Avoiding chafing - we suffer enough already

Chafing can be terrible. All of us have stood under a shower at one time or another and felt like screaming from the pain. Anyone who has ever done a long distance race, especially  a marathon, has seen at least one guy with bloody patches on his t-shirt where it has sawn away at his nipples for the duration of the event. I’ve personally seen some effects of chafing which would not be broadcast on embarrassing bodies.

Most of us have experienced chafing around our necks, under our arms, on our lower backs, the nipples, between our legs (various and all unpleasant) and all over our feet.  While most experienced triathletes have long worked out ways to avoid chafing, this lore of pain avoidance is not always shared before someone’s first long training session or race and the results can be painful. What then should the experienced tell the inexperienced about avoiding chafing?

Personally, for most hour or so long training sessions except open water swimming, I don’t do anything. Where the wetsuit is involved it is always advisable to apply Bodyglide or similar around your neck to protect it otherwise you’ll have a sunburn style rash for a few days after. For running sessions over an hour I normally try to remember to apply some Vaseline under my arms and over my toes (a number of which do not have nails anymore). For bike riding alone, I never do anything. If your bike gear chafes, you should change it, as no amount of Vaseline is going to stop you getting sore if pair of bib shorts are; for example, eating into your nether regions.

For runs expected to be over 2.5 hours and for all races (why take the chance?) I apply Vaseline over all of the parts of the body listed above at least an hour, ideally more, before the race. I got up three hours before my last Ironman to apply Vaseline. This gives the Vaseline a chance to create a protective coating, which will last through what may be a very long open water swim. Whatever you do – and I know men who have resorted to placing plasters over their nipples - will not entirely prevent chafing, after all, the sweat produced during a marathon contains salt which gradually starts to feel like sandpaper as the race progresses, but it will help.

NEVER, NEVER EVER, race in gear which you have not trained in. This is chafing suicide. If you are training for a longer event, make sure all your gear has been tested over the distance, especially your trainers. Many trainers can feel great for ten miles but then start to chafe like a cheese grater. This advice is doubly important for those intending to race middle or long distance triathlons without socks. Make sure you have trained without socks.

While this may seem obvious, if you are given a timing chip on a strap to go around your ankle, make sure the smooth, soft, side is facing your leg (not the hard bristly side). I know triathletes who attached it the wrong way around and it ate into their ankle during the race.

Having taken all possible anti-chafing measures, it should be possible to step into the shower with a reasonable chance of not entirely regretting doing the training session or race.