On yesterday's 19 mile long run, I had a wardrobe malfunction.
On a side note: what I love about runners is that we know how to improvise when the going gets tough. We work with what we have. For example, no toilet paper? Perhaps the runner uses an old Kleenex, a GU wrapper (ouch) or even a soft leaf from a nearby maple tree.
First a confession. I do not wear underwear with my running tights. Not sure why. It’s not like I care that other runners will see my panty lines. I guess I am just a minimalist this way. Yesterday, I was trying a new pair of tights. Just like it’s not the best idea to do new things on race day, it is not the best idea to do new things on a 19 mile long run.
By mile 10 there was some major discomfort going on with the tights. Without getting too graphic, let’s just say it involved misplaced seams + constant movement + delicate skin.
I had reached just over half way and I knew there was no way I could run 9 more miles like this. I had to shut up and get creative and I had to do it quickly. I had to work with what I had, which was 2 water bottles, some GUs, a phone, lip balm, my jacket and…my gloves.
The glove saved the day. It provided the perfect buffer and padding to get me through the next 9 miles. While I would not normally want to run with a glove in my crotch, it was the lesser of two evils.
Call me gross, but you would have done the same thing. I just know it.
Do you wear underwear when you run? Not before yesterday. Never with shorts.
Ever had an extremely bad chafing situation while running? Why, yes! At a half marathon a couple of years ago I had SUCH a bad situation going on. At the end I had to wear my race t-shirt as pants for the 2 hour ride home. The shower afterwards had me wailing like a toddler in Target.
SUAR
That was hilarious! And yes we do have to get creative...no underwear with shorts but usually with tights-definitely now..Great job on the run way to get it done no matter what :)
ReplyDeleteYesssss. I am so glad you broke out the "race shirt as pants" photo again. It cracked me up the first time you posted it and I just about died seeing it again. What a gem.
ReplyDeleteAnd that, my friends, is why I always wear underware with my tights. Plus a dab of chamois butter. It's all good.
ReplyDeleteI do not wear underwear with tights, but am now serious rethinking it. Or maybe I just need to make sure I always have a glove or two with me! :-)
ReplyDeleteI always wear underwear when wearing either shorts or tights. Theat way, if an assplotion is imminent, it provides an extra layer to absorb my shame...and by "shame" I mean poop.
ReplyDeleteAnd you thought YOU had TMI going on!
Laughing out loud. I do the same thing. For the same reason.
DeleteAmen..same reason..can't be too careful!
DeleteYup, under shorts (which have liners), capris, tights. Always have. Now also (TMI) b/c need pantiliners (perimenopause, bleh). Use Patagonia Barely hipsters - AWESOME, worth the $$.
ReplyDeleteDeb - "assplotion" - may have to borrow that!
Beth - love the blue shirt - what brand?
I'm with MJ. I didn't even wear underwear at all in my 30's and now with perimenopause I am a slave to panty liners. I wish my uterus would just dissolve but that's a TMI for another day. I found some silky boyshorts that aren't as obvious as bikini's in tights and they keep everything that may escape in check.
DeleteI have a very specific weight that I go from wearing shorts without chaffing to a chaf-a-rama in the heat. Donuts are good.
Never run commando, always in thongs...had some gastrointestinal issues when running with a guy from a running group, new I wouldn't be able to make it back...started limping and faked knee pain. Told him I was cutting the course and heading back...cool things about thongs, the cool things about thongs is they're thin, u can tear the sides for easy removal without stripping down...lol
DeleteMJ: Shirt is the FILA brand from Kohls but is a few years old.
DeleteOMG this just happened to me TODAY on a 12 miler. I have worn the tights before so I'm just not sure what happened but OUCH. I still haven't showered. I wish I had thought of the glove move!!
ReplyDeleteMarathon training had me chafing in areas I never expected, including my lady bits, and the shower afterward was always like a horrible game (Holy Crap! My ankle? Really?!?). Vaseline was my saving grace. We went through 2 big tubs last year.
ReplyDeleteI do not wear underwear with my tights - I've never had problems with it but you do make a good point!
ReplyDeletechafing gets me all the time...I have scars from it
ReplyDeleteHaha so glad you came up with a good solution! I don't wear it with shorts (they have built in ones) but I do with tights because I had a bad no-underwear/tights situation on a 6mi run. Now I own a couple pairs of UnderArmour underwear that are fantastic.
ReplyDeleteOnce I did a long run in the rain and my shorts chafed the inside of my thighs so badly that I actually could NOT wear pants when I got home. Awful.
My motto for running tights is, "No gusset? No good." But I feel ya. I've avoided major chafing so far, knock on wood, and I go commando myself. And I TOTALLY would've used the glove.
ReplyDeleteUm...this really does feel like TMI? but I'm a thong girl and all my friends think that's the strangest thing ever. I find them extremely comfortable and can't wear anything else. At the end of the day I switch to a hipster to sleep in but to run in and just day to day...total thong.
