I've been running and cycling for 25 years. Before that, I was a kid in Minnesota and Colorado, so I was running the streets and swimming in the summer and building snow forts and skiing in the winter. I've gotten a lot of tans during my many trips around the sun.
My mom has freckles so she was okay about making us wear sunblock when we were kids. Back then, that meant she made us put it on if she was with us and remembered before leaving the house and she knew we were going to be out all. It does not mean it happened every day, repeat applications or +15 SPF.
After taking up marathoning in my 20s, I was a little better but not much. Higher SPF, but often forgetting to apply. A hat when running. That's about it. I took pride in my runner's tan. I thought it said a lot of good things about me - active, healthy, radiant, hardcore runner. Sadly, it also said, "I don't really get how aging and skin cancer work."
Today, I don't have any tan lines. I'm just as active (slower but still out there), I'm just a lot more covered up. The other day, I went out with SPF 60 sunblock on my hands, legs and face. But I hadn't done my arms because I was wearing a light jacket. Unfortunately, it was warmer than I thought. I was sweating like crazy but I kept on that jacket because there is NO WAY, at this point in my life, that I'm getting burnt.
Friends tease me. I don't care. I've never been that big on peer pressure. Plus, I know the damage I've done already. It's subtle on my body - small freckles fill in my old runner's tan while the parts that have always been covered remain clear and smooth. On my face, the miles show more. Melasma - freckle patches on my forehead, cheeks and upper lip - makes it a lot easier to guess my age, despite very few wrinkles.
My mom still has freckles, too, of course. But since some of them started turning into little blobs of skin cancer, she is has become a skin care booster. When she gardens, she wears a long-sleeve shirt with built in SPF. She wears floppy, wide-brimmed hats. When running (yes, my 65-year-old mom does about 4 miles every day!), she slathers on the sunblock. She's pale, and that's beautiful because it's healthy.
I'm lucky to have her as a skin role model - for the bad and the good. Hopefully, what I've learned from her as an adult will help balance what we did to our skin 30 years ago. I'm taking it so seriously that, this April, the shirt I'll wear for the Nashville Half Marathon is long sleeved.
Apply and reapply sunblock. Cover up. Be healthy. Look great.
Showing posts with label sunscreen. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sunscreen. Show all posts
Tuesday, March 18, 2014
Friday, April 26, 2013
What to Wear Running: 60 degrees & Sunny
Temp: 60 degrees and sunny
Wind: 10 mph
Humidity: 70% (moderately high)
Terrain: Rolling to flat
Distance: 3 miles (plus 3 mile bike ride)
What I Wore: T-shirt (off-brand from a race) and shorts (Brooks), plus a visor and one leg sleeve.
Did It Work: It feels like cheating to say yes because this is pretty much perfect running weather but, yes, it did. My hands were cold during the ride, but were fine on the run.
Why: 60 to 65 degrees is not too hot - as long as you're well hydrated, your body's internal thermostat can keep up (data shows that temps above 65 degrees slow a runner down). It's not too cold - you don't have to wear heavy layers and your muscles warm up fairly easily. It's just right for a T and shorts.
Sun Alert: If you were slacking over the winter, it's time to pick back up on the sunscreen habit. Brace yourself; I'm about to get a little preachy/informative.
Real sunblock will block UVA and UVB rays. It will probably be white, not clear and smelling of coconut. It should be at least spf 30 and, to get the full sun protection factor, you need to use a lot. According to my dermatologist (also known as my freckle monitor), sunscreen manufacturers say that you need to use FOUR shot glasses worth of block if you want to get the full spf rating on your entire body. She also recommends against spray-on sunblock because it takes more than most people want to apply for it to work. I like Neutrogena with helioplex (no, I don't know what that is but I like how it sounds). For my 30 minute run, plus 15 minute bike ride, I wore spf 60. Better safe than prematurely aging with an increased chance of skin cancer! Backup for all this scary stuff from the NYTimes here.
On that peppy note, signing off. Enjoy that perfect weather. Happy running!
Wind: 10 mph
Humidity: 70% (moderately high)
Terrain: Rolling to flat
Distance: 3 miles (plus 3 mile bike ride)
What I Wore: T-shirt (off-brand from a race) and shorts (Brooks), plus a visor and one leg sleeve.
Did It Work: It feels like cheating to say yes because this is pretty much perfect running weather but, yes, it did. My hands were cold during the ride, but were fine on the run.
Why: 60 to 65 degrees is not too hot - as long as you're well hydrated, your body's internal thermostat can keep up (data shows that temps above 65 degrees slow a runner down). It's not too cold - you don't have to wear heavy layers and your muscles warm up fairly easily. It's just right for a T and shorts.
Sun Alert: If you were slacking over the winter, it's time to pick back up on the sunscreen habit. Brace yourself; I'm about to get a little preachy/informative.
