Bad sand conditions The second Beach Run of the year on May 24 had a record 289 runners and walkers participate in the 1 mile, 5K, and 10K races. The conditions were much tougher than the first race of the year. The tide was rising fast creating very soft sand with little to no room to run close to the water. There were also more people out on the beach for a Thursday evening than there usually are. We would have to maneuver our way through and around the extra people that were getting a head start on celebrating Memorial Day weekend.
I was not happy about the tide coming in. Low tide was around 4:00pm, two and a half hours before the 6:30pm start. I've finished races in the past where the tide was coming in but I don't recall starting one with the tide this high before. Everyone had to deal with it though and the winners would be those that handled the soft sand best. The weather conditions were warmer than the first race but still wasn't too bad. Air temperature was 80 degrees and the humidity was up but wasn't too high. There was going to be headwind coming back though. I prefer a headwind going out so you can battle it while you are fresh.
I lined up at the front and tried to stay out of the rising tide. The gun went off and I was out fast. I went out faster than the first race so I would be able to run in the what little good sand there was. David and I were running side by side from the start. He was leading the 5K and I was leading the 10K. Mike opted not to run the 10K and chose to run the 1 mile with his daughter Lilly. You can miss 2 of the first 6 races and still win an overall or age group championship.
I went through the first mile in 6:17, only a second slower than my first mile from the first beach run this year. Aside from the soft sand and little room to run near the water, we had to jump over a trench some kids had dug for a sand castle. It was a pretty deep trench and went in a semi circle. We also had to run under some fishing lines from people fishing. You can't see them at all running down the beach because they blend into the sky. We startled one fisherman and he said, "What the hell is going on?!?" And I replied that we were having a beach race. Tourists, God help him and get 'em off my beach!
I was not happy about the tide coming in. Low tide was around 4:00pm, two and a half hours before the 6:30pm start. I've finished races in the past where the tide was coming in but I don't recall starting one with the tide this high before. Everyone had to deal with it though and the winners would be those that handled the soft sand best. The weather conditions were warmer than the first race but still wasn't too bad. Air temperature was 80 degrees and the humidity was up but wasn't too high. There was going to be headwind coming back though. I prefer a headwind going out so you can battle it while you are fresh.
I lined up at the front and tried to stay out of the rising tide. The gun went off and I was out fast. I went out faster than the first race so I would be able to run in the what little good sand there was. David and I were running side by side from the start. He was leading the 5K and I was leading the 10K. Mike opted not to run the 10K and chose to run the 1 mile with his daughter Lilly. You can miss 2 of the first 6 races and still win an overall or age group championship.
I went through the first mile in 6:17, only a second slower than my first mile from the first beach run this year. Aside from the soft sand and little room to run near the water, we had to jump over a trench some kids had dug for a sand castle. It was a pretty deep trench and went in a semi circle. We also had to run under some fishing lines from people fishing. You can't see them at all running down the beach because they blend into the sky. We startled one fisherman and he said, "What the hell is going on?!?" And I replied that we were having a beach race. Tourists, God help him and get 'em off my beach!
Justus on the beach David made the turn at the 5K sign, still easily leading the 5K and I continued on down the sand. I ran mile two in 6:34. The sand was better on the other side of the Sheraton Pier, like it was for the first beach run, but not by much. It was flatter and had a little more space between the flat sand and the rising tide but it was still soft. I knew I had a big lead without Mike in the race but I didn't let up. I kept putting forth the effort and ran mile three in 6:44. I was getting slower every mile and knew the trip back wouldn't be any easier.
The sand conditions were getting worse on the way back. What little strip of sand near the water to run in going out was now gone or chewed up from all the other runners. It was a struggle but I had a big lead over my friend Dean who was in second place. I ran miles four and five in 7:00 and 7:18. I didn't feel that the headwind coming back was slowing me down, but rather the horrible sand conditions was the cause.
The sand conditions were getting worse on the way back. What little strip of sand near the water to run in going out was now gone or chewed up from all the other runners. It was a struggle but I had a big lead over my friend Dean who was in second place. I ran miles four and five in 7:00 and 7:18. I didn't feel that the headwind coming back was slowing me down, but rather the horrible sand conditions was the cause.
Winning the 10K at the Second Beach Run I ran mile six in 7:17 and the last 0.24 miles in at 7:28 pace. Unlike the first beach run where my fastest miles of the race were the final two and I negative split those, this week my slowest miles of the race were the final three and I positive split them. I won the 10K in 42:56. Dean finished 2nd overall in 50:16. David Garrison won the 5K in 19:57. Jamie had to deal with the bad sand conditions too. Although her time was slower than the first race she won her age group this time by fifty five seconds.
The good thing is I won. Now I am just two wins away from clinching the overall championship. I don't have much hope of the sand conditions being much better next time since the forecasted low tide is 4:20pm. That means the tide will be coming back in making the sand soft and not leaving any packed in sand to run on. The officials must have not have paid much attention to the tide tables and charts when making the schedule this year.
The good thing is I won. Now I am just two wins away from clinching the overall championship. I don't have much hope of the sand conditions being much better next time since the forecasted low tide is 4:20pm. That means the tide will be coming back in making the sand soft and not leaving any packed in sand to run on. The officials must have not have paid much attention to the tide tables and charts when making the schedule this year.
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