Chafing ... and Sphincters

Chafing occurs near the anal sphincter. In the crease of your bum. It can happen to anyone. It happens to me.

I also get chafing round the testicles. Where the testicles rub against my legs. Not everyone gets chafing there. Women may get chafing in odd areas. Certainly not around testicles.

Okay, that's the worst over with. Now we all understand what I'm writing about. I can now use euphemisms...

My chafing shows up as dark red skin. Sometimes it itches. Not always. Chafing round the back is the worst for itching. As far as redness goes I'm not sure... I don't often (or can't) stare round the back.

Chafing round the back is caused -- as far as I can tell -- by skin rubbing. By the two sides of the back... side... rubbing against each other as I run. That rubbing can't be helped. It's just the way the body moves.

So I apply Vaseline. The all-purpose, all-powerful preventer of all chafing. And it works. Up to a point.

The longer the run, the more Vaseline at the start. The longer the run -- the hotter the day -- the more chance there is that the Vaseline will wear away and chafing will happen.

And then there is -- the toilet...

Go to the toilet, use toilet paper, the Vaseline is wiped away. So carry spare Vaseline? Well, that's a good idea before the run. Not so convenient during a run. (Unless it's one of those very long runs, where you carry a backpack full of useful items.)

So, do I avoid going to the toilet during a run?

No!

First, it's uncomfortable. A distraction from my easy running style.

Second... it encourages chafing.

If I need to go to the toilet -- but don't -- the natural action is, to clench the appropriate sphincter. To tighten muscles in order to hold in the number ones or the number twos.

Whichever sphincter I need to clench -- the other one will also clench. Actually, I can somewhat separate the actions of the two. But without some effort -- again, distracting from my running -- I clench one sphincter, the other will also clench.

So I want to pee but hold it in. By tightening a sphincter at the front. The sphincter at the back will also tighten And this is where the trouble really starts!

Tighten the rear sphincter. I can feel my bottom -- all of it -- tightening. The sphincter muscles tighten, the (I think it's) gluteas maximus muscles also tighten. My bum begins to look so tight and terrific!

And the two cheeks are tensed. They start to rub harder. And I get chafing...

If I hold in number ones or twos, the whole area gets tense. This causes firmer rubbing between the two halves. This, in turn, causes more chafing.

Okay, near the end of a run I'm happy to hold it all in. (If that's not possible -- I'm in a whole different lot of trouble!)

With a lot of running still to go, I prefer to let it all out. So I can relax into a comfortable running style. So I can relax the areas that would otherwise chafe. So I can worry about the run, rather than worrying about the time to the toilets past the finish line.

Does this mean that I lose races by the time I spend in toilets? Not really... I lose by far more than that. It does mean that people can overtake me while I am standing -- or sitting -- still.

So what?!

I'm not there to win. (No hope of that!) I'm there to enjoy myself... Mostly, I enjoy the feeling of success once I've finished.

But if I go to the toilet during a fun run -- when I need to -- then I also enjoy the actual run... a bit more than I would otherwise.

And I enjoy the post-race exhaustion -- without excessive post-race chafing.

My Aim -- is to Survive

The aim of my Chi Square Running is... that I survive -- to run again tomorrow.

Run faster? Yes. Run better? Yes. Beat one or two people in a fun run? Would be nice. Injure myself so that I have to stop running? Never!

I run for fun and health and the occasional pleasure of finishing a fun run ahead of maybe one or two other people. And I like the bragging rights of becoming a marathon "runner" after I turned sixty. I enjoy that my wife and I share training sessions. (Though our approach to these shared training sessions is probably worth a later post.)

If I can't run -- I lose all of that.

The aim of my Chi Square Running is that I survive -- to continue running.

Do I also want to win an event? Do I want to improve my running times? Yes/no and maybe...

Yes, I would enjoy winning an event. Wait ! I did win! I was first in the "senior men" at the 2015 Busselton Marathon! And my wife won the "senior women" category in the Half! I was the only "senior man" in the race... I did enjoy that event. So did my wife. Both winners, both able to brag, no need to remind the other that "just finishing" was a good result for that other person :-)

But I certainly don't -- realistically -- expect to win. Not with a marathon PB at just under five hours. I am so far from winning a marathon that it's not even a consideration. So yes, I want to win an event but no, it's not a serious consideration.

