The Good, the Bad and the Ugly of Running!

Now, we all know what the good is of running, we can list many things, and it can mean different things for different people. Some good things are: getting or staying in shape, private time to do something for myself, a sense of accomplishment, camaraderie with others etc.

The bad of running, I would say, is injuries, something I am getting over right now with my heel pain. Injuries are not fun!

So what is the ugly? CHAFING! If you have never experienced this, you may not understand, but if you have, then I think that you will agree.

Merriam-Webster defines chafing as: to make sore by or as if by rubbing. I have also heard of this referred to as the chub-rub, and though I believe more fit athletes experience chafing also, the chub definitely contributes to the rub (at least in my case)!

Now, though I had heard of chafing, I never experienced it until last fall when my runs started getting longer, around 8 miles. It is very uncomfortable,but what can you do when you feel it starting to form and you are still miles from home? You just keep running and it just keeps getting worse! My chafing happens high up on my legs where my leg joins my buttocks. :-)

So, I would get home, treat the chafing with some bacitrin ointment, and everything would be fine in two day for my next run (shorter, thank goodness ;-).

But chafing affects all that you do for the rest of the day! Walking is just painful if not done carefully!

Many fit athletes (especially men) experience chafing on the nipples from their shirt rubbing, and I have read that becoming a member of the CNS (Chafed Nipple Society) is not really desirable. But, there are ways to prevent chafing. Two well known products on the market are SportShield and Body Glide. I just purchased some Body Glide, it comes in a stick form (like deodorant) and you just rub it on your body wherever you may chafe.

Well, I am 4 - 6 weeks away from long runs, but when I get there, I will blog and let you know if Body Glide is a success, or if I am again walking funny for a day!