I can’t wait to be old and wrinkly…said nobody ever!! Well, thanks to a childhood spent basking in the ozone sparse rays of the South African sun, and adulthood in winter-less California, I am pretty much screwed! Haha. Unfortunately I waited until I turned 29 to really start worrying about this stuff, but as my Mom always says…better late than never.

As athletes we are in the sun a LOT, and for long periods of time. Whether it be cycling for hours on end, or swims followed by long runs…our sun exposure is definitely higher than your average human. To help minimize the amount of damage that I am doing to my skin, and without giving up the activities I love, I have come up with a few tactics to keep me well preserved (fingers crossed).

My Head to Toe Sun Protection Tips:

1. Trucker Hat Collection –  These have become my favorite way to shade my face while running. I used to wear visors but they generally don’t have as big of a brim as truckers do…plus these look way cooler 😉
2. Layer on That Sunscreen – I have no idea if this works better than just one layer, but it definitely can’t hurt, right? I use Aveno Smart Essentials lotion (here) on my face for everyday because it has an SPF 30, or I use Neutrogena Ultra Sheer with SPF 70 (here) if I know I will be outside in the sun, then I layer on a tinted moisturizer or CC cream with SPF 50. My favorites (here) & (here).
3. High Necks – One of the places I have done the most damage to my skin is on my chest! I have a ton of sun spots from repeatedly sunburning that area. So now I try to always wear a t-shirt or tank that covers it. I will even run in a really thin long sleeve top during summer if I know I am going to be out in the midday heat for a few hours.
4. Arm Sleeves – In summer I always wear arm coolers when I am cycling. They keep me cool but also prevent me from getting an awesome farmers tan. REI currently has some fun ones on sale (here)
5. Waterproof Sunscreen – Despite the copious amounts of sunscreen I lather on before swimming, I still end up with raccoon eyes and a swim cap tan line! And thats in Winter. So far all I have figured out is that the lotions work better than the sprays. Come the Summer months I may be a total granny and where a long sleeve rash guard to swim in 😉 Night swims like we had tonight are a good option as well.

A quick apology to all of you out there in freezing temperatures that are probably hating my guts right now 🙂 but on the bright side you will have much nicer skin after 4 – 6 months of cold winter weather.

What do you do to protect yourself from the sun?

Got any favorite products or tips to get rid of sun damage?