And maybe, I would like to improve my running times. My first marathon, in 2012, took me five hours 18. In 2013 I gained a four hour 57 PB in the same event. (The same event but the next year...) Since then I've run a couple of minutes faster -- then slowed down. A lot.

To get started in marathons I ran the distance. Loooong training runs. Up to not quite 42km, a few weeks before the race. It takes a lot of time! In the last couple of years I have not run a training run of more than 20km. My training has slowed down. My results have slowed down.

I am still happy to run. I still enter marathons. I am still at the level of fitness where each marathon is a question of, can I finish, rather than, how fast will I finish.

I am still running. And that still gives me enjoyment.

Okay, I would like to run faster. To get another marathon PB... to beat 4:54. (My long term target is 4:30!) I enjoy the occasional fun run where I do finish ahead of some people. Mostly -- I am glad that I am still able to run. That I am surviving. That all of those other running based pleasures -- are still possible.

When will I be so old that I have to stop running? Never. When will age and infirmity and too little exercise stop me running? Sooner or later. When will I injure myself running, so that I can't run any more? Never!

At least, that's my aim.

My aim -- the aim of what I call Chi Square Running -- is to survive. To survive, with no injury.

Worst case scenario: I'm fit, I'm healthy, I want to run, a damaged muscle prevents me from running.

While I'm fit (fit enough), while I'm healthy, while I want to run -- I run so as not to get hurt. To stay fit. To -- possibly -- run faster and further. To -- maybe -- beat someone (anyone) in a fun run. To be able to run today -- and to still run tomorrow.

That is the overall aim of Chi Square Running: To run today... and to survive so that I can run again, tomorrow.

No More Chafing !

A year ago I visited my doctor. I had circular red patches on my chest. Just where the chest dips in at the centre... Circular... red... but not itchy. Ringworm, I wondered ?

My doctor examined the circles. Gave a few technical explanations. Settled on, "chafing".

Chafing ?!

In the middle of my chest ?! Where the chest dips in... How could chafing happen there ?!

No worries, I accepted the diagnosis. The doc prescribed anti-irritation cream. Stuff that works its chemical magic, to remove the visible signs of chafing.

I used the cream. For two weeks. No change at all... Are these circles really irritation caused by chafing ? (I rejected the alternative option of miniature crop circles.)

Then I thought, I get chafing in less obvious spots... Spots which are more obviously subject to chafing. Chafing in areas where all runners get chafing. (And more about that in a later post.)

So, over the next few runs, I considered the area of the red circles on my chest. And found that there is, indeed, friction. Friction which could cause chafing.

I felt nothing as my shirt rubbed against my skin. Nothing that would explain chafing, that is. Doesn't take much, it seems ! As I sweat the shirt gets wet, sticks to the skin -- and rubs.

Perhaps there's movement of the shirt against the skin ? The dip in the chest is between the pectoral muscles (is that the correct name?). The muscles move as I run, as I move my arms and shoulders while running. That must be enough to drag the shirt across the skin... causing chafing.

Why the regular, circular shapes ? It may be that the material of the shirt pulls evenly round the area where it rubs. Poke your finger into a stretched piece of material and it stretches -- in a roughly circular pattern. The stickiness of the sweat pulls a point of the material against the skin -- and the material stretches in a roughly circular pattern ? That's my guess.

Now I know the cause of the red circles: chafing during running. Why didn't the doctor's magic cream remove the visible signs of chafing ? Because I keep on running.

So what do I do ?!

That's easy: use the standard measure for prevention of chafing... Vaseline.

Before each run, I rub Vaseline on the red circles. As well as on the various other areas which are subject to chafing. There may be many miracle creams for prevention of chafing. Simple Vaseline works for me.

Sure enough, within two weeks, the red circles are gone. Never to reappear.

I don't always apply Vaseline to my chest. On long runs on a hot day, yes. When I expect several hours of running in a sweat-wet shirt, yes. On other days, when I can be bothered, yes. But not for every run. The chafing chest is special, not endemic :-)

Running causes friction -- in various areas. Some obvious, some less so. Friction causes chafing -- or worse. Vaseline -- like any grease -- reduces friction.

Like a good mechanic, I grease my body to prevent friction. Before I run.