Real sunblock will block UVA and UVB rays. It will probably be white, not clear and smelling of coconut. It should be at least spf 30 and, to get the full sun protection factor, you need to use a lot. According to my dermatologist (also known as my freckle monitor), sunscreen manufacturers say that you need to use FOUR shot glasses worth of block if you want to get the full spf rating on your entire body. She also recommends against spray-on sunblock because it takes more than most people want to apply for it to work. I like Neutrogena with helioplex (no, I don't know what that is but I like how it sounds). For my 30 minute run, plus 15 minute bike ride, I wore spf 60. Better safe than prematurely aging with an increased chance of skin cancer! Backup for all this scary stuff from the NYTimes here.
On that peppy note, signing off. Enjoy that perfect weather. Happy running!
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Running in 60 degrees
Temp: 60, sunny
Wind: 10 mph (mild to moderate)
Precip./Humidity: Moderate
Terrain: Rolling to flat
Distance: 4 miles
What I Wore: Brooks shorts, Under Armour Baltimore Half Marathon t-shirt and a bandanna (on my head, not cowboy style around my neck!).
Did It Work: Yes. I ran the NYC marathon in these shorts because they are very comfortable. The UA shirt wicks moisture from skin, so the wind isn't a problem. Caveat: I don't wear this shirt often because it tends to get funky smelling easily. Not sure if this is true of other UA gear.
The sun is getting stronger, so wear sunblock. I like Neutrogena Age Shield with Helioplex and my dermatologist confirmed that it is good stuff. It doesn't streak and seems to hold up even on a long run.
Note: As we settle into spring, you have to find your own gear groove.
If it takes you a while to warm up, try the shorts and t-shirt combo as a base but add a light-weight running jacket or long-sleeve technical shirt as a top layer. You can always take it off and tie it around your waist.
Everything is comes back to life after the winter, making this is a great time to get outside and run. Happy trails!
Wind: 10 mph (mild to moderate)
Precip./Humidity: Moderate
Terrain: Rolling to flat
Distance: 4 miles
Did It Work: Yes. I ran the NYC marathon in these shorts because they are very comfortable. The UA shirt wicks moisture from skin, so the wind isn't a problem. Caveat: I don't wear this shirt often because it tends to get funky smelling easily. Not sure if this is true of other UA gear.
The sun is getting stronger, so wear sunblock. I like Neutrogena Age Shield with Helioplex and my dermatologist confirmed that it is good stuff. It doesn't streak and seems to hold up even on a long run.
Note: As we settle into spring, you have to find your own gear groove.
If it takes you a while to warm up, try the shorts and t-shirt combo as a base but add a light-weight running jacket or long-sleeve technical shirt as a top layer. You can always take it off and tie it around your waist.
Everything is comes back to life after the winter, making this is a great time to get outside and run. Happy trails!
Sunday, December 20, 2009
75 and humid
Temp: 75 in sunny Sydney, Australia
Wind: 10 mph
Precip./Humid: No rain but felt humid
Terrain: Hills and stairs mixed with flat
Distance: 5 miles
What I wore: Brimmed hat and sunscreen to protect myself from Australia's notoriously high UV index. Nike dri-fit t-shirt, regular sports bra and shorts.
Did it work: Yes, but I could have easily run in just the sports bra and shorts. The humidity made it feel much warmer, quickly. I love dri-fit though - it really does the job of keeping you comfortable.
The more you know: I travel a fair amount and almost always run outside when I'm on the road. Running in a place that you are visiting is a great way to take in the sights, see what the local running culture is like and get acclimated to a new time zone. However, before I head out, I make sure I know where I'm going, how safe it is and, on long runs, what the water situation is like. I'm not overly cautious - I don't run with Mace or refuse to go out alone - but I usually let someone know the general area that I'll be running and cover those three points (safety, water and route) ahead of time.
The free website www.mapmyrun.com is a great source for figuring out your route. The other two may require some scouting and talking to locals. Like I said, running is a great way to get to know your native runners!
Today, I ran along the edge of Sydney's Botanic Garden, along the harbor and around the Opera House. It was pretty cool to run around one of the most recognizable building in the world and a beautiful run. I took this shot from a ferry - it shows almost half of my run route.
Wind: 10 mph
Precip./Humid: No rain but felt humid
Terrain: Hills and stairs mixed with flat
Distance: 5 miles
What I wore: Brimmed hat and sunscreen to protect myself from Australia's notoriously high UV index. Nike dri-fit t-shirt, regular sports bra and shorts.
Did it work: Yes, but I could have easily run in just the sports bra and shorts. The humidity made it feel much warmer, quickly. I love dri-fit though - it really does the job of keeping you comfortable.
The more you know: I travel a fair amount and almost always run outside when I'm on the road. Running in a place that you are visiting is a great way to take in the sights, see what the local running culture is like and get acclimated to a new time zone. However, before I head out, I make sure I know where I'm going, how safe it is and, on long runs, what the water situation is like. I'm not overly cautious - I don't run with Mace or refuse to go out alone - but I usually let someone know the general area that I'll be running and cover those three points (safety, water and route) ahead of time.
The free website www.mapmyrun.com is a great source for figuring out your route. The other two may require some scouting and talking to locals. Like I said, running is a great way to get to know your native runners!
Today, I ran along the edge of Sydney's Botanic Garden, along the harbor and around the Opera House. It was pretty cool to run around one of the most recognizable building in the world and a beautiful run. I took this shot from a ferry - it shows almost half of my run route.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)