Runner's Nipple during race.

Here is what I have done for all my longer races:  Ironman and Half Ironman.  I put those little square band-aids (clear) on my nipples before the swim. . they stay on. . the entire time.  I still put  extra pairs in a transition bag or special needs bag etc, in case the original ones fall off.  Actually I was surprised that they stayed on the entire time, even through the swim, but they work perfectly.  Good luck. 

 I love these forums.. where else can we talk about nipples so freely. 

Don't wear a sweatshirt.  Even if it's cold, you don't want any cotton.

For the nips, Bodyglide works for me.

I like SportsShield better than BodyGlide.

running2far - 2008-10-15 9:24 AM

Tell3131 - 2008-10-15 10:51 AM

Here is what I have done for all my longer races:  Ironman and Half Ironman.  I put those little square band-aids (clear) on my nipples before the swim. . they stay on. . the entire time.  I still put  extra pairs in a transition bag or special needs bag etc, in case the original ones fall off.  Actually I was surprised that they stayed on the entire time, even through the swim, but they work perfectly.  Good luck. 

 I love these forums.. where else can we talk about nipples so freely. 

+1 - All races and runs I wear band aids. I have senstive nips. For IM, put them on first them in the morning and took them off before I feel into bed. They stayed on all day - no worries.

Good to know.  I will also bring some to T2.  I was just nervous that I would lose them, and be SOL by the time the run came.  Maybe throw some body glide in T2 as well if they don't stick.

I've had this issues on and off for a lot of years and tried a lot of different fixes. The best thing going is the "Liquid Bandage" type of product. You can find the stuff at any drug store near the bandaids. You put a drop on each nipple, and it forms a clear plastic crust which lasts until you peel it off. It takes about 20-seconds to apply it and let it dry. Race mornings, I put it on before I leave the house. I try to use it whenever I'm running more than 60-minutes.

 The big advantages of this stuff are that it's cheap (one bottle lasts me about 2 years), it never comes off during swims or shirt changes, and there's no need to reapply during longer races. It's so much beter than other things I've tried, I'd use it even if it wasn't cheap.

thanks again eveyone.  I find myself worrying about every little detail that could cause me problems...

I wish I could wear my try top, it's nip friendly.  However, the seams inder the arm, rub my arms almost raw during a 10k.  A marathon would have me bleeding or running with my arms out like a chicken...

Hopefully it will be warm enough to just use a poly dri-fit T-shirt and have no issues.  But since the weather could change, I still my take some preventative measures just in case I have to put on something heavier like a nylon windbreaker or something.

Totally agree.

I've tried everything in this thread (except the specific type of waterproof bandaids, though I've tried similar). The liquid bandage has proven the most reliable. Be sure it dries all the way before putting on a shirt over it. If it is still tacky, it will rub off on the shirt and not protect well.

If you know you are going to be running that day, put it on before you shave in the morning. If you applied some a day or two ago and it is starting to peel. Reapplying a fresh layer will soak through the dryer stuff and get it to re-stick while keeping a thicker layer of protection.

Surgical tape is probably the second best, though I've had it fail on me about 50% of the time on a run longer than 10 miles. Most of the time it doesn't slide off till later in the run and often lasts long enough keep the chafing down to a tolerable level even when it does.

If I was really worried about it, I'd do the combination of liquid bandage (applied the night before so you can put on a couple of layers and make sure it is plenty dry) and then surgical tape over the top of that while getting ready for the race in the morning.

Bandaids, they just don't stay stuck for me once the sweat starts (even worse if you are swimming to start the day).

I didn't have good luck with NipGuards either. One came off 4 miles into the first run I tried them on. I sweat pretty heavily and didn't find them to be particularly heavy duty when it comes to adhesive. Though if they do stay on, they probably protect better than anything else. If anyone is brave enough, maybe try gluing a NipGuard to your chest with liquid bandage. I bet you could run through a hurricane in a steelwool shirt with that combo. Downside is you might need pliers to remove them.

BodyGlide is better than nothing and works ok for short runs or if you don't sweat much. Once my shirt gets saturated with sweat or rain, the BodyGlide kind of rubs/washes away and then, well, ouch.