Q: It seems my nose likes to run too while I'm running...OK bad joke, I know. So what should I do? It runs a lot and is embarrassing. It's not allergies and I'm not sick. My nose is clear before I run, then about a half a mile into it, it starts to drip. I'm not an expert runner so the sniffling kinda messes up my breathing routine.
A: I would never advocate sticking anything in your nose while you're running. The suggestion about sticking toilet paper in the nose isn't such a hot idea because while you run, you should be inhaling / exhaling as thoroughly as possible--and you don' t want any unnecessary blockage. In fact, many elite runners use nasal strips to OPEN UP their nasal passages. Therefore, don't do anything that will close 'em / block 'em anymore than your runny nose is already doing! I have a couple suggestions for you. One is to avoid dairy. Professional singers often avoid dairy prior to a performance because dairy promotes the creation of mucus, and they don't want to have any blockage in their nose and throat when they sing--so the same is true for runners. I'm not saying that cutting out dairy is going to rid you of every droplet of snot, I'm just saying that it will help. I wholeheartedly argree with the other poster who says that runny noses are natural, and it's your body's way of getting rid of gunk. So you just have to embrace the fact that you get runny noses like everyone has to embrace the fact they're gonna sweat when they run. But, you do need to try to clear your nasal passage often, becuase it will enhance your run, and it's a distraction if you don't. Yeah, people deal with runny noses in different ways from carrying tissue in their pocket, to just simply blowing their nose in their hands and wiping it on their shirt (Gross, I know, but are you running for glamour or for glory?). What I do, is buy cotton wrist-bands from a running store (or you can use old cut-up socks) to wear around my wrists, and I blow my nose into the wristband--and at the end of the run I'll either throw them away (their inexpensive), or wash them. I suggest this is better than carrying around tissue in your pocket, because no matter how hard I try to secure this tissue, it always ends up falling out of my pocket somewhere along the course--and it's annoying that I never have it when I need it. Lastly, drink a lot of water. I know I'm making an assumption that you don't already, but the more hydrated you are, the less likely that your blocked nose will stay blocked.