Slip Slidin' Away: It's Not Awkward for Runners to Talk About Their Favorite Lube
Summary
If you know the liquid fire of a post-run shower, you might have chafed. In this episode, I talk about the moment it hit me that chafing can be just as painful as poor fueling. Turns out, nutrition isn’t the only thing you need a strategy for.
I share some of my personal trial-and-error with different anti-chafing products, including how well they hold up when humidity decides to join your training run. Some survive, some melt like cassette tapes on a dashboard.
Since I’m still navigating the adventure of training for my very first ultramarathon, this episode is a pretty honest look at the small challenges that come with stepping into longer distances. I also invite listeners to share their go-to anti-chafe solutions, because when it comes to ultrarunning, the best advice often comes from the community that’s been through it before.
As I keep moving toward that first ultra, one thing is clear: every long run teaches a new lesson, and sometimes that lesson involves a lot more lube than you expected.
Chapters
- 00:12 - Introduction to Ultra Marathon Training
- 01:59 - Exploring Anti-Chafe Solutions
- 02:59 - Exploring New Running Products
- 04:07 - Exploring New Products for Comfort during Runs
- 05:26 - Introduction to Ultra Running
How I Procrastinate
- Sleep with Rock Stars, the Gen X Sleep Podcast
- Country Fried Rock, Podcast Archives from 2009-2020
- Music Playlists
- Support This Podcast
- Dive Bar Music Club, the Low Key, High Taste Happy Hour for Music Nerds
Recommended If You Like
chafe prevention, anti-chafe products, ultra marathon training, running tips for women, long distance running, humidity and running, running gear review, silicone anti-chafe, chub rub solutions, best chafe prevention for runners, running in hot weather, hydration vest tips, back to back long runs, running and chafing issues, ultra running beginner advice, how to prevent chafing, running lifestyle podcast, chafe prevention for thighs, running in humid conditions, ultra marathon first timer tips, salty britches, squirrel nut butter, chamois butter, body glide, trislide, 2Toms, monkey butt, chub rub
Mentioned in this episode:
Sleep with Rock Stars
Sleep with Rock Stars, the Gen X sleep podcast. You deserve a good night's sleep...or whatever.
Transcript
TMI warning if you have ever chafed there, that suddenly becomes a huge priority to prevent in the future liquid fire in the shower.
Speaker A:Well, hey y'.
Speaker A:All.
Speaker A:Welcome to Mama Runs and Ultra.
Speaker A:I'm a runner on the downhill side of my 50s who decided to train for my very first ultra marathon.
Speaker A:And this podcast helps me say out loud all the thoughts of what the hell am I thinking?
Speaker A:So boom, the weather has warmed up around here.
Speaker A:Went from a week with record cold temps to the following week with record high temps, and the week after that with another set of record low temps.
Speaker A:And now we are firmly into the 80s.
Speaker A:No complaints here.
Speaker A:I do prefer to sweat over freeze at any time.
Speaker A:However, with the more miles that I'm doing now, I'm realizing that chafing is just as serious as under fueling.
Speaker A:So I thought I had anti chafing under control, but I am learning with these more miles and needing to wear a vest with my hydration and my fuel, pretty much all of these back to back long runs, that chafe prevention is way more important than I ever gave credit for it.
Speaker A:So I don't really want to call out a whole lot of brands, but if you know what I'm talking about, you're going to know what I'm talking about.
Speaker A:I can tell you already living in a place that is extremely humid, whether it is hot or cold, that very much changes what works in terms of chafe prevention.
Speaker A:So I have historically used a, I think it's a silicone based roll on that I really, really like for just regular chafe prevention.
Speaker A:But you know, 16 miles into a hot, humid, sweaty, disgusting run, it's not thick enough.
Speaker A:So I have been exploring my options as they say, and I basically bought sample sizes of 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 different anti chafe options.
Speaker A:And I really just kind of need some help and it might just be one of those things that like, you just have to try it and find out and I really don't know.
Speaker A:So we'll start with what I used to use.
Speaker A:What I used to use is great.
Speaker A:It comes in two formulas.
Speaker A:You can get it in a roll on or you can get it in wipes.
Speaker A:And normally I would be anti wipes because of the unnecessary garbage that it entails.
Speaker A:However, it is super convenient to be able to have the anti chafe wipes when you are in the middle of a run and then you just stick the dirty wipe back in the little package and throw it away later.
