Burn, Baby Burn!

Male readers, brace yourselves: I am going to talk girl problems.

This past weekend I ran my 3rd half marathon with some stellar ladies (way to go Susan, Crista & Missy!). Perhaps you've heard that the training for a race like this is harder than the actual race (could be debated!), however, I do agree this year. It was REALLY hard when one's sports bra created a chafing problem 3 weeks before the race...

So, here's the nitty gritty. The bra is soaked (sorry for the detail), skin rubs against the material of a sports bra, and well, we get this lovely little problem called chafing. It's pretty miserable.

Now, thankfully, I had a few weeks to solve this problem before the big race. So, after a trip to my doctor (yes, some steroid action was necessary!), I needed to consult my local City Sports as I realized I probably needed to re-evaluate my sports bra situation.

The lovely saleswoman was like my own marathon angel. Here's what she shared:

1. Sports bras should be cycled out as often as one's running shoes. FYI: Running shoes (if you are a regular runner) should be tossed after about 6 months.
   
2. When a sports bra has been worn over time (and for me, over the course of 3 training sessions in 3 years), the bra loses it's ability to wick the sweat away from the body.
   
3. Also, sports bras lose their elasticity over time, so the elastic band around the chest often stretches out and doesn't hold "the girls in" as well.

Do I need to go on, or are you catching my drift?
So, if you're exercising regularly, ladies, it's VITAL that you pay attention to the age of your sports bras. You simply do NOT want to deal with chafing.

Gents, all I have to say for you: Invest in a convenient little product called "Body Glide." It solves a variety of problems :)

Happy running to all!