Chafing. It鈥檚 the brutal, not-often-talked-about punishment that聽happens when skin rubs against聽skin聽or cloth, getting聽severely聽irritated in the process.聽Typically, it鈥檚 not a problem on short聽workouts. Ask any endurance athlete, however, and they鈥檒l tell you tales about bloody nipples and raw thighs.聽
Hearing these horror stories might make you think twice about running your first marathon or riding your first century. But don鈥檛 lose hope. These five tips will help you prevent the pain before it starts.
Lube Up
A sports lubricant cuts down on the friction that causes chafing. If I plan to run for more than an hour, I preemptively roll a few swabs of 聽onto my nipples and inner thighs. Cyclists like to use a 聽to keep their nether regions happy when聽they鈥檙e spending hours on a bike seat. If you don鈥檛 have a sports lube, remember that Vaseline also works great. I ran a half marathon in the rain in a pair of jeans聽and didn鈥檛 chafe, thanks to the miracle that is聽petroleum jelly.
Tape Up
Men,聽if your nipples still chafe with a lubricant, cover them with Band-Aids or an adhesive tape. (The right sports bra should prevent chafing for women.)聽I鈥檓 a fan of 聽because it goes on easily, creates a hearty layer between my nipples and shirt, and stays on even when I sweat (the stuff saved me from what could have been brutal nipple chafe on a 100-mile kayak race). 聽聽
Compress
I often use compression underwear to keep the skin on my thighs from rubbing together. I really like from The North Face聽because they incorporate underwear that keeps everything separated while providing聽plenty of support.
Stay Away from Cotton
Cotton holds onto moisture, moisture creates friction, and friction leads to chafing. I鈥檒l wear cotton on hot, short runs because it keeps me cool. But I need something that wicks sweat on longer jaunts. Patagonia鈥檚 聽is great because it sheds water like a champ.
Fit Matters
Make sure your workout clothes are snug: Folds in oversized garments cause excess rubbing and chafing. Also, pay attention to straps on things like hydration packs. Straps that are too tight聽or don鈥檛 sit flush against your skin聽are a guarantee for nasty chafing.