Body Glide is my new friend

Up until this point in my running "career" I have never experienced chafing. I don't really know why, exactly, but I'm guessing it's just because I wasn't doing many runs of 10+ miles. It's one of those things I've heard runners talking about - sports bra chafing, inner thigh chafing, etc - and I've just thought to myself how glad I am that it's something I don't have to deal with. But last weekend's 13 mile run was my official initiation into the chafing club.

I didn't notice any pain or rubbing at all during the course of the run. I didn't even see a mark on my body when I undressed. It was when I got in the shower and the spray hit my bra line and I made a sound like "EOWWWW" that I realized I'd chafed. It was just a spot about 3 inches long on the front of my chest, right where the band of my sports bra sits. It wasn't big at all, but man, it stung! After the shower it was actually red and a bit swollen, and not knowing what else to do, I rubbed Neosporin on it. The swelling went down as the day went on, and the spot scabbed over. 

The problem was that, even though my next several runs weren't long, and wouldn't produce chafing in other circumstances, my sports bra was going to re-irritate that area with rubbing. Enter: Body Glide. It's website calls it a "technically advanced anti-chafe balm." I don't know about all that technically advanced stuff, but I happened to have a stick of the balm left from the last time I had planned to start marathon training. After the stress fracture derailed those plans, the Body Glide sat unopened and neglected on my dresser. At long last, I could put the lubricant to use.

I rubbed it all around the area on my ribcage that was scabbed, and slid my bra on over it. It felt a little strange having this slippery substance on such a random spot on my body, but actually, once I started running, I totally forgot about it. And my chafing did not worsen. Within a few days, after I used the Body Glide each time I ran, the chafing under my chest healed right up. It's nothing but a pale, pink mark now. Hooray!

2 days ago, I headed out for a 10 mile run. I was wearing a thicker pair of tights than I have on any of my long runs so far, because the weather's getting colder. I almost always go commando underneath running tights. To me, there is nothing more unsightly than giant panty lines under spandex. What I didn't take into account was the thick seam running down over the butt area of the tights. I experienced chafing in a new, and to me, unique spot. Once again I didn't notice until I hopped into the shower, and "YOW!" This time, it was in between my butt cheeks that the horrible stinging occurred. 

This presents an interesting dilemma. I haven't done a run since the 10-miler, but when I do, I'm not sure if I'm supposed to put Body Glide on my butt cheeks. I mean, I'm sure I could, but it just seems a bit...unusual. After all, it's a delicate area, and I picture the substance spreading all around down there. That can't be good, can it? On the other hand, I'm not eager to experience further chafing, because as you can imagine (but probably choose not to) it makes for some uncomfortable bathroom experiences. 

Regardless, Body Glide will definitely be an essential part of my long run preparation going forward. I just have to remember not to mix it up with my deodorant, because the cannisters look extremely similar. That would make for some slippery armpits and fragrant butt cheeks...although the latter may not be such a bad idea...