No more visible signs of chafing ! Well, some areas still get red... Even Vaseline wears off. But the chafing is reduced from bright red and occasional itching -- to nothing much at all.

No more chafing ! Almost :-)

It works for me.

Why Chi Square ?!

I'm the type of person who watches what's happening and tries to understand it. I wonder why something happens as it does. Then I wonder if it can be done any better.

I do that while I'm running. My feet hurt... why ? That lap was faster... why ? I seem to be extra tired today... why ? That run seemed to be easy... why ?

If I can answer the questions -- then I can improve my running. If I can't answer the questions then I think about it... try different options... try to understand.

I'm not a person to blindly follow advice. First, I need to understand the advice. I need to gain at least an intuitive understanding of why that particular advice could help.

After all, not all advice is good... And even "good" advice may not suit my specific circumstances.

Remember the movie, The King's Speech ? The king was advised to take up smoking in order to cure his stuttering. Expert advice at the time... though it would have lost favour in later years.

So. I analyse and try to understand what I'm doing. Then I try to improve it. I analyse and try to understand advice that I hear and read. Then accept it or reject it or modify it.

btw: If any of what I'm writing strikes you as being "advice" -- please think before acting on the "advice" ! Listen, analyse, understand why it may work... Then understand how it could work for you... Then adapt what you do -- or not.

I write about what works for me. You may gain some useful ideas or insights. Whether or not you take action -- is your decision. It's more than just, See your doctor first. Ultimately, what you do or don't do, is your own responsibility.

So I'm a logical, analytical sort of person. And I read Danny Dreyer's book on Chi Running. Interesting ! A lot of his ideas match my own ideas ! I avoid heel strike running, so does Dreyer. I find that short steps are better, Dreyer recommends it. The general agreement means that a lot of what Dreyer recommends must be right :-)

Only trouble is, Dreyer describes chi running in rather mystic terms. As I'm reading I'm thinking, Should I be saying Om right now ?? Too much focus of the chi, too little rational explanation. Well, that's my impression, anyway.

The way I run has some similarities to Dreyer's chi running. There are differences, too. I do what I have found will suit me. Chi running is good (in my opinion). My own style of running is better -- for me. I do it my way. Starting with that word, "chi".

For Chi Running, "chi" is a Chinese word, pronounced "chee". Used a lot in eastern style fighting and exercise. (And by Modesty Blaise, so that's good.) When I see "chi" I think of the mathematical term, pronounced "kai" to rhyme with sigh. It's a Greek letter. Often seen in the statistical expression, "chi square".

Mathematics is logical and analytical. No, I'm not a mathematician. And I've never mastered statistics. But my approach is more "chi square" logical. Rather than "focus your chi" oriental mastery and mystery.

So my running -- and this blog -- are Chi Square. Logical, analytical, explaining in terms that I, at least, understand and accept. Analysed as it works for me. And there may be something useful for you, too. If you analyse it and understand it and apply it to your own specific situation...

You have a choice: Follow my Chi Square Runner blog. I hope it will be entertaining. It may be useful. Or follow the well documented Chi Running advice. It's thorough, and has been around for a while. Or... find your own path...

Welcome to my blog ! I hope you return regularly :-) And all the time, follow your own path.

====

btw: I was worried that "Chi Square Runner" is too close to "Chi Running". They are not related ! I tried to find a unique name for this blog. The only one that was acceptable was... ChiSquareRunner. So, with apologies for any confusion: Chi Square Runner it is.

Perth Trail Series: Wungong 2016

The alarm goes off at 4am. Out of bed, breakfast, prepare for running. Out of the house by just after 5am. It's the age old question:

Why do we do it ?!

Sunday 6th March. We're running the Perth Trail Series "Qi Gong" -- a trail run at Wungong National Park. In the hills just past Armadale. On the other side of the city. Less than an hour's drive -- with not much traffic to slow us down. We want to be there early so that we can park and prepare without panic.

For me, it's a 14km trail run -- gravel tracks and hill climbs. My wife is doing the 11km run: a bit shorter, missing an entire hill. We arrive with more than an hour to wait. My wife catches up on her rest. I want to loosen up...

My wife can just, start running. I find that I need to loosen up. Quite often I do that essential loosening up in the first part of the run... Which means that I am extra slow, right from the start.

