And then, There is Sand

Summer is a time for sand, huh?  Well, per my usual M.O., I bring my sneakers everywhere.  Including vacations or wherever I may be traveling to.  Just the way it is.

Recently, I was sharing how I received a humility check in the form of a hill.  Or at least what upstate New Yorkers refer to as a hill.  I like to think of it as Mount Everest.  Basically, it was me against the hill -  my time slow, and my body ached.  But I did feel stronger.  And deeply humbled.  It was a change in my running route.

Then I was back in town hitting the concrete, paved roads and sidewalks.  You know, apparently getting comfortable again.  Maybe a bit too soon.

Summer is a time for the beach; and so, with boys in tow, I drove to Nantasket Beach for my annual pilgrimage of staring longingly at the water and fantasizing about being a sea captain.  (with my “emergency sneakers” in the trunk, of course, as all good sea captains have these).

Every morning, I laced up and headed out of the hotel and stepped onto the sand.  My distance was HALF – yes HALF – what I normally run; and yet, UGH.

While the scenery was beautiful – and uncomparable to anything else, so was the work  out.

Running on sand is different.  And here, in my humble opinion, are my thoughts:

1. Running on sand makes you have to work 5 million times harder because your feet don’t ever get traction, so it constantly makes it harder to lift your feet
2. The tide goes in and out, so some days you are on hard sand, some days super soft.  Both are harder to run on than any sidewalk.
3. Your pace is slower, so you mentally have to deal with that – making your character stronger.
4. Ankle and calf muscles work harder because your foot never really gets solid footing, so everything else supporting your foot is working overtime.

Plus, I don’t need to mention, the sound, smell, and feel of the water is so great.  But beach-running can cause injury, like anything else.  My calves were wicked sore afterwards.  So use your judgment, see how you feel, then hit the sand.
love.