Speaker A:So I get it now, especially the ones that are more for your tush.
Speaker A:Big thumbs up.
Speaker A:Because if TMI warning, if you have ever chafed there, that suddenly becomes a huge priority to prevent in the future liquid fire in the shower.
Speaker A:So, all right, that's what I've always used, and I've been really happy with it until I'm doing these mega back to back long runs, which is where I am now.
Speaker A:So I bought some thicker ones.
Speaker A:And the first one is one that has really great advertising and a hilarious name, but frankly, it was melted and gone within the first hour, so.
Speaker A:Super disappointed by that.
Speaker A:I guess it works better in dry environment environments, but, yeah, not with the humidity around here.
Speaker A:Y' all can probably guess the name of that one.
Speaker A:Then I found a couple of others that, honestly, I'd never heard of before.
Speaker A:And one of them has what I would consider to be very feminine packaging.
Speaker A:And it's marketed as, like, for chub rub, which I.
Speaker A:The way my body is shaped, no matter what size I am, I always have thigh chub rub, so I'm always cautious of that.
Speaker A:I've always just worn little shorts under my dresses to solves the problem.
Speaker A:But for running, I need to cover way more parts.
Speaker A:So this stuff actually has, like, a slightly rose scent, which is interesting.
Speaker A:I didn't realize that until I was like, am I wearing perfume?
Speaker A:And I was like, no, it's rose.
Speaker A:Anyway, this stuff is super, super, super thick.
Speaker A:And so I'm having trouble getting it on well enough because it's so thick it doesn't spread very well.
Speaker A:And I can't decide if it works or not because the new place that I'm getting chafe is on the sides of my hips.
Speaker A:And I think it's coming from the seams in my clothing.
Speaker A:And so now I'm obsessively going through everything I own trying to find things that don't have any seams along my hips.
Speaker A:Anyway, it's really weird, this stuff.
Speaker A:I'm sure it has a purpose, but I can't seem to make it work because it just blobs on there and I'm not really getting, like, a big coating of it.
Speaker A:So maybe do I heat it up with a hair dryer?
Speaker A:I really.
Speaker A:I honestly don't know.
Speaker A:Y' all help me out because clearly this stuff is popular, but I'm not sure I'm using it correctly.
Speaker A:And then the other one that I found, that is a fascinating concept, is a spray.
Speaker A:And I'm normally super anti spray.
Speaker A:I'm more anti spray than I am anti wipes in a package.
Speaker A:But this stuff, I honestly don't really want to know what it's made of because it is the slipperiest stuff ever.
Speaker A:And the nice thing about the spray is I can spray my own back because I'm not one of those yoga coordinated people who can like actually rub something on my own back.
Speaker A:But I had a major almost disaster using this stuff because I must have gotten a little bit of overspray on my bathroom floor which is tile and that stuff is slippery as anything.
Speaker A:Oh my gosh, it was like ice skating rink.
Speaker A:I guarantee you this is what the people who do those indoor ice skating floor thingies put down.
Speaker A:Unbelievably slick.
Speaker A:So I guess that stuff is doing the job, but I have yet to use it effectively when I've gone out on one of these long runs.
Speaker A:That's my big plan this week on my back to back miles.
Speaker A:So if you have something that works really well in humidity for chafe prevention, please please leave it in the comments on any of your podcast app, YouTube, wherever.
Speaker A:Because this is suddenly way more important than I ever realized.
Speaker A:And I'm sure there'll be many other lessons like this as I continue on my training for my first ultramarathon.
Speaker A:If you would like subscribe and share an episode with a friend, that would be super amazing.
Speaker A:Plus it helps other folks see it as there's not a whole lot out there.
Speaker A:For those who are new to the world of Ultra Running Boy, I have found some deep dives into people who this is their entire identity and more power to you.
Speaker A:But there's not much out there.
Speaker A:For those of us who've never done this before.
Speaker A:There's a whole lot of assumptions put out in what I can find of people who've already learned all the lessons.
Speaker A:And for those of us who are new to this and learning the lessons as we go, it's kind of a mystery.
Speaker A:So I hope that this is helpful even if you're just ultra curious and haven't yet said what the hell like I did because it took me a few years to get to this point.
Speaker A:Anyway, so far, so good on the training and looking forward to what's to come.
Speaker A:Thanks for running along with me here at Mama Lorenzen Ultra.
