5-25: We are not people of the sun

My body has never accepted the sun. Ever since I can remember as a kid I've been burned, had blisters, sun poisoning. . .the list goes on. I have learned from this and have embraced Coppertone Sport SPF 50 which cuts down significantly on the burning and blistering. I also have a really dorky hat I wear to keep the sun off my head and neck. My body, however, has manifested its dislike of the sun in other even less desirable ways. This is how it goes: First I'm in the sun a lot, then I get a little pink despite the SPF 50, then I start to get a little itchy rash, then I might not feel so great with an upset stomach, the rash might spread, then I break out in huge red itchy hives all over my feet, legs and (if it's really bad) arms. This has happened twice before - both during my training for The Breast Cancer 3-Day 60-mile walk when I was spending hours in the hot sun walking. I've taken prescription drugs, Benedryl, Tylenol, and found there's only one cure - stay out of the sun.

I currently find myself spending hours in the 85ºF + hot sun biking and walking. I also have been noticing the warning signs that hives might be here soon. This, combined with the fact that yesterday afternoon my children practically melted on the way to the bus stop is causing me to reduce my bike/bus/walk time. . .ugh, and increase my car usage. I'm really not much of a complainer, but we all have our limits and I'm pushing mine.

So, here's another possibility for the 21-days: It takes 21 days to totally wear yourself out.

As the weather forecast predicts temperatures in the upper 80's for the next few days, we're just going to take it one commute at a time. We managed not too badly for drop-off today but I've all ready decided I'm taking the car this afternoon during the hottest part of the day. As usual I'm going to try to walk that fine line between making it okay and breaking out in hives. A little rain shower in the forties sounds pretty good right now!