Shady Rays for Sunny Days

“Disclaimer: I received Shady Rays X Series Sunglasses as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review find and write race reviews!”

Over the past year or so, I've been trying much harder to improving my health and running in small ways. One of these ways is to make sure that I am wearing sunglasses while running during the day, which frankly, most of my runs are. UV rays can cause just as much, if not more damage to your eyes as it does to your skin. And while it is not as evident as say a sunburn, you are more likely to develop cataracts and blurred vision later in life due to high levels of UV exposure. This is even more so in people with light colored eyes like I have. 

Enter the amazing opportunity to try out via BibRave Shady Rays X Series. Shady Rays are polarized, offer 100% UV protection are shatter-resistant and salt water proof plus come in a handy micofiber cleaning pouch. The X Series has a wrap around frame style and grips to keep the frames from slipping. They are made especially for running, hiking and climbing, water-sports, and other high impact activities.

So how do they perform? Well, personally, I love them. I have accumulated several pairs of what I would consider higher end sport sunglasses over the years and my Shady Rays are the pair that I keep going back to time and time again (seriously, if you follow me on Strava, every single picture I post practically has me in my Shady Rays). My biggest reason is I have a bit of a smaller head and nothing is more frustrating to me than to have to be constantly pushing up your glasses, especially while running. Even when completely covered in sweat from a hot, humid 90 degree SC afternoon run, THEY DON'T BUDGE! (Click here for the demo). 

They are seriously awesome and look and feel great to wear. Let's put it this way, after testing them, my husband made me get him a pair as well. 

A few fun facts about Shady Rays: 

• You can also have custom Rx glasses made
• They offer a Lifetime Craftsmanship Warranty and Free Replacements if they are lost or broken.
• They provide 10 meals to fight hunger through the Feeding America organization with each order placed.
• The have a VIP program where you can earn points for rewards like gift cards.

And... if all this sounds awesome to you, I have a great deal to share with you. When you place an order on the Shady Rays Shade Shop, checkout using code "RAVE" and you will receive 50% off orders of 2 or more pairs! 

So give Shady Rays a look for yourself. You can follow them on their socials here:

Facebook

Twitter

Instagram

Some Like It Hot

It's getting a bit warm out

I grew up at the beach (Myrtle Beach to be specific) so I am no stranger to heat and especially humidity. So while I am still not a huge fan of running in extreme humidity, I'm no stranger to it, so it doesn't bother me quite as much as some of my local running friends. 

And while I could take the Summer months off (especially this year with no significant races on the horizon) I choose to keep up my mileage despite the 90+ degrees and 90+ percent humidity. The selfish reasoning for this is that as I've said before, Summer Running Makes Fall Races. If I can keep my pace and distances up in while it feels like I am running through hot soup, then when cooler temps and lower humidity hit, I feel like I am flying. And this Fall I am shooting for my first ever sub-2:00 Half at the Rock n Roll Savannah Half Marathon* the first week of November, so I will keep pushing all Summer long. 

But just because Summer Running is hard doesn't mean it has to be miserable. I've compiled a few of my favorite Hot Weather Running Tips for rocking your Summer Runs.

1. HYDRATE - Perhaps the number 1 rule of Summer Running is to make sure that you are hydrating. And just water may not cut it depending on the distance, heat, humidity levels. Typically, I will drink an electrolyte prior to my run if I am running late in the day, drink water during my run, and then more electrolyte drink post run. I've tried several types of hydration and think I've found my favorite recently in Ultima Replenisher. It is made with  6 balanced electrolytes plus support minerals, real fruit flavors, plant-based colors, sweetened naturally with organic stevia leaf extract and no sugar, carbs or calories. I will be doing a comprehensive review of Ultima soon.
   
   
2. TAKE IT EASY - When it gets hot and humid, it gets harder to run. This is fact. You will put in more effort on your same runs in the heat, especially in the hottest parts of the day, so take it a bit easier. Try running by feel rather than by setting pace goals and be sure to give yourself a break if your times aren't what you think they should be. Try checking out this handy calculator for adjusting your pace for higher temps - https://runnersconnect.net/training/tools/temperature-calculator/
   
   
3. PROTECT YOURSELF - Sun screen and Sunglasses and Hats/Visors are a MUST for summer running. Actually, these are a must year-round, but they are especially important in the summer. I'll be the first to admit that I am bad about the sunscreen, need to do better, but I never run without my Shady Rays X Series Shades these days. Love them! Polarized and wrap around for more coverage - you'll hear more about these soon.
   
