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SQUIRREL NUT BUTTER! It’s the bomb, and isn’t petroleum-based, so won’t stain your clothes. I have a friend who stole my SNB, and his thighs survived a week in New Orleans in July. I don’t like to think of it as chafing; I like to think of it as my thighs high-fiving each other for being so awesome at running!
Compression shorts a little longer in length can help with this. Are you a believer in Body Glide? Squirrels Nut Butter? Both are great options to lather on and help ward off the chafe!
As a woman with more muscular thighs, I can absolutely relate to the issue with trying to deal with what some call the “chub rub”. There’s nothing worse then mid-run starting to feel that stinging sensation between the thighs only to have you cow-boy walk back to the car and for the rest of the day. My go-to prevention solution would be to apply an anti-chaffing balm such as Squirrel’s Nut Butter, Body Glide, or heck, I’ve even used Vaseline along the inner thighs beforehand. With shorts, especially, I look for flatter seams and a slightly longer inseam to lessen the amount of friction between my legs while running. If you do happen to chaff, I recommend gently cleansing it in the shower and then apply a zinc oxide cream such as Bordeaux’s Buttpaste or Desitin to the area to help soothe the irritation.
This is so painful and happened to me during a rainy race this past spring. No fun at all! A few things I’d suggest. Use the SNB, Squirrels Nut butter, on your affected areas pre-run. The salve is all natural, thinly spread and won’t leave any residue on clothes it contacts. You can get it in a stick, container or pocket sized tin. Second, while those areas are healing, you might wanna grab some longer yoga shorts or capris that will make those runs a little more bearable.
Me neither, sister. Squirrels Nut Butter (anti-chaffe lubricant) is my savior for my #mountainthighs, as are a few other precautions. A pair of well-fitting shorts with the minimum amount of material and seams is a must, and this will look different for every woman’s unique shape. Example: most would head into longer, compression type shorts, but for my shape, anything tight tends to just ride up and cause issues. I’m personally a fan of loose, barely there split shorts. I’ve also noticed that during super hot races, said shorts get a little, ahem, crusty with salt and excess SNB. Since I’m usually dousing myself with ice and water anyway, I take a second to douse my shorts too and get that nastiness off before it creates hard, sharp edges to my shorts. I usually always have at least a bit of chaffing after a 100, so I also keep some A&D Ointment around (diaper rash treatment) to clear that up right quick.
Long spandex is a godsend. Unless you get soaking wet, that should prevent all thigh chaffing. Or just use some type of chafe cream pre-run.
Best way to prevent chafing is to use a glide or balm along with shorts that have enough length to act as a barrier for the skin.
I am a big fan of Skin Glide, a newer product by the folks at Body Glide. It’s awesome and definitely prevents chafing.
Obviously wearing longer shorts/capri pants will cut down on friction, but depending on the time of year and where you live, the heat may make those choices unbearable. I keep a small stick of body glide in my running pack at all times and reapply at least every 10 miles, more often if I feel like I need it. This seems to have solved the problem for me. As a cheaper option you could use Vaseline, but in my experience it doesn’t last as long and leaves a residue on my shorts that is hard to get out. Good luck finding what works for you!
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