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November 11, 2024 |
NatNews |
ISSUE 139 |
CHAFE HAPPENS SOMETIMES
While runners and other athletes may enjoy taking part in their sports, there are sometimes negative consequences that occur as a result of the activities involved. We’re looking at you, chafing. Chafing occurs when there’s too much friction between the skin and itself or clothing, resulting in a weakening or wearing away of the skin. It tends to occur more often when the heat and humidity are high and can be painful and annoying for the individuals who experience it. Dallas resident Juliette Vielhauer said she doesn’t notice much of an issue simply because of temperature alone but certainly does when she’s in a warmer and more humid climate. “Having lived in Northern California for most of my life, I had never really dealt with chafing until I moved to Dallas about three and a half years ago,” she said. “The combination of heat and humidity here was a game-changer for me, and I quickly learned how much more vulnerable my skin becomes in those conditions. In general, I notice chafing most often when it’s both hot and humid, which increases sweating and friction.” For Dallas resident Daniel Torrecillas, though, the temperature and humidity don’t seem to determine whether or not he finds himself a victim of chafing. “I chafe every time I run for more than one hour—all year-round, in any weather,” he said. “Luckily, I don’t run for more than one hour unless I’m in a training cycle for a multi-hour race.” Everyone is different, and chafing may not occur for some runners at all. Others, like Dallas-area resident Carolyn Macduff Levanway, have discovered they chafe not only in certain conditions but also when they wear certain articles of clothing. “Chafing usually happens if I’m sweating a lot, when I’m wearing my hydration vest without a long enough sports bra/top, or when I’m wearing shorts that allow my thighs to easily rub together,” she said. However, Macduff Levanway said she doesn’t chafe often anymore, as she’s discovered ways to prevent it from occurring. “I’ve started using Body Glide everywhere I think I can possibly chafe,” she said. “I also wear longer tops when I wear my hydration vest, and I’ve gotten longer shorts to prevent any thigh chafing. I’ve had too many moments when I hop in the shower after a run and play the ‘where did I chafe’ game, and I think using all of my preventative measures have helped eliminate chafing so much.” Vielhauer said she also uses Body Glide, though it only works to some extent but hasn’t been a perfect solution for her. “It does help reduce irritation, but it doesn’t completely prevent chafing, especially in more extreme conditions, like long runs in high humidity,” she said. “So, while Body Glide is the best I’ve tried so far, it’s not a one-size-fits-all remedy.”
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Body Glide is a popular option on which many runners rely to help them prevent causing skin issues while running. If you already have chafed skin that is bothering you, you can apply diaper rash creams, such as Desitin or A+D Zinc Oxide, because of their effectiveness in soothing troubled skin. These products could be helpful to runners like Torrecillas, who have noticed chafing during their runs but didn’t deal with it until later. “I’ve never stopped mid-run to try to address any chafing,” he said. “I’ve thought about running with a stick of Body Glide but had second thoughts when I wondered if it would make the irritation worse since it’d be something applied to irritated skin. So I’ve just toughed it out.” Torrecillas said he hasn’t found a way to prevent chafing completely, though he believes that he has come close to doing so. “For my runs over one hour, I wear running shorts with a built-in compression boxer short and then apply Body Glide to the parts where I chafe,” he said. “I’ll still end up with a light chafe, but it’s not bad. My legs are sore, anyway, after that distance, which is a distraction to the chafe.” Like Torrecillas, Vielhauer also said she has not been able to prevent chafing entirely. She said her problem areas tend to be around her sports bra, where the fabric rubs against her skin as she runs. “I’ve tried switching to different sports bras made of various materials, hoping that a more breathable or seamless design would help, but nothing seems to be foolproof,” she said. “Even moisture-wicking fabrics and well-designed seams don’t completely eliminate the issue. I think the combination of sweat, friction, and humidity makes it really challenging to avoid altogether, especially for longer runs. I’ve learned to manage it, but I haven’t found a solution that works in every condition yet.” Experts not associated with NatNews suggest using a lubricating balm or powder to reduce friction and absorb moisture. It’s also recommended to wear breathable and sweat-wicking materials, clothing made from synthetic materials that cling to your body, sports bras that aren’t too snug, compression shorts with longer inseams, and Band-Aids or tape for the fellas who suffer from bleeding nipples. While you may not rid of the chafe altogether, taking preventable measures could help you in the long run (yes, the pun was obviously intended). “I haven’t prevented chafing completely, but it’s definitely way less than what it was,” Macduff Levanway said. “Just when you think you’ve applied Body Glide to all the areas you think you need to, a new area starts to chafe.” |
DID YOU KNOW?