ReplyDeleteInteresting side note: I had a gentleman where I work mention in a conversation about what men and women should wear at what age and what's appropriate etc that women at 50 and after should NOT wear a thong. DONE. No way.
So apparently I'm four years from needing to give them up because my body is shot. LOL Men. They do not think...
Being about that age, I can assure you that what's appropriate does't depend on age. If you've the legs and butt, wear whatever underwear you like, under whatever length of skirt or kind of pants you like.
DeleteI'm with Keith. I ONLY wear thongs (or g-strings) for everything. I'm 31. They'll have to pry a thong off my cold dead body to get me to stop wearing them as I get older. Thong on darling, thong on
DeleteThanks Keith. I'll keep that in mind. I humbly will say I don't think I look my age...most days...with a good nights sleep...so I don't think he knew what he was saying. But it's one of those things this obsessive person can't stop thinking about. I absolutely still have the butt and legs, so I'm still wearing them.
DeleteAnd thanks Crista, that was a laugh I definitely needed. Thong on...
No, I never wear underwear when running, especially not with shorts that have a built-in liner! But, I don't even wear them with tights. I don't know why, either! I've had a couple major horrible chafing situations, but that's why I basically cover my crotch and thighs in BodyGlide before runs in the summer now!
ReplyDeleteno undies here either...but I totally get your chafing situation cause been there, done that! I had to pull the crotch of my capri's down faaaarrrrr in order to finish my run hahaha
ReplyDeleteHahaha, you crack me up. Very creative! Yup, seamless minimal thongs are the best for tights! No chafing issues ever.
ReplyDeleteI learned this lesson the hard way as well, now I have a rule - always undies on the funsies (long runs)!
ReplyDeleteNew to running....and you all have me scared.
ReplyDeleteWhat an ingenious way to work around the issue and suck-it-up!! Please tell me that glove was washed in hot water...
ReplyDeleteHot water? I burned it.
DeleteHaha way to get creative - but I second Ali!
ReplyDeleteno underroos with shorts but I do with tights and capris..I had a running skirt that I had worn for 6 miles...well chafing in this skirt happens at around mile 9 I found out in a half marathon..ah the chafing..
ReplyDeleteUnderwear always. And Body Glide for long runs.
ReplyDeleteI am a Patagonia-under-tights convert after a friend told me about chafing his damn TAINT, for crying out loud, which just the thought of? Made me run for the underpants.
ReplyDeleteI wear underwear cos I fear chaffing.. And NO thongs.. I imagine a thong running would have blisters on my butt :/
ReplyDeleteI would have guessed the lip balm! ;)
ReplyDeleteNo underwear under tights or running shorts either. Love the "toddler in target" because I have a toddler and that is for real. :)
ReplyDeleteHoly hell. You are SO funny. Who does this happen to? I thought you were going to create a little barrier w/that lip balm of yours. I never wear underwear, and I've never had that problem.
ReplyDeleteI am quite surprised to be in the minority of underwear-wearing ladies while wearing capris/tights. Shorts with a liner don't warrant underwear for me. Way to improvise, chaffing is so painful!
ReplyDeleteWearing underwear while you run just sounds like unnecessary chaffing waiting to happen. No, I do not wear it. I rarely feel the effects of chaffing until I get into the shower. My husband has actually rushed in to the bathroom due to my screaming, thinking something was wrong. Everything about chaffing is wrong.
ReplyDeleteYes, I wear underwear and now plan to always continue with that practice!!!
ReplyDeleteSpeaking from painful experience - from a fellow male runner....not enough glide + rainy conditions = painful shower for the upper extremities aka "the nips!"
ReplyDeleteyeeeeagghhhh!
Rick Boudreau
I finally invested in one pair of wicking running underwear and my hoo-ha is much happier for it. I hope your ladybits heal quickly.
ReplyDeleteI always run commando! Chaffing? Yes! I've had bloody nipples on more than one occasion...and it shows each time!
ReplyDeleteCould have run home without the tights. No underwear under shorts or tights. No chafing, at least not there.
ReplyDeleteLOL, no I haven't had to deal with any chafing mishaps! But I think I would do the same thing in your situation!
ReplyDeleteI once lost a good two inches of skin due to chafing from running tights. It was in the worst possible spot, and unforgettably painful!
ReplyDeleteI swear by chamois cream for running and biking... Never leave home without it!
Good thing you don't wear Lululemon, that's all I have to say, haha.
ReplyDeletegreat job with the glove! I totally would have done the same thing. I wear underwear, but it's soooo small my husband makes fun of me. I can't wear anything bigger then a g string with ANYTHING. I hate feeling my underwear.
ReplyDelete....and this is why I cover everything in vaseline! So many bad memories!
ReplyDeleteI always wear underwear!! Do thongs really qualify as underwear? Anyway, I tried going commando once in a running skirt. Never again!!!
ReplyDeleteI go commando in my tights and shorts. They have liners for a reason!
