Ooch (read if you dare!)

Joe, I can relate. Several years ago, when I first started running a lot, I had the same problem. Tried wearing bandaids, vaseline, you name it. At that time I was working in an ER and got a call from a lady one night. She says "my husband is too embarrassed to call you but he has this problem. His nipples are really, really sore and he doesn't know why." I asked if he was a runner. Long silence...then she says, "yeah, he is." I told her to tell him to stop wearing cotton shirts, as that had done the trick for me. She was laughing her head off when she hung up but I think it probably cured the guy.
Cotton is the absolute worst thing to wear for exercise because of the chafing. I don't know what fabric your new shirt is but you might check it. Another thing that works really well is BodyGlide. That stuff is the best. Good luck with your shower...haven't heard any screaming yet so that must be a good thing!! By the way, congrats on the long run!

Edited by Flyboy 2004-07-10 12:51 AM

Ditto on no cotton - I also put on bandaid's for any runs over about 10 miles - have not had any real problems.

Dennis

Thanks,
I will try body glide, any idea where to find it?
New shirt is poly or rayon (sp?), I will look at lable later, it is NOT cotton.
BTW, shower was painful....

If you watch a marathon, you will invariably see a few runners with bleeding nipples.

NipGuards are thick padded bandaids sold to help alleviate the problem:
http://www.nipguards.com/

If you go to the supermarket....in the baby aisle....there's a product called lanisinoh lanolin (for nursing mothers). If you use that you'll heal very fast. Actually it works great on all sorts of chaffing problems.

Bodyglide or Aquaphor, both work well. I prefer the Aquaphor. Must haves for long runs.

You might also try your local pharmacy for lanonlin. Ask the pharmacist for a small jar of it (behind the counter). It will go along way and is great for sore/bleeding/cracked nipples. I used it when nursing my daughter...it was heaven!!!!

I can also relate as I had the same problem back in the eighties when I did a lot of 10Km runs. The problem turned out to be the seam of my two colour singlet which ran across my chest right over my nipples. It never got to the point where they actually bled though; after a few miles, I used to have to take off my top and carry. One day, I took off the top and simply threw it away; from then on, I only bought soft fabric tops without seams or stitching in that area.

I had the same problem when training for a marathon last year I now use body glide it works well.

I just biked the same route, I was off, it was 7 3/4 miles, not 8......

I have the same problem if I go long or do bricks - nice reddish stripes down the shirt starting at the nips. More emberassing than painful but something you'd like to avoid just the same. I definitely do not run in cotton shirts anymore but a lot of the "high tech" shirts cause the same problem as well. I've started to use bodyglide when I remember and I have a set of shirts that I know I cannot run in and a set I have "tested" and seem to do ok. I can kind of tell if a shirt is a little too rough just by feeling the inside now. They can't be too tight, too loose, too rough. I seem to have better luck with sleeveless shirts.

When I get bloody nips it usually is days when I am really struggling and my form deteriorated. I have been trying to work on not bouncing and not rotating my upper body so much. That is probably the long term answer. It will help the nips as well as your time. But holding good form is pretty damn hard for me on the run.

YOW! And I thought nursing twins was bad...I feel for you. I'm almost glad I have to wear sportsbras now...Cindy BTW congrats on your "longest run ever"! Feels good, doesn't it?