I’m thrilled that I live about 15 minutes from the beach and I’m able to go over there for some of my training runs. The first thing to know about myself and my husband where running is concerned is that we are minimalist runners. Usually we wear Vibrams when we run (That’s a whole other blog post!), but when we go to the beach for runs we are barefoot.
We had decided on an 8 mile run this past Sunday and so we piled into the car at 10am to head for the beach. Unless you’re running early in the morning or later at night you’ll have to contend with the crowds, surfers, people skim boarding, and locals fishing.
My goal for this run was to definitely make it 8 miles, but at an easy pace. For me that means around a steady 12 minute mile…in a long training run I’m looking for endurance, not speed. I enjoyed watching the families at play as we ran along, listening to the waves crashing toward us, the smell of sunscreen and the sound of the birds. Lately when I run on the beach I find I don’t want bring my IPod…I’d rather listen to the music of Mother Nature. Miles 1 and 2 went by quickly and pretty uneventfully, aside from the fact that I’d forgotten to concentrate on the path in front of me and had found a couple sharp shells.
Miles 3 and 4 were a little more of a challenge. I’ve been running in Vibrams for almost 5 years now and I have a decent amount of calluses on my feet, but barefoot running on the sand is still hard on your feet. Think of it like running on a pumice stone for 8 miles. I was starting to feel a rubbing sensation and was thankful when we hit mile 4 and could turn back. And then the side cramp hit…I’d been sucking just a little too much air as the day got a little hotter. I kept pace, but was breathing harder, trying to clench the muscle as I headed back and push on the area with my hand. If you’ve never tried it…clenching the muscle that is cramping can help it go away more quickly. It took probably a good half mile before it went away, but then I was back on track. I don’t know about you, but I like to think of the miles left in terms of landmarks…I started pointing out to myself that I was almost at this or that point to help the time pass. When we made the turn to head back the good news was that there was a decent breeze that helped keep me cool…the downside was it also acted as a head wind which slowed us down a little.
My husband encouraged me to go ahead if I felt I had it in me and not wait…but I just wasn’t feeling it…my feet were hurting and I was tiring. And then it happened…..I just started to pull away from him and I kept going. I wasn’t actively trying to do it…it just happened…it was a great feeling.  We turned it into a sprinting race at the end…and his long legs beat me. But I felt good…I’d made it 8 miles barefoot, yes, my feet were feeling a bit sore. I was pretty sure there might be a blister on at least one toe….but standing in the ocean, letting my feet cool down and soak I felt accomplished.
So what do you need to consider if you want to train on the beach?
~ Your calf muscles will be on fire when you finish or at least later in the day…..the sand, even hard packed, puts an extra layer of stress on the runner’s legs
~ Did you sunscreen before you left the house? Have your sunglasses?
~ Did you check a tide schedule? Nothing is worse than running at high tide when the water is in and you’re forced to run further up the sand in an uneven area
~ Did you tell someone where you were going…what direction you were going to head and when to expect you back?
~ Make sure you have enough fluids with you….it’s not readily available usually.
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Article Author – Carrie Bryniak
I am your friendly Travel Professional with Kingdom Magic Vacations and a runner as well.  My first RunDisney Race was in 2010, the Wine & Dine Half Marathon Relay…and since then I’ve been hooked on Disney races and others.  Some of my favorites are the Wine & Dine Half Marathon, the Turtle Krawl 5K and the USA Beach Running Championships.  If you’re a runner and you need help with travel plans for a race, don’t hesitate to contact me!  I’m here to help you and support your efforts!
