A couple of weeks ago, I spent a few days in Destin, Florida. Not only did I get excited about the sun, sand, and crashing waves….but I was stoked to have a new scenic place to run. Let’s face it friends, Jackson Mississippi isn’t exactly a “pretty’ place to run. No mountains, no beach, not many trails. This is why when I go on vacation or work travel, I try to take every opportunity to go for a run in my new surroundings.
Below I have complied a few tips to help you make the most out of your ocean side run.
1.) Run on an even surface: There are a lot of slanted places at the beach, it hurts my ankles just walking on the slanted parts after awhile so I can’t imagine running like that! Sometimes, depending on the tide, this means I can run in packed sand right down by the water, and sometimes it means going up a bit further to find that flat land.
2.) Wear Shoes: I know a lot of people will disagree with me on this one, and that’s ok. Personally though, getting a shell in my foot or stepping on a jellyfish barefoot do not sound like a good time. I especially recommend wearing shoes if you have arch or foot problems, running shoes for plantar fasciitis are still needed even when running on sand. I require a more stable shoe due to weak ankles and high arches so I most definitely need shoes on the beach!
3.) Keep your run short: It may be tempting to run forever in such a scenic place, but if you aren’t used to beach running, you will realize that you get sore and tired MUCH more quickly than usual. It’s a great calorie torching workout, but don’t overdo it.
4.) Protect yourself from the sun: In Destin, the sugar white sandy beaches are beautiful, but boy does the sun reflect off of it! I am always careful to wear sunglasses, and depending on the time of day a hat as well. I also wear plenty of sunscreen when I run on the beach, even if it’s early in the morning. No one wants to be red for the rest of their trip!
5.) Body Glide your feet: One thing I quickly noticed while taking my running shoes out to say hello to the ocean was that sand. gets. everywhere. It’s inevitable, so to protect your feet from getting blisters, try wearing dri-fit socks and putting body glide on your feet to help with rubbing.
Happy running and enjoy the view!
QOTD: Anything I left off? Do you ever run on the beach?
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I love running on the beach! We rented a house for about a month, and it was walking distance from a park on a beach… I had some of the best ( and most fun) workouts there!
sounds wonderful!
Heading to Miami tomorrow-thanks for this!
Have so much fun!
Great tips! I’ve run barefoot but I’m definitely going to running with shoes.