Discussion: Running with glasses

Hi everyone,

My mom has to run with her glasses now that she can't wear her contacts anymore and they keep fogging up. I don't wear glasses so I can't help her, but I figure there is enough wisdom on attackpoint to get some good advice. What should she do?

Thanks for your help!

Possibilities: 1) run with glasses perched a little further down nose to minimise fogging. This may mean she will need to get a different magnification etc because of where they sit relative to her eyes. OR 2) get hold of a product used in underwater diving (we call it Seadrops here) which is used to stop fogging up of facemasks when diving. 3) depending on her eyesight perhaps get 1/2 glasses - with just the magnification for map reading.
Initially I used the third alternative as I was having trouble with maps with lots of rock detail. But then I found security in having full eye protection so I got a pair of industrial safety glasses with just the focus section to my magnification and the rest just plain. My partner uses Seadrops - he runs faster and more than me and he uses safety glasses even in urban area running.

If it looks like rain or conditions where fogging may become an issue I leave my glasses in the car. While not brilliant, my vision is just adequate for both mapreading and being able to see where my feet are landing, although it's difficult to spot flags. If it happens to be a major event, too bad. If the conditions arrive after I've started I take the glasses off and carry them - once again performance is affected so hope it's not a major event.

I've used various anti-fogging waxes with absolutely no success, but not the brand mentioned above - will see if I can get hold of some but don't hold out much hope that it will work for me.

I am not sure this would work fog but, with a head band that keeps the sweat from dripping onto the glasses could help.

There is little glasses wearers can do in rainy conditions. It does depend on how poor your eyesight is without them. Mine is pretty poor, but I do find it helps to remove them (they defog naturally and quickly) from time to time when map-reading is not at a premium e.g. sections of easy track running.

I also find it helps to keep on the move - although this is difficult these days!

A hat brim can help keep the rain away, and I found that fogging was usually only a problem if I didn't keep moving. I sometimes used Cat Crap to keep them from fogging, but nothing seems to be able to completely prevent fogging.

When you need 'em, you need 'em. I use the safety glass type for eye protection with a small magnified area. On rainy days, I wipe them with my fingers a lot and push them onto my head for trail runs, as denzil53 suggests. My husband is relatively happy with an anti-fog product he uses but I haven't tried it.

I've struggled with glasses & rain or fog at O events for 30 years - used to be, as said above, a big weekend, tough! North Americans a few years ago (middle distance, I think) started in such hard rain, spectacle-dependent types didn't care to leave the protection of the tent where the final 2 minutes were spent! However, I had a good run with some mental adjustment (maturity:-)?) as well. Bought an excellent clear plastic rain visor at the last Scottish 6 day - better than any I found here. It has worked quite well in rain. Re fogginess, if one is overdressed/overheated, that could contribute to fogging. Might even resort to carrying a bunch of tissue paper in a zip lock bag safety pinned somewhere convenient. It might afford a "restart" while "acclimatizing."

I find that wiping the glass (with anything) leaves the lenses hopelessly blurry, so I use Rain-X to deal with the water, as well as a hat with a visor. But that doesn't address the issue of fog, which is minimized when there's good airflow. Keeping the glasses separated from the face (e.g far down the nose) helps. I have the oppoiste problem from many older people, because I read the map without the glasses and use the lenses to see distance. Fogging tends to go away when you are moving, so it's not such a big deal for me, but if you needed to use the lenses mostly when you're slowing down to read the map, I can see where it would be more of a problem. Which kind of glasses does your mother have?

(Say hi to Trixli for me!)

I find the clear visor (I think Silva) helps the best in rainy conditions. It doesn't totally keep the glasses dry but really helps. I don't usually have too much trouble with fogging - maybe because my newer glasses (unlike the '80s versions!) are fairly small so allow for decent airflow. I have also seen people with a glasses micro cloth pinned to their clothing. Have thought this a good idea but haven't got around to trying it yet. Fingers or whatever help a little but a cloth would be so much better. I guess also because I live in Calgary, the dry climate also helps!

Sometimes just taking the glasses off at regular intervals and waving them around in the air removes the fog, albeit temporarily. Not so good in the rain, but on an overheated winter run the tactic can help much. It is easy to do while you are running, because your arms are already vigorously pumping through in the air!

I brought a map to my eye-doctor to clarify the sport. For me, bi-focals work ideally - I believe he moved the 'line' up a hair for me.

Clear visor or hat with brim.

From winter days of collecting paper route money in UP, I learned to exhale down. Try practicing it - it helps me a lot. On the worst days, I hang glasses around my neck and adapt.

