High-tech sunglasses

As many readers may know, I'm competing in the The Joe's Team sprint triathlon this summer to raise money for the head and neck translational research program at The Princess Margaret Hospi tal.

I've come to realize that doing three sports in the span of only a few hours necessitates a lot of gear. And as much as I've tried to get by with borrowed stuff, good quality sport gear would make my life a lot easier. It's the small things that can really cramp your training style.

For instance, have you ever tried to bike or run in the rain while wearing fashionable sunglasses? They are great for shielding eyes from UVA/UVB but my oversized Marc Jacobs pair, though cute and stylish, were definitely not made for any sort of hardcore exercise. Raindrops stick to the lenses and blur my vision, they slide all over my face and they fog up if I start to overheat, making running or biking in them a bit of a challenge.

So when I saw the selection of Oakley glasses for this season I realized I needed to amp up my gear.

Not only are they stylish but many of them use high definition optics technology which provides good quality combined with UV protection. They also provide impact protection' something I hadn't even considered when choosing a pair. 

They have Plutonite lens material made from polycarbonate that's lightweight and 50 times stronger than most other lens material without being thick or heavy. They are even supposed to be shatterproof. Think about going on a bike ride and hitting debris ' it could lead to disaster. But that's why a helmet (to protect your precious head) and a good pair of glasses (to shield your eyes) cannot be done without.

They're hydrophobic as well, treated with a coating to help oil, dust and water to bead and flow right off the lense so running or walking in the rain or snow will no longer be a blinding problem.

Enduring Damson with Red Iridium Polarized, $335.

And finally, many of their lenses are polarized, absorbing 98 percent of the glare off of snow, ice, water, sand etc. But they aren't the way you think of polarized lenses from the 80's ' these have an anti-reflective coating that further reduces fogging, glare and strain on your eyes.

Check out www.oakley.ca or call 1-800-448-9714 for more info.

- Kate Daley