Don’t feel bad, it happens to everyone. You put on your sunscreen, go out for some fun in the sun, and the next thing you know (which happens to be 8 hours later,) you’re red as a lobster! Or maybe you just plain forget to put on the sunscreen!

Luckily, there are a few good ways to soothe your skin after you get burnt.

Take a Cool Shower

The first thing to do is take a cool shower or bath, especially if you were swimming. You’ll want to get any chlorine or seaweed off of your body. Cool water (as opposed to hot or cold) should feel pretty good; just make sure you set the shower head at a low pressure or the water will sting!

Note that a bath may be even more soothing – it will still clean off any sweat and chlorine, but relaxing in the tub for a while may relieve some pain and bring your skin/body temperature back down.

The Aloe Vera Plant

Step away from the medicine cabinet and step towards your house plants. If you have an aloe vera plant, take a leaf off. Then split that leaf in half, lengthwise, and rub the aloe vera goo onto the sunburn. If it hurts to touch the sunburn, you can simply squeeze the liquid out of the leaf so it drips onto the burn.

That’s the best remedy there is – if you don’t have your own aloe vera plant, get one! (Really, they make great house plants.)

Try Tea Bags

This is a great way to soothe your skin even if you don’t have a sunburn. After making yourself some tea, take the tea bags and rest them on your eyelids. This is about the only safe way to treat sunburn on your eyelids. Patting them around your face works well, too. (Just make sure the tea bags have cooled off and aren’t still scalding hot!)

If you want to soothe a larger area, make a big pot of tea, and once it cools off, soak a washcloth right in the tea. Then you can spread the washcloth across your face, neck, shoulders, etc.

The same healthy antioxidants that make tea work so well from within your body (destroying free radicals) also do wonders on the outside of your body.

Vinegar

Vinegar seems to be an all-purpose potion, doesn’t it? You can cook and clean with it, use it to lose weight, and you can also use it to soothe a sunburn.

Just put some distilled white vinegar on a cotton ball and wipe it on the sunburn. It should soothe the itching and burning.

Skin Lotions

While lotions aren’t as good as pure aloe vera, there are some good options out there that are supposed to work well. (And some people swear by them.)

Aubrey Organics provides two products that should make you feel better: Pure Aloe Vera and After Sun Body & Face Maintenance Moisturizer.

There is also Corn Husker’s Lotion, available at most pharmacies. It’s for dry hands, but it will soothe dry, chapped skin no matter what caused it.

Want hospital-level burn relief? Try BURNAID gel, which contains Melaleuca Oil and provides fast relief while aiding the healing process.

Take an Oatmeal Bath

If you want to soothe your skin even more, take a soothing oatmeal bath.

Start by putting two cups of rolled oats in a blender or food processor, and blend them into a fine powder (i.e. oat flour.) Then just pour the oat flour into a warm bath, mix it in, and then hop in yourself. You should soak in the bath for 30 minutes for maximum effect.

There you have it, six good ways to soothe a painful sunburn. But next time, remember to use your sunscreen!

Without any spectacular results this season, I knew I had to come up with something good for Kinzua. And luckily, the KwikFill Kinzua Classic is nice and hilly, with a mountain top finish.

But it also starts with a steady, two or three mile climb. So what better than to attack like crazy on the first hill, then ride solo for 30 miles to take the win? Nothing… Which is exactly why I planned an attack on that first hill! I even had a couple guys crazy enough to help me make the most of the attack.

Everything seemed perfect on the eve of the big day, and I went to the Kinzua / KwikFill Classic website to get even more pumped up. But when I got there, there was a notice that the course would be reversed due to road construction. What??! Were they going to send us out for 30 miles of hills only to finish off of a long downhill??

Whatever. I still rolled out of bed before 5 AM so I could meet the guys and caravan up to Warren. Not knowing what to expect, I had to strategize for all the possibilities: the normal course, a reversed course with a downhill finish, and a reversed course with an extra climb at the finish.

After all that thought, I came up with a new plan: Just freakin attack whenever we get to a hill. I figured that would at least provide some good times and a good workout.

