As many of you already know I’ve been running for a long time. I have always enjoyed being outside and I LOVE the sun. I’m from the generation of sun worshippers who laid out in the sun for hours covered in baby oil hoping to fry to a dark brown. There was no sunscreen then because we didn’t know about skin cancer and sun damage. 

I have spent a zillion hours in the sun either on my bike or running on the sunny streets of southern California. I rarely gave a second thought about “too much” sun until I was in my 30’s but by then the damage was done. Since then I have tried to protect myself from further damage and now want to remind my friends, young and old, to protect themselves.

Sun Protection: My Top 5

1. Sunscreen…seems obvious but so many people don’t wear sunscreen consistently. You should be wearing sunscreen even on cloudy days. Don’t forget your hands, neck (front and back) and legs. I also wear lip balm with SPF 15.

   

2. Hat…I rarely run without a hat. I have to be honest, I mostly wear a hat to cover my messy hair but I also don’t like having the sun on my face, so 2 birds, one stone…

   

    

3.  Sunglasses… eyes need protection too! I always wear sunglasses. They don’t have to be expensive, just be sure they have UV protection. I prefer lightweight, polarized ones. And non-slip is a must have.

   

    

4.  Sleeves…I just started wearing sleeves last year when I was training for my BQ. I was spending lots of time pounding the pavement, thus getting a lot of sun. I wish I had started wearing sleeves a long time ago. My arms are getting spotty and crepe-y (comes with age…ugh) and I’m trying to stop it from getting worse.

   

    

5.  Shade…I try to run in the shade when possible, especially when it’s hot, but obviously that is not always possible. I only throw it out there to keep it in mind because every little bit helps.

I hope this post serves as a reminder to protect yourself. When you’re young you don’t think about sun damage or worse, skin cancer, but they both are very real, and it is so easy to protect yourself from them. There is no excuse with sunscreen in make-up and UV protection in clothing. Start using them now, don’t wait until you have sun spots and crepe skin. 😉

Do you wear sunscreen regularly? Did you lay out with baby oil slathered on you in your teenage years? Do you worry about sun damage, or just soak up all the sun you can get?

I’m linking with Kim and Zenaida for Tuesday topics. Take a minute to visit them as well.

Thanks for reading.

Denise