I went on an awesome vacation this past week – it was a beach vacation. While beaches are beautiful for relaxing and swimming, I have never understood the lure of beach running. I find running on sand to be extremely difficult and a source for injuries. With that said, I believe that beach running can be beneficial and rewarding if the following tips are followed.
Avoid Loose Sand: A great way to blow out your achilles or seriously strain your hamstring or hip flexors is to run on loose sand that does not support your feet. Without this support, the muscles and tendons of the body must overwork in order to move the body forward. If you really want to run on sand, first practice walking on it and gradually include some light jogging. Hopefully building up your body’s ability to move through the sand will help to avoid injury.
Run in Both Directions: It is very important that all beach runs be out and back, as opposed to point to point. This is because beaches usually slope sharply towards the water, which creates an uneven running service. Running on a sloped service contributes to muscle imbalances and can cause overuse injuries such as It-Band syndrome and back problems. However, running out and back routes (i.e., 10 minutes out, 10 minutes back) ensures that both sides of your body experience an equal workout.
Don’t Run Barefoot: The popular image of beach running includes a barefoot runner effortlessly gliding down the beach. However, if you have not tried barefoot running off the sand, it is a horrible idea to suddenly try it on the sand. Without properly building up your foot muscles, you can actually do more damage by running barefoot in the sand than on the roads. Without the support of running shoes and strong foot muscles, your plantar fascia and achilles tendon will bear the brunt of the work of moving the body through the sand.
Watch Your Mileage: Running on the beach is hard work – much harder than running on the roads. Therefore, do not equate the mileage/times of a beach run with an ordinary training run. For example, a 20 minute run on a sandy beach can equate to a 30 minute run on the roads in terms of calories burned and overall fitness gained. If you do not factor in the difference between a beach and road run, over-training becomes a risk.
By following these tips, you can get the most out of your beach runs without the injuries. However, keep in mind that the idealized picture of a runner smoothly jogging down a beach might not be the reality. It takes a lot of work!