Today, I have time to prepare. We are parked just 100m from the start. Late arrivers park a further 600m along the road, closer to the Wungong Dam. I decide that I will warm up by walking to that further carpark.

I'm glad that we arrived early ! The further carpark is... up a hill ! Okay, it's not a terribly steep hill. It's along a nice sealed road. Still... I would not want to arrive late and have to walk that 600m -- in a hurry -- to the start.

Worse yet: I would hate to walk that extra 600m -- up the hill -- after my 14km trail run !

So that's where I'm at: willing to run a 14km trail run. Glad not to walk an extra 600m at the end. Fit enough to run. Running hard for my level of fitness.

And here's my plan for the run: I actually know how long it took me to run this run, two years ago ! It took me two hours 11 minutes. My plan is to beat that time.

Nothing complicated: my plan is to run the 14km in less than 2 hours 11. I believe that it's possible: I feel that I'm fitter this year than last. But: for the last year I have been running slower than the year before !

I'm feeling fitter. Yet I'm running slower. What's happening ?!

Just three years ago I ran my first marathon. Just two years ago I ran a marathon PB, personal best. I was getting faster. Now I'm getting slower.

I seem to have lost the drive to run fast.

Worse yet, I've stopped doing the very long -- pre-marathon -- training runs. The long runs require that I go out by myself -- for several hours -- and run. Jog... Jog and walk and try to occasionally run :-) My training depends on going out with my wife. We run different directions -- but I go out because my wife goes out. Beyond that I lack motivation... But that's a separate problem !

I've replaced long runs with harder and steeper runs. (Not much harder and steeper. Just a little bit, to make sure that I try harder than my wife !) I do feel that this is working. Not necessarily for marathons -- but I should be faster at hilly trail runs ! So why not ?!

Today, I determine that I will beat my previous time on this course. How ? By running a little bit harder. And, hopefully, faster...

First, my pre-run warm-up. I walk to the far carpark. And back. It's not much but it does help... Sleep, eat, drive -- and a bit of a walk to get the body moving. It helps !

Seven o'clock and we assemble for the pre-race briefing. Cheerful, positive :-) This is a fun, fun run ! Ten past seven -- and we're off !

We start up a gentle slope... I'm slow but not too slow. Well... I'm at the back of the pack but I'm feeling okay. The last couple of runs, I've really been struggling at the start. The carpark walk helped, I'm starting slowly but it doesn't feel too bad.

Up the first hill !

I'm walking. I'm not the only person walking :-) Across the valley we can see the leaders -- running. On our -- back of the pack -- side, we walk at various speeds.

I manage to walk past a few people :-)

Up, up, up... then down. And I'm jogging.

And I even have time to think: This is a beautiful area. A very pleasant place to run, on a very pleasant day ! This is why I enjoy trail runs -- I am really enjoying this run :-)

There's a big hill, up and down. Then a second big hill, up and down. Walking up, jogging down. And that's better than some trail runs ! Sometimes I can only walk, even downhill.

The trail seems to be quite firm. It's gravel and rocky. Not as loose as I remember from last time. Rough but not dangerously slippery.

There seem to be half a dozen people still behind me !

Past the one aid station -- a pause for watermelon -- and there's just the 6km gradual climb back to the start. A couple jog past me. There are still people behind me.

I've been pushing myself just a little bit. Not to exhaustion. I try to... keep going. To not walk just because I'm tired. I know that I'm not that tired :-)

It's a long slog back to the start... to the finish. The couple who just passed me split up. The man disappears up ahead. I keep the woman in sight.

Finally, the last few hundred metres !

The woman just ahead of me has lost the trail... There's a side track with blue streamers, we're following the blue streamers. There's no-one else ahead to follow... We agree that these blue streamers are not our blue streamers. Back to the main track... I give the woman a few seconds head start.

A final, narrow track... 20m of flat... And I finish !

And it's a personal best for this course :-)

Sure, I'm tired for the rest of the day... for the next day... But not exhausted. I'm able to do regular interval training on Tuesday.

I convinced myself that I could run the entire course -- faster. I reminded myself that I could, indeed, keep going. I watched the time -- and kept up a reasonable pace.

I beat nine people ! Sure, it took me more than twice as long as the winner. That's not my target...

I ran a PB -- as planned. I was faster than a few people. I finished tired -- but not exhausted :-)

A very satisfactory result ! A very enjoyable run.