4. GET SHADY - Seek shade where you can. If you have access to a treadmill, great! When it gets super hot out, use that instead. For those of us without treadmill access, seek out shadier routes. I have a favorite route along the Catawba River that has a lot of shady tree cover and will seek that out on super hot/sunny days.
   
   
5. DRESS FOR SUCCESS - Lighter clothing and moisture wicking fabrics are your friend in the Summer months. Ditch the cotton shirts and socks (well, ditch those any time of the year really) and look for performance fabrics that are breathable and designed for running in hotter conditions.
   
   
6. BE SMART - Most importantly, be smart about your Summer Running and pay attention to how you are feeling. Any signs of distress like dizziness, nausea, disorientation, sudden headache and so on) could be a sign of heat stroke and you should end your run immediately. No one run (or even week of running) will break your goals so if conditions are just too extreme, it's better to be safe than sorry. 

Did I miss a tip? Let me know in the comments. And have a safe and fun Summer so you can kill those Fall races! 

Interested in joining me at the Rock n Roll Savannah Race Weekend, Nov 2-3? I've got some awesome discount codes to share - use  code “19RNRBRP16” for $16 off the Half Marathon and Marathon distances and “19RNRBRP6” for $6 off the 5K and 1 miler. I'll be running both the Half and the 5K!

Want to try the electrolyte drink I mentioned above, Ultima Replenisher? Use code “ULBRAVE19" for 10% off at the amazon.com/shops/ultimareplenisher storefront.

And if you are interested in a pair of Shady Rays like mine, use code “RAVE” for 50% off 2 or more pairs from the Shade Shop - https://shadyrays.com/collections/shade-shop

Sunglasses Review: Keeping it Shady

“Disclaimer: I received Shady Rays Signature Series Sunglasses as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review find and write race reviews!”

Me, squinting while running, as usual... 

Traditionally, I have not been a sunglasses wearer when I run. I know I should to protect my eyes, but I typically rely on a hat or a visor rim to do the shading for me, but over the past year or so, I've made it priority to start rocking shades instead as I feel this helps way more to block out harmful UV rays.

Queue the montage of me trying out several different brands, shapes and styles of sunglasses only to be fairly disappointed with the fit. My main issue has been slippage. Running is a fairly bouncy activity. Add to that a sweaty face and that is a recipe for pushing up your sunglasses every few minutes, an activity that drives me completely bonkers! I've had glasses that I took off and pocketed after a half mile due to having to constantly push up. I'd rather squint that constantly adjust and readjust glasses like that.

Enter the amazing opportunity to try out via BibRave a new-to-me-brand, Shady Rays. First off, Shady Rays, according to their website, are polarized, offer 100% UV protection are shatter-resistant and salt water proof. Sound good so far. Plus they come in lots and lots of amazing color combination options - seriously, I had my daughter pick out mine since I just could not decide (she picked Black Emerald Polarized and I must say, they are super cute). Plus they came in a handy micofiber cleaning pouch. But how do they perform in action...

Deciding to either go big or go home, I took them out for an ultimate test. I ran a 5 mile progression run at 5:30 pm when the temperature was 91 degrees and humidity well into 60%. It was an absolute scorcher. Sweat was POURING off me after. But did my Shady Rays slip? NOPE! I even attempted the unthinkable with other glasses I'd tried... I tried shaking them off, still covered and sweat and THEY DIDN'T BUDGE! (Click here for the demo). 

So yay! The ultimate search for the ultimate sunglasses has come to an end finally. I've worn them for more than a dozen runs now and am as happy with them as I was the first. I've also worn them to the beach, the pool and the water park and they are just awesome. The only problem that I have had with my Shady Rays is that my husband has decided that he like them too and frequently steals them from me! On our beach vacation last weekend, he wore them as often, if not more, than I did! 

A few fun facts about Shady Rays: 

• You can also have custom Rx glasses made
• They offer a Lifetime Craftsmanship Warranty and Free Replacements if they are lost or broken.
• They provide 11 meals to fight hunger through the Feeding America organization with each order placed.
• The have a VIP program where you can earn points for rewards like gift cards.

And... if all this sounds awesome to you, I have a great deal to share with you. When you place an order on the Shady Rays website, checkout using code "BIBRAVE" and you will receive 50% off orders of 2 or more pairs! 

So give Shady Rays a look for yourself. You can follow them on their socials here:

Facebook

Twitter

Instagram