Running on the Beach

This past week, I was at Club Med Ixtapa Pacifico for a conference. While we were kept very busy for much of the time, I did manage to get in a few runs on the beautiful beach.

On Monday, I set out around 1pm for a barefoot run. While I don’t wear my Newtons often, I was interested to see how they have apparently helped to alter my stride: my heel barely touched down as I coasted down the beach. Unfortunately, my feet are still used to shoes of some sort, and within a mile my middle toes each felt a blister building up on them. I made it about 1.5 miles before I called it a day and traded in my running clothes for a swimsuit.

The next day my calves felt “blocked” as they sometimes do. I wasn’t willing to give up on enjoying the beach, however, so I kept my shoes and ran on the beach just beyond where the tide came in. There is a hurricane threatening the country, and the tide came in much higher than it had the day before. The running was never easy, as in some cases my shoes sunk into the deep sand. This time I lasted two miles before the heat and the effort got to me. I knew my calves would be sore from running on the unforgiving sand, so I took off my shoes and waded into the water. I turned to face the resort and let the waves hit me, ideally at calf-height. I hoped the mini-massage would help, but today my legs still feel tight.

I’m sorry I didn’t get a chance to go for any longer runs: I heard of other delegates who chose to hit the road instead of the sand and saw an alligator en route! But I so rarely get to visit the beach that I wanted to take full advantage!