Start. Here. Now...

Today I woke up like a corpse in a horror movie. You know:

First I twitched a few fingers on the right hand. They moved. So far, so good. Then I stretched my right hand. Flexed all fingers. Twisted the wrist. Moved my arm -- all the way up to the elbow.

You know: like a corpse in a horror movie... a corpse that is about to rise up as a zombie.

And when I sat up -- I felt a bit like a zombie.

Had I been overdoing the exercises ??

I'm training to run marathons. Well, actually, I will be running a marathon in a few weeks and I'm following a *half* marathon training plan. Lots of running, perhaps not enough running. And this week I added a set of upper body exercises. Twice.

Tired ? Tell me about it !

So why am I posting this story to my blog ? Why do I want to tell the world about my being tired ?!

Because it's an inspiring story...

Okay, inspiring if you are in my condition -- and believe that there is no way you could run a marathon. No way... Not in my condition !

My condition:

In 2008 I ran my first fun run, the Perth City to Surf. I ran it in one hour 22 minutes. My wife beat me by a couple of minutes. We were both near the end of the pack... Our first fun run and we were struggling to finish at all.

I am not an athlete. I have never been an athlete. Healthy, yes, Fit, no. Just a few years earlier, I had been puffed after a rapid walk of less than a kilometre. A year of occasional -- a couple of times a week -- jogging training and I had managed to complete a 12km fun run.

I was inspired ! (For you, there is more inspiration still to come.)

In 2009, the same fun run -- in two hours 19. Just a few minutes faster. In May 2010, a 14km fun run... completed at a per kilometre rate just a bit slower than the 2009 fun run -- but better than in 2008.

On a roll ! Though 14km was right at the limit of my endurance. Yet I did beat my wife, by four minutes :-) On the other hand my son, with very little in the way of preparation, beat me by 14 minutes.

I was enjoying this running ! Still finishing at the end of the pack -- but finishing :-)

We decided to make a serious effort to improve. More regular training runs. Later in 2010 I ran the City to Surf -- running the half marathon...

Running ? More like staggering ! I started at a gentle jog. Ended up walking... from before half way. Pushed for a burst of speed -- no more than a gentle jog, even slower than at the start -- and crossed the line. In two and a half hours.

Success !

We paid for a training plan... A good one, with encouragement when needed. What we really needed was the assurance that we were not just going running -- but going for training runs towards a target. Towards my wife's target, that is. I followed the plan and added extra as I could be bothered.

A few more half marathons and -- to cut to the chase -- I decided to try to run a marathon... Never too late, I thought. Already, I was more fit than ever before in my life... Time to test to a new limit.

More fit than ever before in my life ? As I said earlier: I have never been an athlete. These few years had been my first ever consistent training. In fact, my only fitness training. I was improving every year :-)

So I trained consistently. Ran -- staggered -- on some very long runs around the suburbs. Felt that I was ready for my first marathon.

On the 17th of June 2012 I ran my first marathon ! This was just eight days after my 60th birthday.

Are you too old and unfit to do any exercise ? Ha !

I ran my first marathon just over a week after I turned 60. It took me five hours and 18 minutes. Twelve months later I ran the same marathon -- the WA Marathon Club Perth Marathon -- in just under five hours. Even the commentator was impressed: He called me over the line with the comment that a Personal Best after 60 was quite unusual :-)

I hope that you are inspired !

Because I want to write about my experiences, about coming from a couch potato to a marathon runner... Slow, yes, but I usually finish. I hope that I can inspire you -- no matter what your present level of fitness, no matter what your age -- I hope that I can inspire you to give it a go.

Of course, you must first check with your doctor !

I'm lucky, I'm healthy. I know, because my doctor said so. Okay, I have dodgy knees, weak muscles and a lack of dedication...

I plan to write about all of those. And to write about how I dealt with problems. (Or leant to accept them.)

I plan to write about what I have done and am doing. I will write about what works for me.

Some of my ideas may work for you. Especially if -- and I recommend this -- if you question everything. Read it, think about it, try it. Adapt it to what works for you.

But please, see your doctor first... And regularly !

====
Dr Nick Lethbridge / Agamedes Consulting [ Problems ? Solved. ]
====

"Saying a subject is too awful or too painful to joke about is like saying a disease is too awful to be treated." … Louis C.K.