Nipple Stand...

Considering how everyone who reads my blog loves it when I talk about taping nipples, I thought I would share some more...and...let the hilarity ensue...

Smells like Spring spirit...

I can tell it is Spring. Today was quite warm at about 60 degrees and enticed me to get out and do a few things. I got our three shrubberies trimmed and ready to go for the beginning of summer and, likewise, trimmed our decorative grasses that we don't really like, but more put up with.

The second reason I know it is Spring is in my running. Today I did my long run of eleven miles. This entailed two firsts for the year. First, I had to tape my nipples for the first time this year. I had been wearing compression cold weather gear, but traded that in because of the warmth. Second, I used my first GU of the year, which, means my long runs are actually getting long because I don't do long runs in the Winter.

Unfortunately, I did something kind of stupid today. I have been kind of sick for the past week, but I thought it would be a great idea to still run today. Yep, I em so smart, s-m-r-t. Most of the run was not too bad, but the last mile or two was hell. I came in the back door and felt like I had run 18 to 20 miles. Luckily, I am starting to feel a little better as I write this, but the next few days will definitely be about recovery. Racing Abe is a mere three weeks away and I plan to be ready. Now, if I can just learn to take care of myself. So, I now declare it time to go to bed for the night.

Another weird runner thing...

This is post for those people who thought my PowerBar v Hammer Gel post was an oddity.* Males in running tend to have a problem with chaffing of their nipples. This comes is variations, from slight chaffing to all out bleeding, as in this article. The problem occurs as a result of the shirt a male is wearing rubbing against his nipples because of the motion the chest goes through while running. This problem is compounded when the shirt becomes wet, from sweat, and salty. This combination enhances the shirts "sandpaper" action, thereby, making it not much more than rock being rubbed against a persons chest.

Fortunately, to all males delight, the above problem can be easily averted. As the above article explains a person could use some form of lubricant or a layer of one sided sticky adhesive material. Personally, I have heard of people using Vaseline, Bodyglide, or Band-aids, but I use fabric tape by tearing it into little squares.

To give you the complete story, this post is specifically prompted by my "stupidity" on Sunday morning. I got up in the morning to run with some friends, which was awesome, but I forgot to "tape-up." Unfortunately, I did not realize this until we were on about mile 7 or 8 and I started feeling the discomfort. At that point, I was already dreading the shower. Usually, I leave the tape on for weeks at a time so that when I go out on a run it is one less thing to worry about. Every so often though I think it is a good idea to let them have some time without tape and, as in this case, some times I forget to tape-up before I go run and suffer the consequences. Usually it is a short run, but this weekend I went "all out" and did it on a long run. To say the least, it was an interesting shower.

*I had friends that did not know what I was talking about, thusly, I had to show and explain to what I was referring.