Scorch the Mile, Not Your Skin: Sun Protection Tips for Runners

WHEN the weather turns warmer, I just want to lace up my shoes, pop on my headphones, and run run run to some awesome, uplifting, hard-charging summer songs. You know those summer songs: the ones that come around this time every year, are super catchy, and you just can't hear them enough (until you reach that point where, yes, you actually ARE sick of "Call Me Maybe" for the thousandth time, thank you). If it's got a beat, I'm moving my feet. 

There is something any runner should do, however, before heading out to add a little shimmy to your stride under the summer sun: Slather on that sunscreen, brothers and sisters, because studies show runners have a greater risk of developing problems that stem from sun exposure. 

According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, a study by dermatologists at the Medical University of Graz in Austria revealed marathoners have a greater risk of developing melanoma than non-distance runners. Melanoma is the most dangerous form of skin cancer, and develops in the cells (melanocytes) that produce melanin — the pigment that gives your skin its color. The Mayo Clinic notes that incidences of melanoma seem to be on the rise in people under 40. However, reducing your exposure to UV rays can help reduce the risk of developing melanoma.

Practice good sun safety to keep you on your feet.

The lead researcher in the Graz study noted the most obvious reason for marathon runners' increased risk was excessive exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays. Nearly all of the 420 runners in the study regularly wore shorts and short-sleeved or sleeveless shirts,exposing  their legs, arms, and upper back to the sun. Only 56 percent of the runners regularly used sunscreen. A less-obvious reason for runners' higher risk involved their lowered immunity that develops with all the high-intensity exercise. Researchers say this may have left them more vulnerable to skin damage. 

If melanoma is recognized and treated early, it is almost always curable, but if it is not, the cancer can advance and spread to other parts of the body, where it becomes hard to treat and can be fatal, according to the Skin Cancer Foundation.

Give me sand, give me sun, give me miles of beach to run.

I'm not citing these facts to scare you, really. I LOVE being in the sun as much, if not more, than the next person. I'm an August child of summer -- a beach baby. I've also had more than five suspicious moles cut off me by my dermatologist. While none of them turned out to be cancerous, I do now have scars and it did slow down my exercise time, as I had to heal from the stitches. I don't even fall into many of the "greater risk" categories that Mayo Clinic cites: I'm neither fair, light-eyed, blonde, or freckled; I don't have a family history of melanoma, and I don't live close to the equator or at a higher elevation (I have to drive to find a  hill, remember?). I DO have a lot of exposure to UV radiation and I DO have many moles (holy moly moly moly). But it's the sun exposure that is the biggest factor here for us, runner friends.

Concentrate on scorching that mile AND not getting scorched.

So, what can you do? I mean it's getting to be summer: it's HOT out there. Running in the least amount of clothing possible is generally the most comfortable way to make it through your miles. 

Here is what the Skin Cancer Foundation recommends that distance runners do to protect themselves: 

• Run during hours when the sun is less intense. Generally it is strongest between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. If you train during those hours, find shady places to run.
• Put sunscreen on before your running outfit, not at the race/training site. This will give it time to soak in, and keep you from applying it less thoroughly or forgetting it altogether because of pre-race excitement. Use an SPF 15 or higher sunscreen. Look for stick formulations, sport, or water-resistant versions.
• Run in a hat and UV-blocking sunglasses. Polarized lenses help beat the glare.
• Always keep sunscreen in your race bag.
• Have a friend posted somewhere in the second half of the race to hand you a small, one-use, wipe sunscreen (or keep a small packet in your pocket), so that you can reapply it to your face, neck and arms as you run. You can do that without really breaking stride. Sunscreen starts to lose effectiveness at about the two-hour mark, or even sooner if you are sweating heavily. Sunscreen is the best protection for shorter runs, while sunscreen plus sun-protective clothing is the best bet for a long run. 
• Before post-race festivities begin, reapply sunscreen, and give yourself a quick massage in the process to help relax your sore muscles.
• Post-race clothes should include a lightweight but long-sleeve T-shirt and sweats. Darker colors offer ideal sun protection. Or opt for special sun-protective clothing. Also, when choosing the clothes you'll be wearing, both during and after the run, check out the weave of the fabric as well. If you can see through it, it's not likely to offer you much in the way of protection.

So, it is possible to run in the sun and reduce your risk of overexposure to the sun's harmful rays. Just practice some common sense skin safety to prevent your "Soak Up the Sun" from turning into "Burn Baby Burn" on your summer running playlist. 

Be kind to yourself. Be kind to each other.  -- V