Beach running and the Nautica Goa beach run 2014

How many of you actually know what a beach run is? The name is actually pretty self-explanatory, but let me just put it out there so that there’s no room for doubt: beach running is a sport which involves races on the sands of the beach. Beach runs vary in distances, from 1 km, 2 km, 20 km and half marathon to 20 miles, marathon and even ultra marathons.

Beach running had its inception during beach run competitions in the 1960s, such as the Easter beach run at Daytona (Florida), Annual Seaside Beach Run in the city of Seaside (Oregon) and the Gurnet Classic Beach Run at Duxbury. In 2012, a World Championship of beach running was held by the International Life Saving Federation.

Beach run as a sport was recognized by the International Olympic Committee in 1996.

Here are a few things about beach running that you may not have known:

Benefits of beach running

Helps you burn 30 percent more calories: Running on sand is a strenuous activity. With every stride, our feet sink a little inside the soft sand. This forces us to exert extra effort, causing added burning of calories.

Beaches are natural assault courses: A beach can easily be used as a natural substitute for assault courses which we use for fitness training. To test our agility, we often jump over small piles of drift wood or pools of water, and race the incoming tide for short spurts of speed work.

Beach running helps to prevent injuries: Running on sand forces us to flex our smaller, stabilising muscles in the knees, ankles, and feet to work harder than running on roads. As a result, those muscles tend to become strong and injury free.

Rest to joints: A study by Griffith University, in Queensland (Australia), found that landing on soft sand increases the time in which our feet sink into it. The overall stress of thrashing on the lower joints, such as ankles and knees, would thus be reduced. Sand running also helps us to provide our calf muscles a good workout without the risk of any impact injuries.

Beaches provide natural refreshment: Training or running inside an enclosed gymnasium can provide us everything but the essence of the nature. Beach running can help us to relax ourselves and feel refreshed as it is done in an open space.

Barefoot running is always a good idea: If we make sure that we always run barefoot on the beach, it would help us to grip the ground with our toes and also help strengthening our calf muscles.

Challenges of beach running

Although sand running is healthy, it is a tough job too. Often we find our legs to be very heavy as we run on sand. We feel like we are running with weights on our ankles.

The calf muscles often seem sore after a beach running session. This happens due to the soft surface of the sand. When our feet land on the sand, they sink inside and we have to provide extra load to lift our feet for the next stride.

Strong winds and lack of shade may also present challenges at the beach. We should chart an out-and-back course and make sure to bring a hat and extra hydration, or run very early in the morning or during the evening. People should be careful of sand holes.

Beach running

Few tips for beach running

It is better to start from wet sand: If a person is performing beach running for the first time, it is recommended to start on wet sand. It is comparatively easier to run on wet sand than on normal sand, as wet sand remains hard. After practice one can shift to normal soft sand.

Choose a flat surface: While beach running, we must make sure that we opt for a flat surface instead of a sloping beach, as the latter may cause damage to our knees and ankles.

Fall in regular pace: One has to remember beach running involves running on sand, which is strenuous. We cannot expect to run at the same pace with which we run on regular surfaces. It is obvious that there will be a fall in our regular pace.

Stay hydrated: Beach running is difficult and strenuous and it leads to loss of energy. Thus it is very important to stay hydrated before undertaking beach running, or we may suffer from dehydration.

Do not rush into barefoot running: We are generally not used to barefoot running when we are on a regular surface. But on the beach, barefoot running is recommended. So rather than rushing headlong into it, we should ease into barefoot running. We should start with short spell runs.

Protect your skin: Beach running involves direct exposure to sunlight. So we should protect our skin with a sunscreen. Also we must avoid running on the beach between 10 am and 4 pm.

The Nautica Goa Beach Run 2014, scheduled for the weekend of Saturday, 22nd February and Sunday, 23rd February 2014, is as fine an opportunity for beach running as any. The event, which will take place on the pristine beaches of Goa, promises to combine natural beauty with athletic activity and create an experience that is bound to be memorable. Here are a few details about this marathon:

EVENTS:

- 21 km Half marathon (06:00 am)- 10 km run (06:45 am)- 5 km Beach frolic (08:00 am)

FACILITIES:

Parking, medical & aid stations, water & electrolyte stations, refreshments and wet sponges.

All 21 Km & 10 Km runners will be provided with chip timers and will get finisher medals/mementos, certificates.

FUN ACTIVITIES:

Music, food courts, post race brunch party, food & beer, live bands, a splash of colour and loads of carnival fun, fashionable and cool merchandise and apparels.

ADMISSION FEES:

- 21 km half marathon – Rs. 900/-- 10 km run – Rs. 500/-- 5 km Beach Frolic – Rs. 100/-- Event tee shirts – Rs. 350/-- The post event party will be at the Pasta Hut, Colva. The rate will be Rs. 350 per head. All beverages will be extra at cost.

PRIZES:

- Over Rs. 3,00,000/- in cash prizes for women & men in the Open, Indian, Goan, Veteran & Senior Veteran categories.

- More exciting prizes and fabulous give-away surprises on race day.

For avid runners, and even for those just easing themselves into the sport, it’s never a bad time to experiment with the wonderful activity of beach running. So it’s good to know there are events like these which can help us do exactly that.