Let’s get personal: Chafing hurts!

Cha-cha-cha-fing! Aye, there’s the rub.

I completed a military-themed running race (measuring 10 nautical miles / 11.44 regular miles) a couple of days ago, and my upper arms look like they’ve been sandpapered.

It’s not that I didn’t prepare for the thing.

I wore the same singlet and compression shorts that I have worn for umpteen summer races and runs. The same goes for my tried-and-true sports bra. I put on the same athletic socks and running shoes I’ve worn plenty of times. And I smeared on some Body Glide Anti-Chafe Balm before leaving home for the race. But clearly I didn’t use enough. Maybe there is no “enough,” when the humidity reaches such an unpleasant level. 

I should have bathed myself in Body Glide – at least, my upper arms.

This was unusual weather, even for the dog days of summer.

Apparently, there was a solar storm the previous night, with the heavenlies putting on an amazing show of the Northern Lights. Viewers in states like Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Montana, and Wisconsin posted stunning photos on social media.

Personally, I gaped out of my car windows at 4:30 am, as I departed for the race site. The full moon was striking, surrounded by a blurred aura. Fog enveloped much of my trip. As the sun began to rise (around 6 am), it burned off most of the fog, leaving a humid haze over the area.

I didn’t hear this till after the race was over, but the mercury topped 90 degrees (F) while we were out there. Several runners had to be picked up and loaded into Gators or other vehicles mid-course. A few took ambulance rides. Many stopped by at the finish-line medical tent.

Rough day all around.

I’ll just be over here, putting antibacterial analgesic cream on my abraded arms and pounding as many fluids as my body can take.

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Step counts - Do you ever wear your tracker on your ankle?

Counting steps is big business these days, especially for runners. We love tracking our workouts, whether we are training for marathons, jogging for fitness, or hiking woodsy trails for fun.

“If it’s not tracked, it doesn’t count,” some will say. "It's almost a crime."

So what happens when we climb onto the elliptical (or a bicycle), trot onto the treadmill, climb onto the stair-climber, or push a jog stroller to run?

Ding! Not much. Those wristband activity trackers don’t seem to record the actual distances we cover, if our hands are not swinging.

What’s a step-counter to do?

Lots of people remove their wristband activity trackers from their wrists and fasten them to waistbands, belt loops, running belts, hydration pack straps, bras, and other spots that tend to bounce along with their feet. Many of us strap those trackers to our ankles.

I’ve even seen people pushing shopping carts through grocery stores and mega-marts, with activity trackers wrapped around their ankles.

And I confess: I buckle my Garmin to my ankle when I’m working out on machines at the gym. But I’ve ran into a strange sort of trouble for it. Actually, it was more like an interrogation.

“What are you in for?” one guy asked me recently.

I wasn’t sure I’d heard him correctly. I took out one earbud and asked him, “Excuse me?”

The guy pointed at my ankle. “What were you busted for?”

“Nothing,” I said. Then I busted out laughing. I should have said, “Three counts of low battery charges,” or something like that.

I guess you might say I’ve become a prisoner of my own device. But I think I'll stop wearing those black-and-white striped running tights at the gym.

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Race volunteers are both valued and violated

Runners tend to be doers, go-getters, and people of action. Many of us enjoy getting together with other runners and hanging out at running events. Naturally, that leads lots of us to pitch in at races and runs, volunteering individually or with running clubs or teams to which we belong.

Plus, we like earning free race entries, which often are part of the bargain.

Like countless runners, I have volunteered to help with runner check-ins, gear checks, mileage pacing, water stops, back-of-pack race sweeping, event publicity and even cleanup. When I’ve volunteered with friends, it’s been extra enjoyable.

Once in a while, race volunteering backfires.

Within the past month or so, this has happened a few times. Maybe you’ve run into similar mishaps.

• A race organizer put out a plea on social media, asking for race-day volunteers. I signed up to help. I got up very early on a weekend morning and drove 30 minutes to the event venue in the pouring rain, put on a poncho, and trekked across a sloppy field to the start area. There, I found the race director, who informed me that things were pretty well covered and there was nothing for me to do.

• A race management company advertised for event volunteers. My race team assembled a group of folks to do back-of-pack race sweeping. The race organizer emailed all of us, promising to send us the volunteer registration link, as soon as it went live. The deadline apparently came and went, and we received no such notice. A month ahead of race day, we contacted this professional, only to find this volunteer option was already filled.

• Receiving a group invitation to run as mileage pacers for an area half marathon two-race series, I volunteered eagerly with a couple of friends. The emailed instructions indicated that those who completed both races would receive finishers’ medals and a series medal. At the end of the second race, on-site volunteers informed us that volunteers would have to contact the race director afterwards to obtain the series medals (although all the regular runners received them on the spot). The race director never responded, even though all of us sent her multiple emails in subsequent months.

I’m not giving up on race volunteering.

But, as you might imagine, I will steer clear of these three outfits and aim my best efforts at other organizations.

Race volunteers often receive benefits for pitching in. These might include free event tee shirts, caps, or other apparel. They might get race swag and discounted or free entries to a future race or two. Even with these perks, volunteers are not likely to re-up, if they are not treated with basic courtesy and respect.

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Tendonitis? Gonna try some sandy beach miles this weekend

My Achilles tendon is talkin’ to me, but I’m not gonna whine about it. Actually, I am sort of relieved that my sports medicine professional examined it yesterday and deemed it “tendonitis.” Yeah, I was pretty sure that was the case, but I’m glad it wasn’t anything worse.

“It’s clearly swollen,” she said. “I’m not even going to try to tell you to stay off it. But give it plenty of ice, especially after activity. It might take a few weeks to improve.”

Thanks, Doc. 

I’ve got a 15-miler this weekend. Gotta stay on-track. But in the meantime, I’m gonna try some sandy beach miles. Maybe a little barefoot running will help my Achilles to heal faster. Hey, it can’t hurt to give it a break from sneaker pressure.

And I'm adding some hilly biking miles to the mix. Pedaling gives my old ankles a nice stretch.

With all apologies to American poet Robert Frost (1874-1963):

The woods are lovely, dark and deep.
But I have promises to keep, 
and miles to go before I weep.

Hand me a crying towel in October (after I finish the marathon), won’t you?

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Feel free to follow on GooglePlus and Twitter. Please visit my Amazon author page as well. And I am happy to share my RUNDERDOG ambassador code for 10% off on Bondi Band Athletic Headbands, Accessories, and Fashions. (Simply enter the code at online checkout.).