Son of a Beach (Important Message for Tough Mudders)

This last Saturday we had a beach run in Alameda on a beautiful July 3rd morning getting there just early enough before the sun created a very warm day. With the smooth driving through empty freeways, beautiful weather and a bounty of parking, it would have been a shame to miss it. A light stretch and on to the sand we went. The pace on the soft sand gives you a much slower pace and your muscles work twice as hard when your feet sink with every step. The stretch of beach in Alameda is just under 2 miles; so, to keep up the distance we have been working for we ran the park trail for another mile before we decided to run back. The only drawback to running early in the morning was the low tide. The smell low tide creates with Alameda (who is known for their bird estuaries) is distinct and can make it difficult to breath. But, along this park trail was some beautiful apartments next to the beach with water views and a boat dock. It was a mesmerizing run.

On an impromptu tough mudder moment, we found a large log on the beach where Nick and I carried it together while running for about 2 minutes, after that, I filled two bags with sand and we ran the remaining distance in the sand while each of us carried a bag. It was a tiring run but we made it.

I have not been bringing my camera with me, it's hard carrying everything unless you have a backpack, I used my phone for two photos which came out ok.

This is Nick while running on the beach

This was a halfway point where Nick and I found a stretch of boulders and rocks with many sharp and pointy objects to avoid(another tough mudder moment).

Everyone who is running the Half Marathon in November, be sure you are running at least 3-4 days a week and cross training at least 1 day a week. Make sure to mix up your terrain, muscle memory is your enemy, be prepared for every type of surface.

Everyone who is running Tough Mudder, it's time to start getting tough. There are less than 100 days until this event and there WILL be a high elevation climb. Bear Valley Mountain has a base elevation of 6,600 feet above sea level and a summit elevation of 8,495 feet above sea level. Do not underestimate how hard this will be. Running and climbing uphill at a high elevation is extremely difficult. Make sure that uphill climbs are part of your training regime or you will have a very difficult tough mudder race.

Be sure you are doing planks, squats, push ups, and mountain climber exercises to mimic hill climbing.