Joy of Sunscreen

Triathletes love to train in the heat. We run at 12 noon to acclimatize our bodies in running in the heat. We bike from 6 am to 5 pm to increase our cycling endurance. We swim for hours in the pool or beach to train for the massive swim start.

Marathoners and Ultramarathoners also heat train. It takes about 2 weeks for the body to adjust to the high environmental temperature during exercise or running. We become more prone to electrolyte imbalance, heat stroke and dehydration when we exercise at extremely high temperatures.

To avoid these disastrous events, we take in more water and electrolytes and do simulation runs to adjust to the heat.

When exposed in the sun, we forget to take care of our skin. Endurance athletes are prone to sunburn during training. Frequent sun exposure may also cause premature aging and skin cancer.

I have used many brands of sunscreen since I started endurance training. It didn’t matter to me if they were Spf 15 or 60 as long as I was using sun screen to help protect my skin. I have to admit that I didn’t like wearing them but had to. They felt sticky and uncomfortable after application. Some even caused mild skin allergies.

During the last COBRA Ironman 70.3 Philippines, One of our team sponsors, Belo Medical group, provided us sunscreens to help prevent sunburn and protect our skin. The Belo Essentials Sun Expert Sunblock was given to team members and have been using them ever since.

This sunscreen lotion was unlike any other brand. They do not feel sticky at all. It was like water being applied to the skin. It comes in two preparations. The BODY lotion is spf 60 while the FACIAL lotion is Spf 40 and non-comedogenic (non-pimple causing). After one application, riding hard for 2 hours at 11am, my skin didn’t feel burned or irritated and all I got was a great-looking dark tan line.

Try it and experience the joy of sunscreen.