After more debate and questioning, I overheard some kids talking about the “new” course this year. The course was indeed reversed, but luckily for me and Mike Yankevich, the course still had a nice long climb to the finish. (Mike probably didn’t know this, but I was getting some good training rides in between my beer drinking, junk food eating, and fairgoing times of the past weekend.)

Anyway, we all got warmed-up and gathered at the start at 9 AM for a little racer’s meeting where we went over the new route and the “center line rule.” Unfortunately I was pretty far back off the start line, but I figured things would thin out some on the climb…

Then at 9:10 the buzzer went off and I clipped in… and immediately clipped out as the guy in front of me dropped his chain or something. But then I got into motion on the highway and rolled along over the bridge, waiting to attack on the hill.

But things didn’t go quite as planned. I was ready to deal with the fairly slow first climb by attacking like a madman. But I wasn’t ready to deal with being stuck in the pack as they climbed slowly… So I kept watching for little openings I could squeeze through to get up front, only to get passed by a bunch of riders who disregarded the center line rule.

That pissed me off just a tad, and we were getting closer and closer to the summit, so I had no choice but to skirt up along the yellow line to get up front. Then I noticed someone else already off the front, so I launched my attack and chased him down so I could cross the top as the leader.

He followed me and we worked together for a bit, even losing sight of the pack. But then we hit a long, steep downhill which allowed the pack to swallow us up without a problem.

And that was that. We had a pack of probably 35 people that stayed together for the rest of the 30 miles. I saw a few moves, but there was nothing big enough to do any damage. (Although the people that rode about 5 seconds in front of the pack probably wasted some energy…)

I think it was another kid named David that kept trying to push the pace, only to be left off the front, alone, to fry in the morning sun. No one wanted to go any harder or leave the comfort of the pack, but he kept pushing ahead on his own. More power to him, but Kinzua consists of riding in a big pack until the last climb, where the climbers launch their attacks. I doubt anyone riding the 30 mile citizen race has the legs to successfully do a solo breakaway.

Anyway, back to the race itself…

This course was pretty tough in reverse, because all the gentle downhills turned into steady uphills. And those can take a toll after 25 miles.

Hell, even when we thought we had hit the downhill, we still had a few more short climbs! But alas, we all hung in there and cruised down that long downhill, past the start line, over the bridge, and to the last climb.

It was pretty crazy because everyone was together as we took the sharp left turn at the base of the hill. I was worried because I was probably about 10-15 people off the front. But seconds later, everyone was gone. They must have all cracked at once!

I was feeling pretty good, but not great, so I just kept pace behind Mike Y. Out of nowhere, he was swerving to his left, and I somehow swerved up to his left before I even knew what was going on! Turns out the guy in front of him cracked and stopped dead in the middle of the road!

As I assessed the situation, it looked like there were 9 or 10 of us left up front. We kept climbing at a good pace, and I was sitting between fourth and seventh place as we turned off onto the final part of the final climb. At that point, my legs were begging for mercy, so I just kept hoping that the finish line was right around the corner…

But it wasn’t. We must have had another mile to go at that point. I held on and surveyed the competition. (Well, I glanced at them as they passed me…)

Then, like the light at the end of the tunnel, the finish banner appeared up ahead. Mike Y was duking it out with a guy in a red jersey, but somehow a 95 pound young gun named Chad Swanger nipped them both at the line. I must have been disoriented, because I didn’t really see him up there, and I missed the 15 year old that got in front of me and took fourth by a second, but I did hold off David to capture fifth by a second.

I was pretty happy with the fifth, although I was hoping Mike Y would have taken the overall. He rode a great race and did a lot of work on the front of the pack to keep things moving.

But you can’t change the past, so the only thing left to do was stock up on cookies, bananas, candy, and water at the finish!

Of course, we also waited around for the weird award ceremony to get our awards (i.e. slips of paper.) For some reason they don’t even announce the overall podium, whereas other smaller events in Clearfield and Brockway provide overall awards along with smaller trophies for the top 3 in each and every age group.

Hopefully the money they saved goes towards charity or pays to have the real bathrooms opened up for the 2008 Kinzua Classic.

