A story of going from being a non-runner to planning for a marathon in three years...

Wednesday, April 6, 2011

This is the Zits


Source


Runners talk about a lot of things that non-runners would probably find horrifying. Blackened toenails, being rubbed raw in compromising places, and emergency pit stops are all acceptable topics of conversation when you're with runners. But the one I don't hear about all that often is the topic of acne. Zits. Huge red or white spots on your face, back, chest, or other inconvenient spot. Is this because I'm the only one with this issue?

Yesterday I went out for a run at lunch (3.38 miles at a 9:28 average pace) and realized that I couldn't put my visor down as low as I wanted on my forehead. And why not? Because I have a huge, painful, red zit right in the center of my forehead, exactly where my visor usually covers.

I actually noticed it on Sunday after my 5K race but it wasn't quite so painful then. Since it appeared in a spot that my visor sits I can only assume it appeared in part due to the sweat that accumulates and gets held there by the visor.

So don't wear the visor, you say. Very funny. Have you seen me sweat? Even yesterday, when I was almost underdressed (capris, tank top, arm warmers) and I stayed relatively dry the visor had soaked up enough sweat to have a nice dark sweat line on it. I sweat. A lot. I need the visor to keep it out of my eyes. Which I guess means I have to deal with a zit that makes it look like I've converted to Hinduism.



Except mine is higher up than that.


Please tell me I'm not the only person who suffers the pain and agony of unfortunately placed pimples!

Comments (7)

Loading... Logging you in...
  • Logged in as
I break out on my back where my sports bra is. I have to be careful after long runs to clean up right away.
Aimee Lieby's avatar

Aimee Lieby · 729 weeks ago

You just need to keep facial wipes on you and wipe your brow immediately after running. And maybe use an acne-specific face wash (and body wash, if that's an issue). I've very careful about not keeping sweaty sports bras and pants on for too long, but I occasionally get zits on my waistline.
1 reply · active less than 1 minute ago
I try really hard to wash my face or wipe it down with make-up remover cloths as soon as possible after running.  And I do used an acne-specific face wash AND benzoyl peroxide cream.   There just must be something about my forehead that attracts zits.  Maybe really big pores?
I swear since I started running, I break out on my butt. It's horrible and terribly embarrassing. I try the Clean & Clear Astringent but that doesn't change anything. I wash my shorts after every run and it still doesn't matter either. I've given up at this point.
I get them in the sports bra area too! In the front and the back :(
I get them all around my chin in the winter from my ski mask and then around my hairline and hatline in the summer-I've given up with trying to stop the breakouts and just invested in good concealer!
I get them in the same spot as Lindsay. I even asked my doc about it, and she said there was nothing I could do, except keep washing. Well, duh!

I hope it goes away soon. That sounds like a painful spot to have a zit!

Post a new comment

Comments by