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Saddle sores...Help!

Danielle SantucciDanielle Santucci
in General Training Discussions
Need some help here ladies. Currently training for IMMT as my 2nd IM. For some reason this time around I am struggling with awful saddle sores after all of my long rides. It's so painful that the follow up ABP is beyond uncomfortable. The only thing I can think of as the reason for this is the time of year change (summer-humidity? vs fall training). My saddle is the same, tri shorts same, DZNuts cream the same. Any tips on what Is going on and most importantly how to heal it quickly? Thanks!

Comments

  • Bridget PichetteBridget Pichette
    I too have struggled with this. I have found that for long rides, I must use real bike shorts. The tri-shorts just don't have enough padding to do back to back long rides. If & When sores do occur, I use Neosporin w/ pain relief to ensure that infections don't occur.

    I also find that the more time in aerobars, the better. Pressure points change and lessen the rubbing on the sides.

    Good luck and I'll see you at IMMT as it will be my second IM also.
  • Emily BrinkleyEmily Brinkley
    Danielle - I went through the same issues last month. My local shop is owned by a ex-pro cyclist. He told me that anything with a lot of mentol is actually the worst for when you get sores. I would throw away what chamois cream you're using and get some new stuff. He recommended assos. Once mine healed up I began using it and haven't had any issues since. Good luck! Can't wait to see you rock it.
  • Brenda RossBrenda Ross
    Oh gosh, Danielle, I feel your pain literally. I had such a bad issue after my first RR, I had to go to the doctor last week, get frozen, and an incission to relieve my issue. I had to take sitz baths 2x a day and extract the uck out of the wound. It is now just a lump, but I am afraid of another long ride. I am not sure what to do either. I do not think the stuff recommended above is available in Canada.
  • Leslie SedlakLeslie Sedlak
    For a treatment recommendation - I started using an acne cream on sores (something with benzoyl peroxide) and it helps them go away MUCH faster! I'm going to try assos for sure.
    Good Luck ladies!!
  • Emily BrinkleyEmily Brinkley
    @brenda that sounds just like what I had. Email me your address and I can totally send some your way if you would like. emilybrinkley@me.com. Amazon has it as well.
  • Danielle SantucciDanielle Santucci
    Thanks for the feedback and I'm relieved to know I'm not the only one! Emily, I just placed an order on amazon for assos, thanks for the tip! Brenda, I'm right with you...I've had warm/wet compresses on mine all morning hoping to bring the junk built up under the skin to the surface. Wow does it hurt, but I managed to get some of it out. I too had heard that pimple cream works, so I slathered that on as well with the hope of a quick recovery. You would think after a IM RR your legs would be in the most pain not the girl parts! Argh!
  • Laura BeckerLaura Becker

    Hi Danielle!! I've dealt with this issue a bit myself.   A few triathlete friends of mine swear that diaper cream helps dry up the sores and help them heal! I tried it once and it did seem to help. Just another option   Good luck!!

  • William JenksWilliam Jenks
    Hope you don't mind a man commenting... but I also had a bad saddle sore period for a while. Everyone will say saddle adjustment and talk about the chamois cream...and I do think those things are very important. Saddle adjustments relieve the pressure points and might need to be made even if nothing else has changed.



    However, what finally REALLY did the trick for me was switching to bib shorts.



    The concept that took me a while to get over is that the chamois cream isn't there to lube friction between you and the pad. It's almost there to "glue" you to to the pad and provide lube for only the smallest movements...anything you can do to change the friction from being between you and the pad and move it to being between the exterior of your shorts and the saddle is a Good Thing. Bib shorts just do a a hugely better job of holding the shorts still against your skin...thus letting the outside of the shorts slide against the saddle instead of the inside slide against you. It's counterintuitive at first, but I have gotten to the point that I wear bibs even for 1-hour trainer rides.

     

    Of course, this is about how to avoid them, not how to heal them.  Clean and dry is the best I know about healing, but I am not an expert there by any means.

