Hurting Headlights in Heat Town.

My boss is a marathon runner. About two years ago or so, he amazingly told me that he had been experiencing nipple chafing during the long runs. Since he entrusted me with something so personal, and since he is my immediate supervisor, I have obviously spent the last two years making jokes to him about his big ol' leaky crusty nerps.

I have been running for a while. Even when I was at my unhealthiest, I still ran (or what I then considered running). Since the end of February, I have gotten Lieutenant-Worf-style-serious about it and have cut six minutes off my fastest mile, and about five or so off my long distance (for me) pace.

Fast forward to about a week ago. I was out running one day, and had my headphones tucked inside my shirt leading to my mp3 player that was in my pocket. I noticed that every time my left foot went forward, the headphone cable rubbed up against my right nerple. At first I tried to ignore it, concentrating on my breathing and pace. But the more I tried to block out the annoyance, the stronger the pain became.

Since then, I have fixed the headphone rubbing issue. Yet, now every time that I go out for a run, I find that both of my nips are super sensitive and begin chafing almost immediately.

Maybe it's always done it, and I have just now started noticing it. Or maybe it's due to the comical amount of perspiration that comes from my body due to the absurd Charleston heat. But either way, it's causing a wet shirt vs nipple friction reaction that one could only describe as me being tied down and having my man tots lit on fire while being forcibly made to listen to Justin Bieber songs.

I'm assuming this is some sort of Universal karmatic role reversal for massive amount of nipple jokes that I have told to my bossman's bleeding droopy aeriolas. I get that, and I wholly accept the punishment for my actions. Totally worth it, imo.

I guess what I'm asking is... has anyone else on here experienced this? And if so, what have you done to help combat the consistent feel of electrocution to your chest rockets?

I've read of people buying special guards, and while that evidently works, it also evidently makes you look like your recording a Lady Gaga video inside your running shirt. I've also been told that women don't have that problem, and therefore I should just rock out with a sports bra. There's also been a couple super helpful hints suggesting that I should just let the boys run free by cutting boob holes out of all my moisture wicking shirts.

While I am considering all three suggestions, I wanted ping this helpful board and see what you guys thought. Any and all help is greatly appreciated by me and both of my strugglingly sensitive headlights.

TLDNR: Me make jokes. Me nerps chafe. What me do?

Replies

  • spectralmoon
    spectralmoon Posts: 1,179 Member
    Band-Aids. Big, colorful, Dora The Explorer band-aids. Works best with a semi-sheer shirt.
  • PepperWorm
    PepperWorm Posts: 1,206
    :laugh::laugh::laugh:!!!

    I'm sorry that this is happening to you. Maybe use those 'leak guard' pads women use when they lactate?

    I have no idea. Good luck!
  • OkieinMinny
    OkieinMinny Posts: 834 Member
    I have a good story about this, a guy I know was running an 8k in a brand spankn' new shirt white! Got him some bloody nipples all over that shirt!!

    Anyway, try putting body glide on your nerps...shoukd help with chafing!
  • dltaylorii
    dltaylorii Posts: 132
    I have a good story about this, a guy I know was running an 8k in a brand spankn' new shirt white! Got him some bloody nipples all over that shirt!!

    That's amazing - I bet he had some outstanding finish line photos. And I haven't actually had any kind of leak spring up yet... I'm just trying to get ahead of the problem before it becomes one.
  • sparkle814
    sparkle814 Posts: 78 Member
    LOL thank you for such a comically written post. This does sound like it would put a damper on your running. I second what someone else said - get a stick of Body Glide and grease up before a run - it should hopefully help. (As a woman with significant thighs, I use Glide to prevent chub rub when wearing a dress or skirt - whoever invented this product should be sainted or knighted or something.)
  • determinedbutlazy
    determinedbutlazy Posts: 1,941 Member
    Strippers pasties. The ones with tassels are particularly good. Or something.
  • bfinup
    bfinup Posts: 47
    Put a layer of deodorant on your nipples before you run, it works so well
  • MexicanOsmosis
    MexicanOsmosis Posts: 382 Member
    Prior to being as big as I am now, I used to actually work out. The I had a couple blood spots on my shirts too. Put a couple band-aids on before you run.
  • Doodlewhopper
    Doodlewhopper Posts: 1,018 Member
    "Leak guard' pads? "Dora pastel" band aids? "Stripper tassels"? You gals are sadistic. It's easy to see the self satisfied smirks behind your words.....How bout a little sympathy? Ya know an "oh baby" every once in a while could go a long ways. Yall seem to really get a charge out of our plucky plight.

    One August day, about 5 years ago I was on a long run down here on the hot and humid gulf coast. My tech clothes were soaked from the tops of my shoulders down to the bottom of my shorts. I was miserable and for miles, every step I took my nips got whacked with a bolt of agony. The skin was being ripped off and replaced with hot molten sweat. (I was already sunburned from the previous day at the beach & I couldnt take my shirt off.)