ReplyDeleteI hate chafing!
Always commando. I have as many, if not more, potty issues as you and it's a whole lot easier to get one layer down FAST than two. Besides, I spend $$ on my running clothes and can't really bring myself to buy specialty undies too. Body Glide in known chaf zones, hoping no new ones arise. I find biking much harder on the lady bits than running.
ReplyDeleteFeel better soon.
Love to know I'm not the only one who suffers! I wear underwear always, but I occasionally get "diaper rash" from sweating and God forbid I have the urge to fart or poop on a run - that only makes it worse! I get horrible chafing on my bra line sometimes to the point of bleeding - I've tried so many different bras and I've just learned to live with it. I have permanent marks on my chest and back. Most showers after a run suck!
ReplyDeleteI don't wear underwear, either, and I know exactly what you mean about misplaced seams. I had one on a 13 mile run in the summer. There was absolutely nothing I could use for a buffer. It was BAD.
ReplyDeleteThat is quite creative of you! Love the idea. There has been many times when I did not get creative on those longer runs in such areas and kept pushing through it. The pain lasted a few days, but the pride forever. lol.
ReplyDeleteI just came across your blog on Bloglovin'. Looking forward to reading your posts. Cheers and happy training!
I always wear 100% cotton underwear under thighs, I don't really now why, maybe I will try once without (with warmer temps.:-). But I always have huge chafing with all my bras and I have tried everything so far. Help!!
ReplyDeleteWow, brilliant solution! And undies always under tights -- prevents (most) chafing, and provides an extra layer of protection as others have mentioned. I also feel it makes my tights last longer since they're exposed to less, ummmm, grime.
ReplyDeleteAwesome!
ReplyDeleteI never wear underwear with any running clothes and if they require it (like shorts with no built-ins), I wouldn't buy them. I have never had chafing issues, but if I did like you did, I'm not sure I'd have pushed through. You are bad-#ss:)
ReplyDeleteOh yes, I had some TERRIBLE chafing once during a race. Badly chafed by mile 6 of a half. So hard to convince yourself to keep going when you know you're not even at the half way mark yet.
ReplyDeleteI only just worked out that I didn't have to wear underwear with running shorts last year, after years of running! I will always wear them with tights, it looks too uncomfortable not too!
ReplyDeleteWaaayyy too funny. I almost spit my coffee out. Never been where you are, sounds like hell. Glad you found a way to protect yourself. I hope it wasn't a bulgy glove and you weren't drawing too much attention to it.
ReplyDeleteI guess women can have chaffing issues as well, yes I wear underwear as much to prevent chaffing as to eliminate bouncing. This winter I discovered windproof boxer briefs...and there was happiness.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI do wear underwear, because of the issues you just described. I once went commando, and my tight tried to where only my gynaecologist has gone before.
ReplyDeleteI love your solution though!
yes on undies. no chaffing issues but have used pine cones and rocks for other matters...hard a$$.
ReplyDeleteI get specialty sweat-wicking underwear because I chafe so badly if I don't! Good times.
ReplyDeleteI do wear underwear, and my trail friends just recently started making fun of me for it. But I always figured my shorts would ride up or chafe -- now you have confirmed it!
ReplyDeleteOh yeah I would have gone with the glove in a heartbeat.
You are the one runner/blogger I can relate to. I have done stuff like this more than I can count. I never have even thought about wearing undies under my running tights. The real reason I don't is because I can't be bothered picking that outta my a$$ during a long run (or a short one). The reason I wish I could is so that I do always have something besides leaves and grass in a desperate time of need in the woods.
ReplyDeleteNo undies and usually don't have any issues. I have a friend who swears by wearing a thong to keep the butt cheeks from rubbing against each other!! :-) Sounds uncomfortable to me. I had a really bad thigh chafing incident during a 15k race about 6 years ago. I was wearing shorts and it looked like I had my period, my legs were so bloody!
ReplyDeleteNO underwear with shorts, skirts, or tights. Shorts & skirts have built-ins. Tights are tight--why do you need an extra layer? This may be a carryover from my ballerina days. Ballet tights and running tights are very similar, and you certainly don't wear underwear along with tights and leotard.
ReplyDeleteI don't wear underwear when my shorts have building underwear. But I always wear it with tights. I just can't handle those seams in those special places.
ReplyDeleteI also do not run with underwear. I'm not sure if you read my Boston recap from last year, but I showed up at the athlete's village with an ENORMOUS hole in the ass of my pants. And like I said, I do not wear underwear. It was mortifying and I literally had to beg every person I could if they could spare me some pants and one woman actually did! Runners are amazing like that. And please don't ask how I didn't feel a draft -- I have absolutely no idea. I am so oblivious.
ReplyDeleteSeriously! That IS THE funniest thing I heard for ages! LOVE it! I
ReplyDeleteVery funny. As a guy I wear underwear with tights (little to much jiggling/movement for me), but never with shorts that have liners.
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