Hi Sandra,

Do you happen to know the cause of becoming unable to wear the contacts? If it is a question of dry eyes causing irritation, possibly dietary supplements like vitamin A or omega-3 fatty acids might help?

Having this perennial problem, I bought some rain-x a few years ago, but have not yet used it. This because when I got it home the package warned against applying it on glass with scratch resistant or other coatings. Since I have somewhat pricey glasses with scratch resistant coatings, the decision was not to take the chance. Is there anyone who uses rain-x on a consistent basis that has experience with coating damage or the lack of?

I specifically bought glasses just for orienteering with uncoated glass lenses so that I could use Rain-X without worry. I had to wait a long time for the lenses to be ordered, because almost nobody uses glass these days, it's practically all plastic. (And the optician I was using at the time was a deadbeat so the suppliers wouldn't ship anything to him until he paid up his outstanding debt. Shortly afterwards he had to close up shop. Now I deal with his brother, who is a much better businessman.) Seriously.

Does anyone know where to get the safety glasses with reader magnification?

Check this web site. That was the best deal I found:

http://www.boss-safety.com/Personal-Protection-Eye...

Seems in the beginning they are coated, but after a few races you need apply to Rain-x and/or Cat Crap (sold at some EMS stores).

The last time we ordered them, we asked around the club and ended up getting a dozen pairs shipped in. They've been a huge hit! (And very cheap.)

I use the original defogging solution of scuba divers (I am one): spit.

Those magnifying lenses on thumb compasses are starting to look mighty good as I approach bifocal age.

For far sighted (due to aging) magnifying glass on thumb compass is nice alternative. Need adjustment of orienteering routine though if you are used to read map without it.

With recent trend of putting much more detail on map I would edvise it even to "elite" levels at all times.

I´ve used the thumb magnifier for 10+ years. Works OK for my level of orienteering but takes some getting used to. Not the best for longer legs.

Unfortunately it also has the same draw-backs as glasses in shitty weather...

>Does anyone know where to get the safety glasses with reader magnification?

http://www.o-store.ca/Product-Sports-Bifocal-Glass...

On the plus side, glasses do help greatly to keep dirt out of your eyes.

I am near sighted and wear glasses out of doors, but now age-related presbyopia is causing me to have trouble with near vision through the glasses. Magnifying lens or bifocals should help with that.

Una, you're a bit young for presbyopia...? Glasses occasionally help keeping ends of branches out of eyes but not always - they have contributed to a "scratchy outcome" in at least one instance in my case. Spit vs Rain-X etc might make an interesting comparison. The former is a well-known freebie. We've been known to pay a lot for something believing it's better for that very reason.

Rain-X accomplishes something that's distinctly different than what spit does.

Una, you're a bit young for presbyopia...?

Uh? Oh! My profile lies. I'll fix that.

Rain-X helps outside, but doesn't really prevent fogging. Barracuda Defogger for swimming goggles works the best for me. I use it for swimming goggles and running/biking sunglasses: http://www.swimoutlet.com/product_p/18027.htm

Thanks everybody for your help and suggestions!! And it was fun to see so many familiar names among you, however, I am shocked to realise that I am not the only one who had moved up in years ;-/!!
Anyway, after wearing contact lenses for 40 years , it seems that I'd better be changing to glasses.
The reason came Dec 24th when I woke up with an absolutely unfocussed and blurry vision. It seems that there was a lesion my trochlear nerve (4th brain nerve which controls eye movement) and the eyeball had moved up and rotated outwards. Luckily there's no tumor nor blood clot.
I am near visioned and actually being able to read a map clearly is somewhat of a relief. But I still need to wait with orienteering as anything closer than 2 meters such as looking down to the trail I am on or where the step starts or food I am eating or grocery shopping is unfocussed. However, I have been able to read again which came back about 10 days ago! It will take months to recover but at least it seems to recover!

I have done most of what you suggested: I wear a hat when it is raining or snowing, I wear my glasses down my nose (but I can't run without them, I don't see enough), however, jogging up a hill and they fog up because I'm too slow. I also remembered that I have some stuff with my snorkeling gear so I will try this, too. I also went to the optician and she very frankly told me that she had not found anything that worked for her. But that it also depended on the material and shape of the glasses and the contour of the face.
So, we'lle see! Thanks again :-)

I don't think this has been posted here yet - I only skimmed this thread.

From Olles Maps' facebook page: If you wear glasses, this might interest you. Keith Henderson, optician and orienteer from UK explains: "Orienteers tend to hold a map closer than they might hold a book and so will generally require a slightly stronger pair of spectacles to obtain a satisfactory focus. Spectacles for reading the map will almost certainly need to be slightly more powerful than those for reading in the armchair." See link.
https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=explorer&ch...