by: Guest Writer, Erin Sanders
You can find her on instagram at: @erin.sanders_
There’s nothing quite like running on the Oregon coast, with the peaceful sound of the ocean rolling its waves towards you, then away from you. It’s this gravitating force that keeps you close to the water, yet not in the water, as you take one step and then another in the dampened, smooth sand. The ocean breeze refreshes your lungs and cools you down as your run heats you up. Seagulls flock around you and families with their dogs laugh and play and wave at you as you run past them.
My favorite beach to run on is Lincoln City because it’s the beach that I grew up going to with my family. I started digging holes and building sandcastles in this same sand when I was just 2 years old where I now, 23 years later, create different patterns and divots in the sand with my running shoes. Whichever destination you end up in, whether Lincoln City, Newport or Seaside; Oregon’s beaches will always welcome a runner that is ready for a new challenge, promising fresh air and miles upon miles of beautiful scenery to explore.
To prepare for your beach run, any running shoes will work for this venture, whether they are Brooks, Asics, Nikes or Saucony’s – just make sure they are very supportive and can endure the occasional uneven surfaces of the sand. Benefits of running on the beach are unlike other trail or street runs due to the constant change in sand texture and unevenness, causing your body and feet to never get bored by constantly having to adjust. Not only will running on the beach increase your coordination, but it will also increase your strength and stabilization of your smaller ankle muscles and tendons. If you want even more of a challenge to target your smaller foot muscles, try running barefoot! Even ditching your shoes for the last 5-10 minutes will still reap the benefits. And lastly, start with shorter runs on the beach and then slowly add more minutes and miles with each run that you do, allowing your body to adapt.
So rain or shine, pack up your running shoes the next time you head to the Oregon Coast for a challenging yet satisfying, extremely refreshing workout. Then afterwards make sure to enjoy the Oregon coast’s delicious seafood with the appetite you’ve worked up.
Helpful Tips
- Any long beach will do! You can run for miles just along the water and not even have to think about what route to take.
- If you are staying at one of our beautiful oceanfront homes, you can just trot from the backdoor down to the water’s edge! Since you won’t have your usual gym with you while on vacation, beach running is the perfect way to get a workout in!
- I suggest wearing shoes for most of your run. Blisters can form if you run too long on the sand! Very painful
WHERE TO FIND GOOD SHOES
Lincoln City Outlet Mall: 1500 SE East Devils Lake Rd, Lincoln City
Under Armor Factory Store
Nike Factory Store
Famous Footwear
If you want to stop on your way to the coast and pick up some good shoes in Portland:
Road Runner Sports – 29 NW 23rd Pl
Fleet Feet PDX – 2111 NW Savier St
Foot Traffic – 333 SW Taylor St
Portland Running Co – 2258 NW Raleigh St