    I kept my eyes down self-consciously and tried to ignore the puzzled looks of people as I trudged prissy-like holding my shirt out like two little tents as I plodded miserably down the road.

    On the side of the road I saw flies swarming a pork and bean and potato salad encrusted paper plate & was hit with a brainstorm rooted in desperation. I grabbed the nasty plate and tried to rub some of the garbage off. I then tore it in half and shove each half under my HRM to shield my mangled berries. Between the sweat and the food the plate adhered enough to last for duration of my run...in fact, I could have gone further! LOL

    I really dont know why Im sharing this with yall as Ive never told this to anyone while sober.

    Vaseline, chap stick or stick deodorant helps.....and of course, day old food.
  • poohpoohpeapod
    poohpoohpeapod Posts: 776 Member
    ypu are probably getting a fungal infection from the heat and the chafing. Wash well with mild soap then apply an antifungal powder to ur man tits. This should keep them dry and fungal free. They also make a sports anti chafing gel. PS.. Karma is the proverbial *****!
  • KyliAnne26
    KyliAnne26 Posts: 209 Member
    Nipple Chafing - A Consciousness Raiser :

    http://youtu.be/6dhPlSMnLwQ
  • tehboxingkitteh
    tehboxingkitteh Posts: 1,574 Member
    Antibacterial ointment. Deodorant. Vaseline.
  • moondawg14
    moondawg14 Posts: 249 Member
    "Leak guard' pads? "Dora pastel" band aids? "Stripper tassels"? You gals are sadistic. It's easy to see the self satisfied smirks behind your words.....How bout a little sympathy? Ya know an "oh baby" every once in a while could go a long ways. Yall seem to really get a charge out of our plucky plight.

    One August day, about 5 years ago I was on a long run down here on the hot and humid gulf coast. My tech clothes were soaked from the tops of my shoulders down to the bottom of my shorts. I was miserable and for miles, every step I took my nips got whacked with a bolt of agony. The skin was being ripped off and replaced with hot molten sweat. (I was already sunburned from the previous day at the beach & I couldnt take my shirt off.)

    I kept my eyes down self-consciously and tried to ignore the puzzled looks of people as I trudged prissy-like holding my shirt out like two little tents as I plodded miserably down the road.

    On the side of the road I saw flies swarming a pork and bean and potato salad encrusted paper plate & was hit with a brainstorm rooted in desperation. I grabbed the nasty plate and tried to rub some of the garbage off. I then tore it in half and shove each half under my HRM to shield my mangled berries. Between the sweat and the food the plate adhered enough to last for duration of my run...in fact, I could have gone further! LOL

    I really dont know why Im sharing this with yall as Ive never told this to anyone while sober.

    Vaseline, chap stick or stick deodorant helps.....and of course, day old food.

    I award you ten internets for this post. Also, take the day off tomorrow, you deserve it. There will be a little something extra in your paycheck this week.
  • moondawg14
    moondawg14 Posts: 249 Member


    TLDNR: Me make jokes. Me nerps chafe. What me do?

    I only wear tight shirts while running. If I wear shirts that are loose, I get the nerple chafe.

    Also:

    1464986512_928e7eb923.jpg
  • kkramey1970
    kkramey1970 Posts: 82 Member
    At the end of the GA Marathon I had bleeding nips. Most of the time I just used lots of vasaline. I'm too hairy for bandaids. Not sure why the vasaline didn't work that time.
  • IronAngel26pt2
    IronAngel26pt2 Posts: 129 Member
    Holy cow!! You seem to have everyone's attention....
    yes you are right women do not have this issue as much as men. The tight sports bras prevent the rubbing....however for the marathon I just did I took no chances! Who ever suggested stripper pasties is smart!! ;) They have some that are nude color and thin. They are called pedals....like flower pedals. Those seem to work fine and you could not see them under your shirt. The will peel off without any damage unlike a bandaid.

    Sounds like you have increased your milage quite a bit. Body Glide will only help your for so many miles..... You might have to suck it up and buy some pedals. You can find them in any bra department.

    I wouldnt tell a soul. ;)

    ps: I'm glad you recognized this as karma ;)
  • Cait_Sidhe
    Cait_Sidhe Posts: 3,150 Member
    Hello Kitty bandaids.
  • PeteWhoLikesToRunAlot
    PeteWhoLikesToRunAlot Posts: 596 Member
    Liquid bandage
  • dltaylorii
    dltaylorii Posts: 132
    "Leak guard' pads? "Dora pastel" band aids? "Stripper tassels"? You gals are sadistic. It's easy to see the self satisfied smirks behind your words.....How bout a little sympathy? Ya know an "oh baby" every once in a while could go a long ways. Yall seem to really get a charge out of our plucky plight.

