I've heard some take it as preventative prior to long endurance events to prevent inflamation. I don't, however, in the last weeks prior to IM UK I began to have lower back pain that was affecting my swim. I decided to take 600 mg prior to the start of the swim and and then another 400 mg at T2. I had no pain whatsoever and had a good race. I still try to take only as a last resort. Even if I'm sore from a hard workout I generally will skip it.

I never take anything unless it is absolutely needed.

But I have heard of people including it during races as if it was gels what we were talking about. That I find stupid!!!!

Personally, I'd run 10 minutes shorter to get ice in if I knew I'd need ibuprofen after the run. I just never think that good training requires the use of OTC drugs, and would instead think your aggressive don't get hurt plan might need to have a bit less aggressive training if it is that big of an issue ;)

I agree with theShiba and think in general that ibuprofen and the like are not something to be taken lightly if you value your body's overall health and not just short-term performance. I almost never take NSAIDs. I use an enzyme formula called Wobenzym that really helps with recovery, soreness, stiffness, and doesn't wreck your kidneys or stomach like NSAIDs can.

That being said, I have taken ibuprofen in a race (IM) once, and that was for an injury (I was injured during the race, that is), to keep the swelling down and let me finish. Knowing more about it now than I did then, it seems like a kind of dangerous thing to have done. It really affected my stomach badly and I couldn't keep fluids down. I got very dehydrated during the marathon, passed out a few minutes after finishing, and the medics had to put a couple of liters of fluid in me via IV after the race.