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:
- 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
- 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.
- Your pace is slower, so you mentally have to deal with that – making your character stronger.
- 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.
love.
No comments:
Post a Comment