Here’s why you get nosebleeds during summer runs (and how to deal mid-stride)

Short- and long-distance runners alike face gross (but totally normal) bodily ailments while logging their daily miles. Nervous poops? They’re totally a thing. Spitting roadside to clear your airways? It’s a necessity. And female runners know all about the complications of pounding the pavement during that time of the month. But if it’s your nose that starts streaming blood mid-race (like Volha Mazuronak, a Belarus marathoner who came in first place despite a bleed), there’s a super easy, She’s the Man-inspired—way to deal.

First, it’s crucial to understand what might be causing your nosebleeds in the first place. Cordelia Carter, MD, director of the Women’s Sports Medicine Center at NYU Langone Medical Center recently told Runner’s World that this particular dilemma usually has to do with humidity, extreme temperatures, allergies, and changes in your environment (i.e., leaving your air-conditioned apartment in favor of the stifling outdoor temps). She adds that blowing your nose too hard right before lacing up your sneakers could also be the culprit.

You could plug your nose with a couple of  non-toxic tampons—like Amanda Bynes in She’s the Man—but keeping a handful of tissues in your running belt would also do the trick.

If you’re just reaching the halfway point of a 10K when (ugh) your nose starts bleeding, Dr. Carter’s advice is simple: Put pressure on the front part of your nose to encourage clotting. Then, stuff each nostril with a wad of something absorbent. You could take a note from Amanda Bynes’ character in that classic film and plug your nose with a couple of  non-toxic tampons—but, keeping a handful of tissues in your running belt would also do the trick.

Hey, anything to cross that finish line (and maybe even snag a new PR)—right?

If you’re a running rookie, make Robin Arzon’s advice your mantra, and don’t forget that recovery is just as important as your training plan.