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| The photo shoot that introduced me to Sunwise... |
For as long as I can remember, I have worn sunglasses when I
run.
Be it training or be it racing, I
can normally be seen hiding behind my trusty Sunwise Sunglasses.
I haven’t always worn Sunwise sunglasses. For a number of years, one of my most prized
possessions in the world was my Oakley Radar Path sunglasses. I “won” them courtesy of doing rather well in
a race and receiving vouchers for Alton Sports.
Being a member of the fantastic club that is Winchester and District
Athletics Club (WADAC) the very kind people at Alton Sports also gave me a fantastic
discount, which enabled me to purchase a pair of Oakley’s without taking out a
mini bank loan…..
For years my Oakley Radar Path accompanied me on almost every
run, either upon my face or on the top of my head (if I was running in the
pouring rain or in darkness). I expected
to spend the rest of my life with Oakley, and had even set my sights on a
gorgeous pair of blue Radar Paths, to compliment my Great Britain &
Scotland kit – and also match Kez’s blue collar and harness…..
And then I was seduced by the wonders of Sunwise….
I had been asked to do a photo shoot for Runners World to
complement an article that had been written about my ankle and how I had refused
to give up when I was told that I would never run again. The photo was also to feature the dogs as my training
partners.
Tony Aries at Sunwise offered to send me some sunglasses for
the photo, which I was delighted to accept.
I was very happy to promote a British company, raise their profile and
provide further opportunities for them in a rapidly expanding market. Thanks to their generosity, I received a pair
of Sunwise Crusader, and a pair of Sunwise Waterloo. I chose to wear the Crusader model for the
photo shoot, as they were blue!
I fully expected to wear the sunglasses for the photo and
then return to my Oakley’s for the business of running….
That never happened and four years later, Sunwise sunglasses
have become another one of my running friends.
So why am I such a fan of Sunwise? What makes them so special?
There are a number of reasons, in no order of preference:
1.
Sunwise are British, just like me…
2.
They have a huge and diverse range with frame
styles to suit all face shapes and personal preferences
3.
The quality of their lenses and frames is very
good, and exceptionally good value for money
4.
Prompt and efficient customer service
5.
Many models have interchangeable lenses
providing options for whatever the British weather/ sun throws at us…
6.
Their frames are smaller and more comfortable
than some brands I have worn – also more flattering if you are style conscious….
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| Odyssey Black in action |
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| Odyssey Gold - a very special event |
My favourite model is the Odyssey, which is similar
in style to the Twister. I normally wear the Odyssey Black for
racing, but wore a very special pair of Odyssey Gold when I ran
with the Olympic Flame. The frame of the
Odyssey sits comfortably on my cheek bones, allowing just enough air flow to
prevent the lenses from misting. They
also sit tightly on my head during the times when I don’t need the protection
of sunglasses or if I am trying to prevent excessive “panda eye” syndrome
during a very long run in the sun. There
was even this one time, at the start of a marathon, when someone very kindly
remarked that I “looked hot” when I wore my Odyssey Black, so they must have
magical qualities too… ;-)
Although I wear all models
running, I tend to wear the Waterloo Silver mostly
when I am driving or walking around trying to pretend that I am cool. I love the lenses on the Waterloo as it feels
like there is nothing between my eyes and the open sun, no obvious tint or
shading. Crystal clear vision, with
perfect protection! I do find that the
Waterloos don’t stay on the top of my head as well as the Odyssey and Twister,
but this has never caused me any problems – if I take them off when running I
will either pop them in one of my pockets or carry them.
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| Having fun with Waterloo Silver |
I love the freedom that comes
with wearing sunglasses. You can tell so
much from a person by looking at their eyes, how they are feeling etc. I don’t always want people to know where I am
emotionally when I am racing. I may be
in pain, I may be grumpy or I may just be in another world… When I am running and wearing sunglasses I can
go into my own little world but still be fully conscious of the outside world
all around me.
Wearing sunglasses also helped me
overcome some of the paranoia about my eyes, resulting from a childhood of
hurtful words from bullying kids, to ignorant to understand the pain that their
horrid words caused. It no longer matters what they said, that was then, this is now J
Another huge advantage when wearing sunglasses.... I don’t have to worry about those black bags under my eyes as a result of never getting
enough sleep!
You can find out more about Sunwise here all about Sunwise
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| No, it wasn't Kobi that said I "looked hot"... |
(photos courtesy of Runner's World & Ian J Berry)
