Heart Rate Monitor Chafing

[Michelle]

Last year I wore my hr monitor (Garmin 305) regularly to help me slow down my easy runs. Then I wore it in a 10km race on a hot humid day and got the worse chafing of my life . I never wore it again until today. 40 minutes on the treadmill and I have a serious chafing issue again. Has anyone else ever expereienced this or have any advice of how NOT to get chafing?
I haven't run since August (long story), and know that I'm going to start running too hard for my current fitness so would really like to have the heart rate monitor to keep me in line.

[carm]

Yes and I get it sometimes from sports bras too. Body Glide the circumference of the area. Vaseline works too.

[Michelle]

I've tried vaseline, zinc oxide and body glide - still get it - oddly I don't get chafing from my sports bra, just the heart rate monitor.

[HCcD]

Perhaps, upgrading to the .... Premium Heart Rate Monitor (Soft Strap) Part Number: 010-10997-02

https://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?pID=15490

[BJH]

Is the strap pretty snug? A loose strap will move around more, which you don't want.

[Hammie]

I've had this - I wound up coating myself in bodyglide with only minimal improvement. I stopped using the HR monitor (which doesn't sound like the option you're looking for!), but maybe stop using it until the skin has healed completely, then try and use it only occasionally on shorter, cooler runs to make sure you're in the right range and try to run by exertion the rest of the time.

I've switched over to the "HR Monitor v1.0" - a stopwatch and an index finger . No chafing at all!

[Michelle]

I've switched over to the "HR Monitor v1.0" - a stopwatch and an index finger . No chafing at all!

I have thought of doing that too, but I seem to have an unrealistic idea of what my "easy" pace should be and end up running too fast!!

[Joe Dwarf]

I've switched over to the "HR Monitor v1.0" - a stopwatch and an index finger . No chafing at all!

I have thought of doing that too, but I seem to have an unrealistic idea of what my "easy" pace should be and end up running too fast!!

I used to use my HRM all the time, but now I just go by pace and perceived effort. HR varies too much for me, low at the start of the run, high at the end, higher on hot days. I just figured out my paces from a Daniels chart based on recent race results and go by that instead.

[Jwolf]

While we can debate whether a HRM is a useful training tool, but I don't think that's the point here. Taking your pulse manually isn't all that useful if you are trying to stick to certain HR zones. For easy runs it might be ok, but chances are you'll have to slow down to take it. For hard runs like tempo or intervals, don't even bother.

I agree with BJH that it should be snug and if it's not slipping it shouldn't chafe. Some people find the Garmin soft straps more comfortable so you could try that, although that is a $100 fix.

[Michelle]

I ended up getting the "small" strap - at $8.00 rather than the fancy new strap at $60.00 - tried it out yesterday and - no chafing - plus my chafing that was already there didn't hurt. I realized that I was using my sports bra to hold the strap in place before.

That being said, I've been running 2 weeks with no hr monitor and it's been better than I thought. Last year when i was trying to keep my easy runs easy, I was always telling myself - yeah, this feels easy - and then when I started using the HR monitor I realized that my idea of easy was different than what the hr monitor was telling me. Well I guess my brain absorbed that lesson well as this time I really have been running my easy runs easy.

Will probably just save the hr monitor for harder workouts - i.e. in a month from now, as I'm still trying to build back my base.

[toobusy]

Since I am not able to do any distance or even longer intervals anymore, digging out the HR monitor stuff would be an excellent time for it!