I might have to write a letter to Kwik Fill and/or Red Apple letting them know that for as much as we spend on gas to get to the event, they should cover the cost of us having access to the real bathrooms!

Overall though, the race was tons of fun and a really good workout with the reversed course!

Want race results?

Or race pictures?

While it’s great to find bib shorts on clearance, it’s a bit risky to order a brand which you’re not familiar with. There is the question of comfort, but the real question is the sizing chart…

See, my bib shorts I just got are a bit small. And I think it has something to do with the discrepancy between Nashbar’s sizing and the true sizing on my bib’s label. I ordered size Medium thinking they were a 30-32 waist, which would be my size (especially because Large was 33-35.) Turns out that Demarchi’s Medium is 28-31, just a wee bit on the small side.

See the pics for proof:

The moral of the story is to take any catalog’s sizing charts with a grain of salt.

However, the good news is that my new shorts do feel great!! I might even order some more of the Demarchi bibs.

Disclaimer: I’m not used to wearing Assos or any expensive bib shorts, so your opinion of these bibs may differ.

With quite a few people switching to all-natural and organic products these days, it might be time for Aubrey Organics to come into the spotlight. According to their site, they “produce 100% Natural Hair Care, Skin Care and Body Care products” and “use all natural ingredients for their shampoos, lotions, moisturizers, soaps and make-up.” Plus, a lot of their stuff is vegan-friendly!

I was first introduced to their sunscreen during the summer of 2006, which was a welcome find after reading about the dangers of the harsh chemicals in typical sunscreens. After a couple summers of testing, I realized it was time to spread the word to my fellow cyclists.

Today we’ll look at two of their sunscreens, an SPF 25 sunscreen for active people and an SPF 25 sunscreen that is great for children (or adults with sensitive skin.)

[Note: My pics are of the older container style. It used to be orange, now it's blue. Who knows what it will be next! Just remember, it's still the same product.]

Ideal for active lifestyles

This is their high-performance sunscreen custom-made for swimmers, boaters, hikers, and other outdoor enthusiasts. I would say it’s a great sunscreen for cyclists then!

When you put this stuff on, it’s solid white. And it’s thick. Then you rub it in and it still leaves a bit of a whitish tint on your skin. That doesn’t really matter though, because the point is to protect your skin! Plus, you’re riding your bike, not competing in a beauty pageant!

Here are before and after pictures of applying it to my leg. The “after” shot looks pretty normal; the sun has to hit just right to really notice the white tint.

I think it’s the titanium dioxide, a mineral that deflects burning rays off your skin, that causes the residue. But if it deflects burning rays, I’ll gladly take the residue!

Ever see that study that said wearing sunscreen will keep your body 20% cooler than if you’re not wearing sunscreen? I never really paid attention to that until I got this stuff. Maybe it’s a mental thing, but I think I do stay cooler when this stuff is reflecting the sun off my body. (It’s just like driving a white car instead of a black one.)

Other ingredients include white camellia, organic shea butter, and jojoba oil, all of which keep your skin well-nourised and moisturized while you’re out there braving the heat and wind.

I’m surprised at how well this sunscreen stays put. I can go ride for hours in 90 degree heat and sweat like crazy, but when I’m done, I can still feel (and see) the sunscreen. I even have to wash it off in the shower after a ride – it’s that strong! If your normal sunscreen washes away when you sweat, consider trying this stuff.

Even better, your skin feels refreshed after using this stuff!

But maybe you need something less sporty, even more soothing, and gentle? Then take a look at this…

Ideal for children

This is a sunscreen that still provides an SPF of 25, but it’s made with green tea and other soothing ingredients instead of harsh chemicals. It’s ideal for children or adults with sensitive skin.

This stuff is more of a beige color and it rubs into your skin a little better. It still works well in bright sun, but it’s probably better for casual situations. It might leave a bit more residue than your typical sunscreen, but if you rub it in, it’s not even noticeable.

Just be careful when you’re putting it on your arms, though. If you glob either sunscreen onto your hair, it will stick there for a while!

You might want to rub it on your hands and then spread it on your arms.

