Nipple Taping
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Running long distances in hot and humid conditions almost guarantees bloody nipples for male runners. Not only is this painful, it's also a disturbing sight for onlookers. Whether it's bandages or specially-designed adhesive guards, protecting the nipples from getting chafed can mean the difference between running with ease or carrying on in pain.
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next raceShort Shorts and Spandex
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Even in the new millennium, runners often look like they've stepped out of a 1980s music video. Among the biggest offenders are neon tights and split shorts that leave little to the imagination. While the style quotient of today's running gear is on its way up, runners still often sport gear that would be a fashion faux pas in just about any other setting.
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next raceSnot Rockets
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The farmer's blow is a necessary maneuver mid-run when tissues are nowhere to be seen. Sure passersby may cringe, but you'll be able to breathe easier as soon as you let it fly.
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next raceMassive Shoe Collections
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Runners get attached to their footwear more than Carrie Bradshaw in Sex and the City. This means we end up amassing enough pairs of old running kicks to outfit an army. To be sure, keeping a pair or two for mowing the lawn and tending to the garden is prudent. Harboring a collection that demonstrates the evolution of running shoe technology spanning decades, however, may be overkill.
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next raceUrine Monitoring
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Hydration is so important to runners that you'll often hear them discussing the color of their urine. Peeing clear is like a badge of honor that indicates you've nailed your hydration strategy.
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While others may cringe at black and missing toenails, many runners garner a certain amount of satisfaction from them. Sure it may mean that you simply selected a shoe a size too small, but it also makes you look hard-core amidst your perfectly pedicured pals.
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next raceIce Baths
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For most normal humans, soaking yourself in a vat of bone-chilling ice water would be crazy. Indeed, academic researchers even utilize ice water immersion as a means to measure pain tolerance. Runners, however, hop in with both feet, gladly embracing the ice bath for its restorative qualities.
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next raceSnack Stashing
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Every runner knows that a sure-fire way to ruin a workout is to run when you're half starving. To keep energy levels up, runners are often guilty of having an arsenal of fancy endurance snacks at their disposal both day and night. From gels and specially-formulated drinks to beans and chews, runners always seem to have something on hand.
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next raceMileage Stickers
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Mileage stickers adorning car bumpers have become wholly popular among runners. In addition to sharing our running accomplishments, these little adhesive proclamations also garner us plenty of hassling from non-runners.
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next racePorta-Potty Preoccupation
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Since you never know when you'll need to go, runners are constantly making note of the locations of toilets on their running routes. Some even plan their runs around these locales. While this is simply a matter of practicality, friends and family members who haven't ever experienced the panic of being without a place to pop a squat may find this fixation out of the ordinary.
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