running on sand vs. road

chelseasans

Just curious. Whats the difference? I run on the road every single day and feel fine. Yesterday, I ran on the beach and today I was so sore I could barely get a mile in!

rybo

Its because the sand is soft & loose. It takes a lot more work to run in sand.

cagefan

I prefer wooden bridges!! not so much knee impact!

eellis2000

on a good note after doing that for a few runs it will improve your road speed.

tl_dr

Good sore vs. bad sore. :laugh:

jenilla1

Running on the road hurts my knees. Running in sand causes my toenails to be bruised. I don't do either. I run on dirt trails instead. The reason you are so sore is that there is a lot more resistance and an uneven surface when you run on sand. It's just flat out harder to do.

Beautifulbridgittlee7

Resistance, though running on the beach is nice because of the soothing ocean and running on a trail or grass is good too.

chelseasans

Ahh its been two days and im STILL sooo sore. I have foam rolled, done yoga, stretched! I have been a long distance runner for years and have NEVER been this sore. This is crazyness!

Joreanasaurous

I try and get a sand run in once a week. Either just a regular run along the beach or sand dune hill sprints. They never fail to kick my butt.

SonicDeathMonkey80

You're not getting that bounce from the road that normally propels you. I don't have sand, but I dealt with that during the endless winter - it's a good thing.