Do You Need Sunglasses For Running?
I wear sunglasses almost every time I run. I leave them at home only on very cloudy days or when I am running at dusk or dawn.
I wear sunglasses when I run for a number of reasons:
- They keep me from squinting in bright light, which leads to tension in my head, neck, and shoulders
- They help me see the surface of the road more clearly and avoid stepping in holes
- They keep out UV rays which could lead to long term eye damage
- They prevent dust and bugs from getting into my eyes
I was running the other day next to a cemetery. A worker was using a weedwacker to trim the grass around the fence near the road. Just as I approached him, the weedwacker threw up a small pebble that hit me in the front tooth. I wasn’t injured, but it could have easily hit me in the eye.
I currently wear a pair of Nike Siege sunglasses with reddish Max Speed Tint lenses that I’ve had for a number of years. I used to run with a pair of Nike Tarj sunglasses, but I found that they tended to fog up too easily.
If you are looking for a pair of running sunglasses, here are some things to look for:
- Make sure that the lenses are well ventilated to minimize fogging
- Make sure that they have a non-slip rubber nose piece, so they won’t slide down your nose when you sweat
- Get sunglasses with replaceable lenses, in case you damage them or if you want to switch to a different color lens
- Make sure that they block 100% of both UVA and UVB rays
Currently, the most popular brand of sunglasses for running is Tifosi. They make very good sunglasses in the $50-60 range, considerably less than Nike sunglasses. Tifosi also has a very nice High Speed Red Fototec lens that changes from light to dark very quickly, as conditions change.
Do you wear sunglasses when you run? What brands and lens do you like? Tell me in the comments.
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