There are plenty of discomforts in endurance sport that you quietly accept as part of the deal. Sore legs. Early alarms. Questionable weather decisions.
Chafing is not one of them. Because unlike the noble suffering of a hard session, chafing is preventable. It's just that most people don't think about it until they're mid-race, mid-run, or mid-ride, and it's already too late to do anything.
Let's change that.
What Actually Causes Chafing?
Chafing is skin damage caused by repeated friction, usually where skin rubs against skin, fabric rubs against skin, or both. The result is irritation, redness, and in more serious cases, raw, broken skin that can take days to heal.
The conditions that make chafing worse are exactly the conditions that surround endurance sport:
Moisture is the biggest accelerant. Wet skin has significantly more surface friction than dry skin, which is why swimmers, triathletes, and open water athletes are particularly vulnerable. The salt content of sweat and ocean water compounds this, salt crystals on the skin create abrasive micro-friction on top of the existing rubbing.
Duration matters. A 20-minute swim might cause no irritation at all, but a 2-kilometre ocean swim, a long brick session, or a half marathon creates many more repetitions of the same friction. Small issues become significant ones.
Heat increases sweat, which increases moisture, which increases friction. Australian summer training in particular creates peak chafing conditions.
Seams and straps in clothing concentrate friction at specific points, wetsuit edges, goggle straps, sports bra bands, sock lines.
The High-Risk Zones
Knowing where chafing is most likely to happen means you can protect those areas before you start. Common problem spots include:
Inner thighs: One of the most common chafe zones for runners and triathletes, especially on longer efforts in warm conditions.
Underarms: Friction from arm swing and skin-to-skin contact, made worse by wet or sweaty conditions.
Around bra lines and shoulder straps: For women in particular, the edges of sports bras and swimsuit straps can cause significant rubbing over long distances.
Wetsuit edges: The neoprene border at the neck, wrists, and ankles rubs directly against skin, and the salt and movement of open water make this a classic triathlete problem.
Nipples: Particularly for male runners and triathletes on longer efforts. Not glamorous to talk about, but absolutely worth addressing.
Feet: Toes and heels can chafe against socks and shoes, especially when feet are wet from the swim leg of a triathlon or trail running in wet conditions.
Why Triathletes Are Especially Vulnerable
Triathletes deal with a perfect storm of chafing risk factors in a single event.
The swim leg soaks the skin thoroughly. Moving from water to bike without time to dry off means the skin stays wet for much of the ride. Any seam, strap, or contact point is now working against moist skin with repetitive motion for kilometres at a time. Then the run follows, by which point the skin may have partially dried, but the salt residue from the water and sweat creates additional friction.
If you've ever finished a triathlon with raw patches in places you didn't expect, this is why.
The solution isn't to toughen up. It's to apply a quality anti-chafe lubricant before you start.
Skin Slick and TRISLIDE: What They Are and How They Work
Both Skin Slick and TRISLIDE are continuous spray skin lubricants designed specifically for water and endurance sport conditions.
They work by creating a protective layer over the skin that reduces friction and repels water, so even as your skin gets wet from swimming, saltwater, or sweat, the lubricant holds its barrier and keeps skin moving smoothly rather than grinding.
The continuous spray format is important here. It allows even application across large areas, inner thighs, underarms, around wetsuit edges. Without needing to rub anything in by hand or deal with a thick, waxy balm that can feel heavy or greasy.
Before a swim or triathlon: Apply to all high-risk zones before you get in the water. The spray creates a water-resistant barrier that will stay active through the swim and into the bike leg.
Before a long run or training session: Apply to inner thighs, underarms, and anywhere fabric meets skin. A 30-second spray before you head out can save you days of recovery afterwards.
For wetsuit users: Apply specifically along the wetsuit edges at the neck, wrists, and ankles, the points where neoprene meets skin. This also makes getting into (and out of) a wetsuit significantly faster and easier, which matters in T1 when every second counts.
A Note on Race Day
The number one mistake athletes make with chafing is leaving it to chance on race day. They've never chafed in training, so they assume they won't chafe in a race.
Race conditions are different. Races are typically longer or faster than training sessions. Nerves increase sweat. The competitive environment means you don't stop and adjust when something starts to irritate. A problem that would be a minor inconvenience in training becomes a race-defining issue when you can't slow down.
The rule is simple: whatever you do in training, do in the race. If you use Skin Slick or TRISLIDE before training sessions, use it before your race. If you haven't been using it in training, start now, and get a few sessions under your belt before race day so you know where you need it.
Building It Into Your Routine
Anti-chafe spray doesn't need to be a complicated addition to your pre-session ritual. Once it becomes habit, grabbed off the shelf at the same time as your goggles, applied in 30 seconds before you go, you stop thinking about it entirely.
Which is, of course, the point. The goal is to finish your sessions and your races without chafing ever crossing your mind. Because when your anti-chafe is doing its job properly, you won't notice it at all.
You'll just notice how good you feel at the finish line.