Also, remember to shake the bottle before you use it. Since it’s full of organic, natural ingredients, it doesn’t stay together as nicely as the normal stuff.

Both varieties run about $8.50 for a 4 oz bottle. That’s more expensive than Coppertone Sport sunblock, but it’s still cheaper than some Neutrogena and Bullfrog lotions.

My final verdict is…

This stuff is amazing! It’s the only sunscreen I trust, and it never lets me down on long rides.

If you’re out in the saddle in the hot sun, definitely get some of the “active lifestyles” sunscreen. And if you have sensitive skin, try the “green tea” variety.

You can see more at: The Aubrey Organics website.

P.S. I have yet to do a video review of these products, but that’s OK, because the Naturally Savvy girls already took care of that, and did a great job:

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[Click here if you would like to get your product reviewed on CoachLevi.com.]

Every year, just before summer begins, newspapers and magazines are filled with articles reminding you to use sunblock or risk getting skin cancer.

The advice is always the same – avoid going out in the sun at peak times, and always wear sunblock with a high SPF. If you don’t, you’ll get skin cancer!

At the same time, there are plenty of alternative news stations which delve further into the sun exposure debate. It turns out it’s not as simple as “wear sunblock, stay healthy.”

In this article, I will go through both sides of the debate and give you my advice for dealing with the sun and avoiding sunburns.

Use Sunscreen?

First of all, the “mainstream” opinion is that you must wear sunscreen any time you’ll be out in the sun. That’s because getting a sunburn can greatly increase your risk for skin cancer (and they do indeed have studies to prove that.)

Sunscreen is also supposed to increase your athletic performance. Without sunscreen, your body absorbs almost all of the sun’s rays. By blocking some of the sun’s rays, sunscreen keeps your skin cooler, which is supposed to keep your body up to 20% cooler than if you weren’t wearing sunscreen. If you’re cooler, you’ll perform noticeably better. (The study that showed this was mentioned in Bicycling Magazine at least once, although I’m not positive about the original source.)

Don’t Use Sunscreen?

However, the mainstream media outlets don’t mention the dangers of the sunscreens themselves or the importance of sun exposure for a healthy and happy life. Luckily I had a smart health teacher who told me the whole story. (I also researched the issue online and got some insight from a man named Dr. Joseph Mercola.)

Sunscreens today are typically composed of dangerous chemicals that you wouldn’t want to put on your skin if you really knew what they were. Some of the ingredients are suspected to be carcinogens. In other words, sunscreen itself may lead to cancer and disease, which is what it is supposed to prevent!

Plus, the sun doesn’t deserve this bad reputation. It provides us with Vitamin D (an essential vitamin) and other health benefits such as fighting depression and protection against several types of cancer. Not to mention that the sun is the only natural source for Vitamin D!

A big problem is that sunblock with an SPF higher than 8 will block the UV rays necessary to make Vitamin D. So if you want your Vitamin D, you’ll need to brave the sun unprotected. (That’s another study I read about in Bicycling Magazine.)

As you can see, regular sun exposure is very important. But as with some other substances, you need to get it in moderation. It’s not actually sun exposure that leads to skin cancer, it’s sunburn. If you avoid getting burnt, you can still enjoy the sun and reduce your risk of skin cancer.

What’s the real deal then?

The key to getting the health benefits of sun exposure without risking skin cancer is to start slow. Play in the sun for a few minutes at a time, and gradually work your way up. It’s good if you start to tan slightly, because the added melanin offers increased protection for future sun exposure. In other words, a sun tan will help protect you from getting a sun burn.

But what if you don’t have a tan yet or you’ll be out in the sun A LOT during the peak hours of 10 AM and 2 PM?

In that case, which is pretty common for us cyclists, you need to lather on the sunblock. However, you don’t need to use sunblock that is full of harsh chemicals. I was lucky enough to find a natural/organic sunscreen from Aubrey Organics, and I’m very happy with it.

Now, if you want to trust the big corporations and their snazzy TV commercials and the doctors that get special “perks” for prescribing certain drugs, that’s your right. But if you want to live healthier and happier, think twice about that sunscreen full of harsh chemicals.

Photo credit: Zanastardust