Running question....Do this happen to YOU?!

workoutqueen628

I had such a great run today...I ran 6 miles and am well on my way to dominating my first 10k!!!! and then after that, I hope to run a half marathon!!! RUNNING = POWER! My problem is though that when I run my inner thighs rub together and now it looks like my legs have been chafed. It's horrible and it hurts like a rug burn. How do i prevent this from happening? Also, my shoes gave me a blister. I was wearing a new balance stability shoe. I am so frustrated with these shoes- they have also been giving me shin splints. I swore by Brooks Adrenaline GTS 8 but the new versions just keep getting narrower and narrower, which does me no good b/c my foot is a little bit on a wide side! So qu #2: What is a good stability running shoe out on the market now?

price805

I have a problem with my thighs chaffing really bad from rubbing together when I run. I always make sure to wear a pair of spandex shorts that come down over the parts of my thigh that rub together. Then on top of that I might wear a pair of pants if its cold outside or if I don't feel comfortable with how my body looks yet I would wear a loose pair of shorts over the top of the spandex shorts. My thighs don't get chaffed that way. As for shoes...I'm still not sure. I have a pair Asis running shoes and they are pretty comfortable, but I don't have any shin splints to worry about. Nor am I able to do long distance runs like 6 miles yet.

skinnyjess00

have you tried leggings? under armor makes GREAT leggings that are extremely comfortable to walk/run/bike in.

minnesota

Chafing for runners in common in many different places. They make a product called Bodyglide that prevents the chafing. It looks like deodorant. You can find it online and in some running stores.
The shoes I recommend every runner to go get a fit test at your local running store. They have you run on a treadmil and watch the motion of your stroke and pronation, over pronation and under pronation. This will ensure you have the right shoe for you. Also it is always nice to have nice running socks.
Good luck on your first 10k. They are the "best short runs" you can ever do! I am running one in the morning.

Hope this helps!

AlannaPie

Thigh problem - Monistat Soothing Care Powder Gel. Way better than anything out there

AggieCass09

Congrats on running- your goals are awesome and running makes you feel great! I have large thighs and they rub together when i run. I usually wear capris on my long runs to prevent short-adjusting and chafing all together but on my runs less than 7 or 8 miles when I wear shorts I rub LOTS of Body Glide anti-chafing stick on my thighs. It looks like a stick of deodorant and can be found at most athletic stores.

As for shoes, everybody is different so I recommend visiting a running store that has staff that look at your stride and stepping pattern and find a shoe that fits your foot. Your shoes should prevent injury, not cause it. The blisters, however, do happen occasionally with new shoes. Make sure your socks fit properly (not to big anywhere and come above the shoe on your ankle). My asics always would give me blisters on the back of my heels until i switched to a higher sock. I swear by Mizuno running shoes. I have really high arches and the Wave Creation 11 are AMAZING. I'm on my 5th pair of Mizunos! If you don't have a running store near you, visit roadrunnersports.com. That site offers lots of shoe fitting advice and if you become a member the shoes are offered at great prices, free shipping, and hassle free returns. I also got my Garmin Forerunner 405CX from them at an unbeatable price. No, i do not work for them but i've been shopping there for years. lol

Keep up the running. When i started 4 years ago I couldn't even run for 10 min straight. A year after that I ran my first full marathon and ive been running half marathons ever since they provide the running benefits with less of a time commitment so I can still enjoy my other hobbies (golf, bowling, cycling, etc.). I hope this helps, let me know if you have other questions.

stylistchik

I don't know about the shoe but I know they make an anti-chaffing cream to put on your thighs so they don't hurt when they rub together! I've never been big but I've always had the same problem! I used it in high school for dance and cheer camps and it worked great!

PaleoIsPossible

When I ran cross country in high school, we would all put deodorant on the inside of our thighs so that they wouldn't chafe whenever we ran, and it was a life-savor! If you go into sports or running shops, they also have anti-chafe sticks (they look just like a stick of deodorant), but they're more pricey and do just as much as deodorant

stratdl

I think that other people have already answered your chafing questions and your shoe questions. Here's my two cents about your blisters & your shin splints.

You may want to look into getting some running socks. About a year ago, I'd have said that "running socks" are a big gimmick, but I'm a convert. And I don't even wear them when I run (yet). My hubby switched from regular socks to running socks and noticed a huge improvement over foot sore issues. For example, he'd get a callus built up on one of his toes due to running and it would start to get painful, so he'd have to remove it. Once he switched to running socks, he ceased developing calluses. I think it has something to do with the construction and material of the running socks (as opposed to cotton "athletic socks"). Since I don't have foot sore issues (and since I'm miserly), I'm waiting until my cotton "athletic socks" are ready for the trash before I invest in some new running socks. And, by the way, I love my Asics running shoes - I also wear custom-made orthotics inside of them because I have a severe pronation (inward rolling of the feet) problem.

As far as the shin splints go, have you been stretching that part of your legs after your runs? I know that it can be particularly hard to do, but I have found a couple of stretches that I do to lessen the pain (and help with recovery). The stretches I do work best if you take your shoes off. To stretch, point your toe and touch the floor with the tip of it. Then, roll your foot so that the top part of your toes are touching the floor. Extend your leg (while keeping the top of your foot in contact with the floor) until you feel the stretch that works on the outer part of the shin. Repeat with the other leg.

The next stretch I do doesn't work so much on the shin as much as on the under part of the foot. Mine get pretty tight and I want to avoid plantar fascitis as much as possible! Anyway, with your shoes off, put your foot on the floor with just the toes and the first part of the ball of your foot in contact with the floor and press down - kind of like you're wearing super-high heels. I feel this one stretch the under part of my foot really well. Repeat with the other foot.

Finally, the good old ankle rotation works pretty good. You can do this one with your shoes on, but I find I have a greater range of motion with my shoes off. Stand on one leg. Raise the other leg off the floor behind you and to the outside a bit. Rotate your ankle so that your toes are going around in a circle one way. I do that for 15 seconds and then go the other way for 15 seconds more. Then repeat with the other foot.

If your shins are getting tight, you may also want to consider some heel cord stretches as well. These don't do as much with shin splints, but they do help to prevent and work through Achilles tendinitis (which I have had and constantly battle). I believe that they also work with avoiding plantar fascitis, but I'm not 100% certain on that one. You can do a web search for heel cord stretches. I found one website that shows how to do some of them: http://www.hughston.com/hha/a_12_3_5.htm

Good luck to you and keep on truckin'!

Cheers! :drinker:

workoutqueen628

Thanks everyone for the responses!!! So happy spring is here and can't think of a better way to take advantage of the beautiful weather than to go for a run!! good luck to you all on your journeys!

Happyguy

They will have products at your local running store that will prevent chaffing. Spandex shorts will also solve the problem.

NOLA_Meg

In regards to shin splints and "charlie horses," they usually occur because of a building up of lactic acid in your muscles and one good way to prevent them is by making sure you get enough potassium in your diet and make sure you are balancing your sodium and potassium intake especially when replacing fluids.