  • Danielle SantucciDanielle Santucci
    Interesting William, interesting. Ive read a lot of this bib shorts chatter between the male ENers and always thought it was a guy thing. Hmm, wonder if it works just as well for us ladies. Definitely will look into getting some, thanks!
  • robin sarnerrobin sarner

    desoto 400 mile shorts.   there is female version.

    agree on the bib shorts and there are some female versions.           not with desoto though.

    for my long rides and races, liberal layer of Lantiseptic.           good stuff.

  • Emily BrinkleyEmily Brinkley
    I have the desoto 400 female shorts. Love them for long rides, and I actually raced in them at TX-- but I still had the saddle sore issues. I'm a fan of the bibs once you get passed it being a pain in the arse stripping down to pee. It has become a new talent.
  • Kirsten SurprenantKirsten Surprenant
    I agree with @Laura about diaper cream. I've used the super strong Desitin covered by a layer of Aquaphor and I survived race rehearsal weekend with that combo.
  • Stephanie HartmannStephanie Hartmann

    I found the Chamois Butt'r EURO style, has menthol and witch hazel, aaaahhhhhh!

  • rlh2000rlh2000
    Just a warning that of you buy diaper rash cream you will start getting ads and coupons for everything baby... Not that I learned that or anything...
  • Stephanie HartmannStephanie Hartmann

    Use cash. image

  • Stephanie HartmannStephanie Hartmann

    The new saddle arrived last night! Excited to have my bike guy install and fit it with me. I think I'll wait until after my 12 hour ride this weekend. Just in case.

  • Leslie KnightLeslie Knight

    Found this thread again and wanted to share my
    success.      Last year I was getting sores
    bad enough I'd have to lance them with a scalpel.      Since I started this new regimen, I have not
    had to do that.      I still get the
    occasional small one that resolves in a few days, but doesn't inhibit riding or
    running.

     

    I shower before a ride and wash real well "down
    there" with whatever shower gel I'm using that month.      Put a thin layer of antibiotic ointment
    everywhere that contacts the saddle, followed by a massively thick layer of
    chamois cream (I use Chamois Butter, but I bet your favorite would be
    great).      Shower after ride and apply
    another thin layer of antibiotic ointment.     

     

     

    It's a miracle. 


  • Danielle SantucciDanielle Santucci
    Thank you thank you Leslie, your post is so timely! I continue to struggle with sores and now that my volume on the bike has increased it has gotten worse. I'm going to try your method for my back to back rides this weekend...fingers crossed I have your successful results!
  • Stephanie HartmannStephanie Hartmann

    Keeping the chamois clean and dry is key for me. I wash the shorts inside out and also store them inside out after the dryer. I also use a tiny bit of bleach in the wash. If antibacterial ointment is that helpful then maybe your chamois isn't getting clean enough. Ointments are also going to break down the chamois quicker than the chamois creams and be more difficult to get out of the chamois. Washing in hot water will help clean the ointments out of the chamois too.

    why do we do this again? oh yeah...it's fun.

    AND I switched to Assoss. I like chamois butter and the euro-style, but the assos seems to last longer. Wish I could get it in the little tubes. But I start with the assos and then if I need more I have the little chamois butter packets in my shirt pockets.

  • Danielle SantucciDanielle Santucci
    Stephanie, that's so funny...after a 3hr ride on Sunday I was taking a shower and my husband comes in right at the time I'm grimacing and saying ouch my area hurts so much. He proceeds to say "why do you this to yourself?" Ha, they just don't get it! Lol
  • Stephanie HartmannStephanie Hartmann

    They really don't! 

  • Leslie KnightLeslie Knight

    My husband is very understanding and let's me do pretty
    much anything I want....until it interferes with his love life.      So I gotta keep the nether regions
    healthy!      I may try the bleach idea as
    well.      Vinegar may also work. 


  • Stephanie HartmannStephanie Hartmann

    Yes, must take care of "the fun zone".

    Inappropriately yours,

    Stephanie

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