Running Shorts Sunday!
So, Matt and I will be running the Rock ‘n Roll Half Marathon in Savannah at the beginning of November. We are two weeks into our training (two ugly weeks), and I have a dilemma. A clothing dilemma. See, I’ve only run in pants or capris. If I wear shorts, the inseam of the shorts creeps up, and I get what I lovingly to refer to as “chub rub”. It’s chafing of my inner thighs. I’d like to blame my slender hips for this phenomenon. The thighs just have no where to go. My running friends that I asked for advice apparently discussed my issue on Friday night and back up my slender hip claim.
Anyway, now that we’re in Tennessee which is so humid and feels like the face of the sun at the moment, I thought that I might try shorts to keep cooler. So I went out on a $17 limb and bought a pair of running shorts.
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I maybe should have tried them on in the store, but I had to get to class. They have a 2 1/2” inseam and felt like they had a lower waist than I am used to. Not going to lie, I like to pull my pants up like Urkel.
So I took these babies on a test run this afternoon, and NO GO! I only did 3 miles, before I had to cry uncle from the chub rub. Granted I didn’t use any body glide, which might have helped, but I’m not sure. One of my friends has recommended to me some $50 lululemon shorts. I’m not sure if I should take the plunge, although if I buy another pair of shorts that don’t work, I might as well have spent the $50.
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Does anybody else have issues with chafing? Any suggestions for clothing? Should I just get laser fat removal from my inner thighs? Either that or birth a child in order to widen my hips? Thoughts?
Posted on August 26, 2012, in Running, Uncategorized and tagged Chafing, Running Shorts. Bookmark the permalink. 8 Comments.
Strawberry Jam Packed Life 
Why yes, we did discuss your shorts on Friday! =)
I totally grew up with this issue and it’s super duper un-fun, so I feel your pain. I wear men’s Adidas shorts to run in (I think they might be soccer shorts). They’re long for women’s wear but they’re on the short side of the dude shorts spectrum. They go far enough down so that all the touching parts of my thighs are covered with fabric.
But, if I wasn’t happy with those, I’d be wearing a tight short, or “compression shorts” as they’re called nowadays. As much as you think no one looks good in spandex shorts, who gives a crap what you look like. Make sure your butt cheeks are covered, then do whatever you can to be comfortable. It’s running, not a fashion show or trip to church.
That being said, there are some cheap pairs at Target (like this one: http://www.target.com/p/c9-by-champion-women-s-compression-shorts-black/-/A-14042668) that you can try out before committing to something from the wildly-overpriced-but-apparently-amazing lululemon.
Good luck, lady! Remember…comfort first!
I definitely had the chafing problem when I first started (treadmill) running. I just picked up a cheap pair of spandex biker shorts, and problem solved! It’s hard to tell from the picture, but I think the ones I got were a little longer than the ones linked in the previous comment. I wanted to make sure my problem areas were covered–I recommend trying on if you have time.
If you’re hesitant about wearing the spandex shorts outside you may be able to layer with a lightweight pair of looser shorts. Not exactly fashion forward, but would do the trick 🙂
Yeah, I might just have to go the “compression” shorts route. If they’re loose at all, they ride up.
I’ll be totally honest about this because I bitch and moan about this all the damn time in the summer. What I finally did is get a pair of compression shorts that are kinda long (you can always pull them up more on the leg, like so they’re not straight but “ruffled” if that makes any sense), a pair of running shorts you don’t think totally suck, and totally serious I safety pin one of the inner seams of the running shorts to the compression shorts. So far I don’t think you can tell, and I did this all summer until the stress fracture, and not once did they ride up. Took me a couple runs to figure out exactly where to pin it, but it’s the only thing I’ve found that actually works.
Or run in compression shorts as Beckey said. I just really, really don’t need anyone to see my legs all sausaged up like that.
Or just run in capris. That’s what I used to do and I know another girl (or rather I read her blog a lot and therefore feel like I know her) who only runs in capris.
And yeah Lu I just don’t get. Tried a bunch of their stuff but the stuff from Target, TJ Maxx, and Dick’s work all just as well.
Thanks, Liz. I was wondering what your thoughts were. Chub rub just sucks! I’ve always run in capris, but I thought that maybe I was “missing something” about running in shorts.
Ooh TJ Maxx! They have the best workout stuff!
I’m amending my original comment. runningskirts.com in the ATHLETIC SKIRT! They are skirts with compression shorts underneath! So, if this is still an issue for you, I recommend these 100%. I ran the half in one and had no problems, and did a 14 miler without problems as well (yes I realize those two distances aren’t REALLY all that different!). Seriously amazing, and can be kinda cute too! I’d totally wear that to the grocery store 🙂
I think compression shorts would be best! And use some body glide in between your thighs! That stuff is magical! 😉