On Saturday night, during my 20k race, I ended up with some pretty severe chafing under my left arm. I mentioned in my race recap that this happens to me somewhat often; honestly I can’t believe that I didn’t protect the area pre-start-line.
It happens.
Just another aspect of post-race recovery! In my case, I had a regularly scheduled rest day on Sunday, and then coach-prescribed rest days on both Monday and Tuesday. Which means that I did not have to go back out and potentially re-injure the affected area with repetitive arm motions while my injuries were at their most raw.
At home, though, while I recovered, I actually found it quite painful every time that the inside of my upper arms made contact with my torso—or anything else. This pain was alleviated a good bit if I was wearing very soft fabrics that completely covered the injury site. So I pulled out my comfiest, not too baggy, but long-enough-in-the arms tees and treated the area with caution. I also used a few of my favorite essential oils for skin abrasions to speed up the healing process.
But when I went out for my Wednesday run, I was still a little red and irritated. I find at this point, post-chafing, it’s not super helpful to use anti-chafe cream. Since it was too hot to wear a fitted long sleeved top, I slapped on a waterproof bandaid.
And it did just the trick. On my right arm, I also still had a healing spot, but not as big, so I covered that one with a smaller, regular bandage. And that worked great too—until about four miles in when I noticed it flapping around. It turns out that the waterproof part is kind of essential in this weather!
Glad as I am for this band-aid hack, obviously it’s best if you can prevent chafing in the first place.
One of the troubles I’ve had is knowing which garments contacting with which spots in what weather over how long will cause uncomfortable friction. Yes, it’s complicated and multifaceted. Maybe requiring advanced degrees in biomedical engineering and extragalactic astrophysics, or even structural fluid dynamics of kinesiology . . . if that’s even a thing.
[(Tech fabric y)*(heat index x)] - skin t/# miles * terrain > (cm sock height)% {yields ^ kg lube}
I find this less confusing to break down pictorially:
In addition to the problem spots listed above, if you would just turn the model around, and note that if the runner’s buttocks rub together for very long in any kind of humidity, likely the runner will also experience rawness between the butt cheeks. I myself discovered this issue the first time I ran more than five miles in the summer in Texas. Ouch!
So . . . solutions?
There are many, and there’s no one-size-fits-all solution for every runner.
This feels like rocket science at times, but the running apparel you choose matters. I could write a BOOK on my journey to the least-chafing sports bras, but chances are different bras would work for you. It’s all about fit and how the garment functions on your body. It’s taken a few different brands, but I have found what kind of construction and fabric rubs less on my rib cage than others!
If I’m going for a long run in very humid conditions however, even my most comfortable sports bra merits an extra precaution. Some people use KT tape or bandages (like I did on my underarm) under the band of their sports bra where it’s likely to rub. I tend to opt for an anti-chafe product. (More on these in a moment.)
While on the apparel topic, I really, really like the idea of traditional track shorts—the ones with the built in liners and light outer material that flies in the wind. I find them supremely comfy for short runs in the right weather conditions, and for other active pursuits. I also find this type of running short amazingly convenient for quick pee stops trailside.
But if I’m going to run any distance in them and sweat, even with an extra anti-chafe precaution like Squirrel’s Nut Butter, I’m going to chafe between my legs. So, I’ve moved to mid-length biker style shorts. It’s far less convenient to stop to pee, but I don’t even have to think about painful rubbing between my thighs when they’re covered in this way. No additional products needed.
Speaking of additional products, let’s talk about anti-chafe creams. No matter which style of shorts I’m wearing, I do need to consider the skin to skin issue presented by my buttocks touching during a long run. This is where I *always* apply Squirrel's Nut Butter. Honestly, I don’t even differentiate between humid and non-humid runs anymore in this department. Better safe than sorry! Body Glide works really well in this area too, but I do find the deodorant-style sticks harder to apply—I’ve opted for creams and gels that I can scoop or squeeze.
The key is to get some kind of lube in there. Recently, when I was heading out on a long run and realized that I’d just cleaned out the last of my Squirrel’s Nut Butter, I just looked around for anything that would provide lubrication. Observant readers will note that not all of the lubes pictured above are made explicitly for runners. I’m here to tell you, though, that it was just as effective. (Good to know, right!?)
If you can’t get enough of this chafing talk—or if you deeply identify—don’t miss this interview with elite runner Claire Gallagher. It’s all super fun ultra running stuff, but if you want to get right to it, fast forward to 6:33 for her “worst chafe story.”
Talk about uncomfortable!
It happens to the best of us, Claire.
Ouch.