorites and are happy to tell you about them so you won't have to learn from sheer painful experience. Again, like anything, you get to test out and try the various products available and find what works for you.
Here are a few suggestions from Runners World Magazine on the subject:
PREVENT IT
Ditch cotton. It absorbs sweat and stays wet. Wear synthetic, wicking fabrics.
Go seamless, tagless. Seams and tags on a shirt or bra can cause irritation.
Get a proper fit. A too-snug sports bra can dig in; the excess material of a baggy shirt can rub you raw.
Protect your legs. Compression shorts can save your inner thighs from abrasions.
Cover ‘em up. Nipple protection is critical for guys. NipGuards andBand-Aids are common shields.
Get greasy. Apply lubricant to chafe-prone body parts. BodyGlide and petroleum jelly–based products are classic salves. When heading out for a long run, stash ChapStick or a travel-sized deodorant in a pocket.
Hydrate. “Drinking minimizes the salt concentration of sweat. Salt has a sandpaper effect on skin,” says Fayne Frey, M.D., a dermatologist in West Nyack, New York.
Moisturize. “Skin that’s well moisturized—apply lotion twice daily—is less prone to chafing,” Frey says.
TREAT IT
Wash up. Shower ASAP after running, keeping water lukewarm. Use antibacterial soap to ward off bacteria that can creep into exposed skin and cause problems like folliculitis, a skin condition that Santa Monica dermatologist Tanya Kormeili, M.D., says occurs in athletes.
Soothe it. Pat—don’t rub—skin dry and apply an ointment such as Desitin or A+D Zinc Oxide cream (diaper-rash creams containing zinc oxide are antibacterial).
Fade back to me. Get out there and run happy, frolick on the trails, take in nature and be chaffing free-er! We look forward to having you join us at the Stinkin Springs Sidewinder Preview on September 17th. We will meet at the Heise pizza parlor at 8:45am and caravan the the parking lot. Runners, walkers, joggers and run-walkers welcome. We will start at 9am at the trail head. See you soon!
Until Next time...Go BE Great!
Jennifer Saunders
ACE Certified Personal Trainer
ButtinGear, Intuitive Life Coach
Reiki Energy Therapy
Behavior Change Specialist
Everyday Superhero
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