I mentioned my lack of running stamina in an earlier Silver Lake blog however I had packed my running shoes with every intention of running along the boardwalk while I was staying in Rehoboth Beach.
The boardwalk is just over a mile long, giving me a 2 -mile lap. I could do this! And do it I did and more than once during my stay. Go me!
Even at 6am the boardwalk was surprisingly busy. There were folk out walking, power walking, jogging and running. At that time in the morning, its not too hot making it the ideal time of day for exercising.
As I ran along the boards, I actually felt ok. I’m not overly focussed on the time when I run. I run for my mental wellbeing as much as for physical fitness. However, I do keep half an eye on my times and have to admit that in the heat I was running better than I usually do at home.
In my Silver Lake books, Jake Power regularly runs along the sand to the two fire towers. There was no way my legs were up to that, but I was curious…what did it feel like to run on the sand like Jake does?
After one of my early morning boardwalk runs, I decided that there was only one way to find out and headed down onto the beach.
Running on the hard packed sand, just out of reach of the waves, was easier than I’d thought it would be. The challenge came when I hit a softer section and felt my feet slip and sink a little. I only ran about half a mile or so on the sand but at least I can hand on heart say I did it.
I’m not too sure what Jake would have had to say if he’d seen me….
Coral McCallum 