If you were to lay the number of LEGO bricks sold in a year in an end-to-end fashion, they would reach more than five times around the world. |
WAFFLES AND SPAGHETTI — A NICE COMBO
In 2001, Pam and Bill Farrel released their book Men Are Like Waffles—Women Are Like Spaghetti: Understanding and Delighting in Your Differences, which expands upon the theory that men are more likely to compartmentalize their lives and focus on one thing at a time, while women tend to think and live more like spaghetti noodles flowing together, with every noodle touching every other noodle and going all over the place. While men and women shouldn’t be categorized and stereotyped, it is true that the two are mostly wired quite differently. And certainly not all individuals fit the molds of waffles and spaghetti, but some do help prove the theory. “I mainly focus on one thing at a time because I’m terrible at focusing on multiple things,” Dallas-area resident Adrian Acevedo said. “I think it’s too chaotic to focus on multiple things because you start to lose focus on the main task.” People who live the waffle life are more apt to go to work and focus solely on work, regardless of other situations that might be going on in their lives. They don’t let as many things distract them and might not even spend much time scrolling on their phones or texting, as those are not work-related tasks. Tara Janke, who lives in the San Diego area, said she does not relate to the waffle style, though she can see how it can be beneficial sometimes. “I can generally focus on multiple things at once, but I should probably start trying to focus on one thing at a time,” she said. “But as a parent, that is easier said than done.” Also aligning with the waffles and spaghetti theory is Dallas-area resident Stephanie Hone, who has mastered the art of embracing chaos. “What’s it like to do one thing at a time?” she said. “After teaching middle school English for 10 years and now working as an insurance broker, I feel like I’m working on multiple projects at once—even in life. I don’t know if I have ever done one thing at a time.” Dallas resident Drew Mbiam, however, likes to be different and prove that men can be like spaghetti, too. He said he prefers to work on multiple tasks at once rather than move from one waffle square to the next. “The chaos makes me feel more productive because I’m taking care of a bunch of little things instead of working my way through a larger task that I’m solely focused on,” he said. Mbiam also doesn’t fully support the notion that a certain way of thinking, acting, or living is specific to men and women. “Everyone has the capacity to function in chaos or work in peace,” he said. “It’s a matter of preference.” Like Mbiam, Acevedo said he thinks the way people process and function isn’t solely related to whether they are male or female, though he admits that it could certainly be a factor. “Men and women may be wired differently, but I believe it’s based on the personality traits someone may have,” he said. “If you’re organized and detailed, you probably only want to do one thing at a time. But women can be way better at handling multiple things at the same time—like putting makeup on in the car while driving while talking on the phone.” |
Multitasking can certainly be an art that doesn’t come as naturally to some people as it does to others. Janke said she absolutely believes that men and women were created quite differently in how their minds work and how they approach tasks they need to complete. “Men definitely tend to focus on one thing at a time,” she said. “I think women are ‘programmed’ to be better at multitasking since we tend to take care of the household and our families.” While living life in one box at a time doesn’t pertain to all men all of the time, the idea resonates with many individuals. Hone said she can’t necessarily speak for all men and women, but in her own life, she has seen the waffles and spaghetti analogy to be rather accurate. “I’m not sure about all men and women, but in our household, yes,” she said. “My husband needs to focus on one thing at a time, and most men I have worked with seem to do better with smaller task lists. That’s just my experience.” Like many other facets in life, the different ways people think and their capacities to focus on one or many things at once can significantly impact their relationships. Mbiam said the result of two partners operating in different ways can lead to friction. “Little things seem bigger because the way people function is so ingrained into them, and it’s not necessarily gender-specific programming,” he said. One purpose of the Farrels’ book is not simply to bring attention to the different ways men and women think and process information and approach various aspects of life but also to help them better understand one another in order to have healthy and lasting relationships. For Janke, one key is making sure that each person is open with the other. “I think we just have to be good at communicating and understanding the strengths of the people in our lives,” she said. “If not, those differences can get frustrating.” Whether you’re more of a waffle person or more like spaghetti matters less than being able to acknowledge and accept one another’s differences, knowing that your way is not always everyone else’s way. “Those whose minds can’t stop and are always moving (one like mine) sometimes have trouble understanding people whose minds have a solitary focus,” Hone said. “We need both types of people to balance the other out. I need my husband to help me slow down, and he needs me to help him speed up because Lord knows that man moves slower than anyone I have ever met—and he knows I’m telling you this.”
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