Essential Gear - Water Bottle

Water, Water everywhere. So DRINK it!

Staying properly hydrated is important in any sport. As I build up the miles in my bike I’m paying more attention to keeping properly hydrated.

There are lots of articles online about how much water you should or shouldn’t drink. For me, I pretty much drink only water nowadays (plus coffee!) and I try to avoid any kind of soda. From what I’ve read online it’s also clear that proper hydration means being properly hydrated all the time, not just when out running or riding.

There are a lot of different types of water bottles out there. I’ve got a few different ones but my favorites are

Camelbak Podium Chill – A 21oz insulated bottle. I like it because it keeps my water cool enough for my rides and the valve on it is excellent, not spills or worry about too much water coming out when you drink from it. I’ll sometimes chuck the empty bottle in the freezer before filling it up too. It also slides in and out of the bottle holder on my bike really easily.

Clean Bottle – The clean bottle is awesome. The top and bottom both come off for really easy cleaning. They’ll be no funky smells coming from this bad boy. I use this one for mixing electrolyte and recovery mixes in. I can then take the bottom off and chuck it in the dishwasher to remove the gunk from the bottom lid.

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!

Essential Gear - Helmet

Today I picked up a new helmet. I've been using a cheap Giro Livestrong helmet for a while now and was getting fed up of looking like one of those mushroom men from Super Mario Brothers!

I did a bit of hunting round a decided on a Limar 777 Road Bike helmet. It's really light and looks great, it's got the added bonus of matching my Scotland jersey I got a few weeks ago. I tried it on and it is alot more comfortable than the cheap one I've been using.

Inside the helmet - lots of padding for comfort

Front - the mesh is to stop bugs getting in while i ride

Side view

There are alot of differing opinions on the safety of helmets. Some people claim they dont help and some say they are essential. There was a good article on Bicycling.com today about helmet safety. It covers alot of interesting points. You can read it here.

For me, a helmet is essential. I need my brains! And just in case I ever do get knocked off i've got my Road ID on my wrist too.

Essential Gear: Road ID - Awareness

A few weeks ago I posted an essential gear blog for Road ID. Today I got their e-mail newsletter and saw a request to help spread the word to first responders about looking for and using Road IDs.

The information contained on a Road ID can assist first responders greatly when needing to assist an someone in distress. We should all know where to look for a Road ID on a runner or cyclist.

The common locations to find a Road ID are:

- On the wrist
- On the ankle
- Around the neck
- On the shoe

At the very least first responders will have a number to contact someone in case of an emergency. If there is an interactive id then there is even more information available to first responders and medical teams. They can log into the road id site with your serial number and pin they will have access to:

- Your name
- Your home and work address
- Your medical information such as insurance, primary doctor and blood type
- 5 emergency contacts with both home and cell contact information

As you can imagine this information is vital in being able to get you the help you need as soon as possible!

We all should be encouraging our cyclist and runner friends to invest in a Road ID. This small investment could help save your life or that of someone you know. I often see and hear people ask what can I give as a gift to my runner & cyclist friends. The answer is a Road ID.

If you ever come across an accident involving a runner or cyclist be on the lookout for a Road ID and point it out to first responders. If you know anybody that is a first responder be it a Police Officer, EMT, Fireman, Forrest Ranger let them know about your Road ID, show them it and tell them about roadid.com. If could save someone’s life.

Road ID have even made these great flyers we can all share with family and friends who are first responders to spread the word.

You can download them here:

Debora’s Story

Gina’s Story

Lucas’ Story

Essential Gear - Cycling Jersey

Sweet! My new cycling jersey arrived!

Front

 Back

It fits real good, not too tight across the stomach and it has three deep pockets on the back.

You can't see it in these pics but it has the Flower of Scotland Lyrics written on the inside of the collar. I'll try to get a pic of it to update later.

Essential Gear: Road ID

The road ID is a piece of kit you can wear on your neck, wrist, ankle, shoe or foot. The idea is that if you are ever in an accident someone can use the id to contact someone you know.

It comes with one of two types of info plates on it. The original has your name, address and number on it and the Interactive has website and pin on it.

The interactive id takes it a bit further. First responders can log into the site on the tag and enter your pin to access all your emergency contact information and medical information. You’ll need to be sure you keep it all up to date buy making changes whenever you change Doctor, Insurance etc.

I have the Interactive Sport id version. It goes on the wrist and has a velcro strap on it you can adjust to your size. I make sure I wear it every single time I go out the door for a run, ride or race. I find it pretty comfortable on my wrist but sometimes when I run I will put into over a sweat band cos it can start to scratch a little as you move.

They have various other versions and they come in several colors so you can tie it in with the wrest of your gear.

You can order the Road ID online at http://www.roadid.com/Common/Catalog.aspx?C=RoadID