    One August day, about 5 years ago I was on a long run down here on the hot and humid gulf coast. My tech clothes were soaked from the tops of my shoulders down to the bottom of my shorts. I was miserable and for miles, every step I took my nips got whacked with a bolt of agony. The skin was being ripped off and replaced with hot molten sweat. (I was already sunburned from the previous day at the beach & I couldnt take my shirt off.)

    I kept my eyes down self-consciously and tried to ignore the puzzled looks of people as I trudged prissy-like holding my shirt out like two little tents as I plodded miserably down the road.

    On the side of the road I saw flies swarming a pork and bean and potato salad encrusted paper plate & was hit with a brainstorm rooted in desperation. I grabbed the nasty plate and tried to rub some of the garbage off. I then tore it in half and shove each half under my HRM to shield my mangled berries. Between the sweat and the food the plate adhered enough to last for duration of my run...in fact, I could have gone further! LOL

    I really dont know why Im sharing this with yall as Ive never told this to anyone while sober.

    Vaseline, chap stick or stick deodorant helps.....and of course, day old food.

    Amazing. Day old food sounds like the best idea yet.
  • dltaylorii
    dltaylorii Posts: 132
    Holy cow!! You seem to have everyone's attention....
    yes you are right women do not have this issue as much as men. The tight sports bras prevent the rubbing....however for the marathon I just did I took no chances! Who ever suggested stripper pasties is smart!! ;) They have some that are nude color and thin. They are called pedals....like flower pedals. Those seem to work fine and you could not see them under your shirt. The will peel off without any damage unlike a bandaid.

    Sounds like you have increased your milage quite a bit. Body Glide will only help your for so many miles..... You might have to suck it up and buy some pedals. You can find them in any bra department.

    I wouldnt tell a soul. ;)

    ps: I'm glad you recognized this as karma ;)

    If I go with the pasties, I'm going all out tassles and sparkles. I aint scurred.
  • dltaylorii
    dltaylorii Posts: 132
    Nipple Chafing - A Consciousness Raiser :

    http://youtu.be/6dhPlSMnLwQ

    This was funny when I originally saw it on tv, and is even more so now with this experience.
  • kr1stadee
    kr1stadee Posts: 1,774 Member
    Karma has found you!!

    I'm not a runner, so I don't have anything to go on... are there compression wraps that could work? Maybe a tight undershirt underneath a tshirt?

    That photo of the man with the yellow shirt makes me hurt! lol
  • anj1030
    anj1030 Posts: 153 Member
    I have male runner friends that vow Vaseline or body glide are what work best. The Vaseline is thicker...and lasts longer from what I am told. LOL...and...it's water repellent...win win.
  • gabbylab
    gabbylab Posts: 146
    Hey! you may be on to something that REALLY needs to be invented!

    kramer_zpse09fa990.gif

    :laugh:
  • MsipiGRITS
    MsipiGRITS Posts: 128 Member
    Cutting 6 minutes off your time = FANTASTIC!!!!! You're making me feel like a total slacker here! LOL :laugh:
  • pepperpat64
    pepperpat64 Posts: 423 Member
    I have no advice whatsoever to offer on this issue; I just wanted to mention how awesome your profile pic is.
  • dltaylorii
    dltaylorii Posts: 132
    I have no advice whatsoever to offer on this issue; I just wanted to mention how awesome your profile pic is.

    Thanks. It's taken some work, but I'm almost there. ;)
  • Scudder76
    Scudder76 Posts: 108 Member
    Liquid bandage

    I've been using Liquid Bandage, and am not too thrilled with it. Protects from the chafe just fine. But it's a PITA to remove, gets stuck in my hair, and does not expand/contract with the ehh... natural flexibility of that particular tissue.

    I'm reluctant to going back to bandaids without waxing my chest first. And the lubricants never last as long as my 6-8 hour bike rides.
  • determinedbutlazy
    determinedbutlazy Posts: 1,941 Member
    Holy cow!! You seem to have everyone's attention....
    yes you are right women do not have this issue as much as men. The tight sports bras prevent the rubbing....however for the marathon I just did I took no chances! Who ever suggested stripper pasties is smart!! ;) They have some that are nude color and thin. They are called pedals....like flower pedals. Those seem to work fine and you could not see them under your shirt. The will peel off without any damage unlike a bandaid.

    Sounds like you have increased your milage quite a bit. Body Glide will only help your for so many miles..... You might have to suck it up and buy some pedals. You can find them in any bra department.

    I wouldnt tell a soul. ;)

    ps: I'm glad you recognized this as karma ;)

    If I go with the pasties, I'm going all out tassles and sparkles. I aint scurred.

    Pics pls.
  • dltaylorii
    dltaylorii Posts: 132
    Pics pls.

    Of course.