Essential Gear - Sun Protection

It’s officially the start of summer on June 21^st, which means it’s more important than ever to get some sun protection when out running/riding!

Being English/Scottish means I’ve been blessed with pasty white super sensitive skin. I get sunburn watching fireworks! After moving to sunny California I learned pretty quickly to make sure to wear sun screen from about April through October whenever I’m going outside for any length of time.

So, what can you do to protect yourself from the sun’s rays?

Sunscreen

The first thing that comes to mind is always sunscreen. It should be at least SPF 15 and protect against UVA & UVB.  It’s important to protect from both UVA & UVB as they are both damaging to the skin. UVA rays reach beyond the top surface of our skin and can damage connective tissue and increase our cancer risk. UVB does not penetrate the skin as much but can damage the skin cells.

For me, I use at least SPF 30. I put it on anytime I’m going to be outside for more than 30 minutes. Typically I’ll put it on after I shower before heading out or before I head out for my run or ride. I have also made sure I have easy access to it. As a rule I keep some in the following places:

• In the bathroom
• In the closet with my cycling helmet
• In my seat bag of my bike
• In the trunk of the car
• In the center console of my car
• In the wife’s purse

I’ve got various size sprays and tubes to store in those locations. My personal favorite sun screens are the Neutrogena Ultimate Sport ones, particularly their spray and face cream. They are actually SPF 70 and both go on really easy and don’t leave me looking or feeling greasy. I also use a lip balm sun screen from Banana Boat.

Where should you apply sunscreen? You want to put it on any exposed area of the skin.

For a runner that means arms, legs, face, neck and don’t forget those ears!

For cyclists you want to pay attention to the same areas but especially above the knees, neck and ears. You should also roll the sleeves of your jersey up and the bottom of your shorts and apply to those spots as your clothing will move as you ride.

You might also consider putting a second layer of sunscreen on depending on which direction your doing. If you going toward the sun, you should put extra protection on the front and vice versa.

Clothing

Sunscreen isn’t the only thing you can do to protect yourself from the sun’s rays. In fact, it’s NOT the only thing you should do. Did you know a typical t-shirt has protection of less than SPF 15?

If you’re going running outside in the sun you’ll want to pick up a tech shirt with SPF in it. Most major brands make t-shirts with SPF 25 protection that is also moisture wicking. A wet shirt will offer less protection from the sun. Check the tag before you buy it, it should state it’s SPF rating.

The same goes for cycling. You can pick up a jersey with SPF in it or an undershirt, failing that you’ll want to put sunscreen on before putting your jersey on. Your back can be exposed for long periods of time during a ride.

For any clothing you own you should always follow the washing instructions so you don’t destroy the SPF protection qualities.

You also need to protect the top of your head.  A cap is a great way to do this; it will also help to protect your face. You can also soak it and squeeze out the excess water then put it in the freezer overnight and then wear it when you run to keep cool. You can also get cycling caps which can be worn underneath your helmet when riding.

Cycling Cap

Eyes

Sunglasses are really the only way to protect your eyes. UV radiation is particularly harmful and the less time spent protecting your eyes the quicker your vision will be damaged.

Retinal damage from UV starts from before we are even 10 years old. The consequences of excess exposure do not become apparent until we are grown up.

The brand name is of no relevance on a good pair of sunglasses. A good pair of sunglasses should block 99% to 100% of UVA. All sunglasses block UVB radiation. Did you know sunglasses without UVA/UVB protection are worse than none at all? They cause your pupils to dilate allowing more UVA damage to your eyes! Large lenses that fit close to your eye are the best. You can find a good article on picking sunglasses here.

So there you have it. Hopefully you’ll be better prepared next time you step out to enjoy the sun!