Disclaimer: I received a free sample of Body Glide for review as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador) and check out BibRave.com to review find and write race reviews! Thank you!
So fair warning – some of this post may be TMI for the non-runners out there – READ AT YOUR OWN RISK! Or feel free to skip this post, no hard feelings. 🙂
That’s because today I’m talking about chafing. It’s painful, embarrassing and unfortunately, the further you run, the greater your chances of experiencing it are. Especially if you are running longer distances in shorts! Miles of running + a little extra sweat from the hot summer temps = lots of rubbing and opportunity for chafing.
I know firsthand how painful it is (and how much a hot shower can hurt afterwards). I always feel for the people demonstrating the tell-tale signs of chafing during a race – running with legs slightly wider than normal or arms lifted a little higher than usual to avoid the offending seams. My sports bra chafed so badly during my first marathon that you could practically see its outline rubbed raw on my back. Not fun.
This is why I’m soooo happy to have a product like Body Glide around. I’ve been using Body Glide for years and I’ve seen what a huge difference it can make. If I am running more than 5-6 miles in shorts, I always put it on my thighs. One solid application and I know I am good to go for 13+ miles. If I’m wearing a tank top, then I also apply some on the undersides of my arms. Sometimes, I will even apply Glide between my toes for a little blister protection.
One of my coworkers was running her first marathon this spring, and my biggest race day recommendation for her was to slather herself in Body Glide (which she did and I was happy to hear her report afterward that she didn’t chafe at all!).
Running can be uncomfortable enough in a race environment without adding skin abrasions on top of it. There are nerves about performance, weather can be crazy (both extreme heat and extreme cold will impact your ability to run fast), and you’re testing your body to its limits. Personally, I do not want anything else to worry about. That’s why Body Glide is on my must-have list for racecations.
See? I included it in my list from a post I did back in January 2015!
If you are new to distance running or slowly beginning to increase your mileage, I would highly recommend picking some up, because every runner will eventually reach a tipping point of miles where suddenly, chafage (as my mom and I call it!) occurs. Depending on your mileage, one tube should last you a pretty long time too. I usually reserve Body Glide for my longer runs, but even so, 1 tube has lasted me many months. It’s a pretty simple solution that will save you a lot of discomfort and embarrassment down the road!
So there you go! Grab some Body Glide today and keep enjoying those sweaty, summer runs chafe-free!
Have you ever chafed on a run? Which was worse – the chafing or the stinging, hot shower afterwards? 😉
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