At 54 I lack the glorious hair I had at 34, so the hat is necessary.

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All I Wanted Was A Pepsi, Just One Pepsi

Team Zoot, Team Zoot Mid-Atlantic

I always wear a hat, sunscreen and especially sunglasses, yes even when its cloudy. From the Mayo clinic:

"Protect yourself from UV rays and your eyes will thank you! "Ultraviolet light can hasten the formation of cataracts," explains Dr. Jain, "even in younger patients." To reduce your exposure, wear a wide brimmed hat when spending time outdoors and always keep sunglasses with UVA/UVB protection close at hand in any season."

Since most of my training is outdoors I'm concerned about the long term effects of UV exposure. A warm hat and dirty glasses is small price to pay for me..... But to each their own.

^ This +1

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21617534

Excerpt:

"However, exposure to the intense ambient radiation can pose a hazard particularly if the recipient is over 40 years of age. This radiation exposure can lead to impaired vision and transient or permanent blindness.Both ultraviolet-A (UV-A) and UV-B induce cataract formation and are not necessary for sight. Ultraviolet radiation is also a risk factor for damage to the retinas of children.

The removal of these wavelengths from ocular exposure will greatly reduce the risk of early cataract and retinal damage. One way this may be easily done is by wearing sunglasses that block wavelengths below 400 nm (marked 400 on the glasses). However, because of the geometry of the eye, these glasses must be wraparound sunglasses to prevent reflective UV radiation from reaching the eye.

Additional protection may be offered by contact lenses that absorb significant amounts of UV radiation.In addition to UV radiation, short blue visible light (400-440 nm) is a risk factor for the adult human retina. This wavelength of light is not essential for sight and not necessary for a circadian rhythm response. For those over 50 years old, it would be of value to remove these wavelengths of light with specially designed sunglasses or contact lenses to reduce the risk of age-related macular degeneration."

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Cheers, Neal

+1 mph Faster

Because the sun.

Sunglasses on the run allow you to check out the hotties that run by with a significantly reduced creep factor.

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Take a short break from ST and read my blog:
http://tri-banter.blogspot.com/

Haven´t done an IM yet, but from my marathon running days I can tell you visible light is only a fraction of the spectrum of rays emitted by the sun, you also have UV light, just because you can´t see it doesn´t mean it isn´t there. Lacking the natural protection afforded by the hair on my scalp I got sunburned more than once on overcast days, so a hat is a must for me. As for the sunglasses, you don´t need to wear the darkest shade there is, you can wear a lighter color which will allow you to see clearly and still get protection from UV light and bugs.

I have found that as I get older I sweat like mad and the sweat gets in my eyes and I end up running around with one eye closed and I look like a dork. I'd wear a headband but that makes me look like a dork too (take that John Mcenroe. So I wear a hat.

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They constantly try to escape from the darkness outside and within
Dreaming of systems so perfect that no one will need to be good T.S. Eliot

I did ironman cairns in 2014. It was raining lightly, and really overcast and I made a spur of the moment decision not to wear my hat. My head got burnt.

Fashion innit

18-20C steams the Nordic people. Dont hate on us.

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Endurance coach | Physiotherapist (primary care) | Bikefitter | Swede

Lol
The reason I was watching the coverage is I'm going to sign up for 2018. I'm from the UK, so 18C and rain is the summer conditions I'm used to. If the temp could drop to about 6C for the run it would be perfect. :-)
I was in Copenhagen last year watching the race and it was 24C? Ish and sunny. That's a heat wave.

Thanks for the link to the Rio photo. That's the first time I've seen Africans wearing hats. Interesting..

Don't know if anyone has given this reason, but for me its simple. I always run with a hat. It would now feel weird if I don't. So I always do.

I don't wear hats, sometimes a visor depending on the sun/heat situation since I'm a monster sweater. I wear glasses if its sunny out... I just like to wear sunglasses when the sun is out.

Had an eye doctor tell me once that it was best to protect your eyes while out in the sun... can't argue with a doctor... that should a light hue of pink. He is an eye doctor and DID say that though.

The real reason most wear a hat is called.............

Finisher Pix

Sun. Sunburned eyes suck royally. Hat keeps some sun off the rest of the face and helps keep the sweat out of my eyes.

On a rainy day I will still wear a hat and often my sunglasses, since it helps keep the rain out of the eyes, and since my hat does not hold much moisture it does not feel like it is weighting me down.

There is only one good answer. I'm too ugly to be in public without cover up.