Sink you feet into the sand

If you are lucky enough to live in Sydney’s eastern suburbs, you hardly need to go to the gym to keep your body in shape.

There was no clearer evidence of this than the crowd of over 400 contestants who competed in Sunday’s Bondi Barefoot races. It was the fourth annual event organised by members of the North Bondi Surf Life Saving Club for aficionados of soft sand running.

The major races are the 10km and 4km events which are run simultaneously, with staggered starts. They were lucky enough to have beautiful sunny warm weather on Sunday, after a week of rain, thunderstorms and cloudy days, so the sight of 400-plus runners, male and female, all ages from young teens to late 60s, running together on one of the world’s most famous beaches made a spectacular sight.

So, what’s involved in soft sand running? If you live close enough to the beach, no equipment is needed at all. Normally, joggers recommend using quite sophisticated footwear to minimise the effects of jarring your joints, especially in the knees and spine, on hard running surfaces. These shoes can entail considerable expense. Soft sand runners don’t need to wear any footwear because the sand absorbs the impact of your steps. If you were to visit Bondi Beach any morning around dawn at any time of the year, you’d see people arriving, leaving their gear such as thongs and shirts on the sand, and taking off along the beach.

The first time you try it can be quite a shock. For many, it is the hardest workout they have ever undertaken. Speaking to experienced runners, you’ll find most of them started off running on the hard wet sand along the water’s edge. The sight of fit well-developed bodies running in the soft sand, hugging the edge of the promenade where the sand is driest, is usually the inspiration to give it a go.

At first you might be able to manage only 100 metres before running out of steam. When that happens, the best advice is to keep walking till you get a second wind and then try some more. Gradually you will manage longer lengths -“ persistence is the name of the game.

The results will be evident not just in leg muscles and buttocks. Because the sand gives way underfoot in unpredictable ways, your upper body is constantly making compensatory adjustments so it gets a workout too.

Other benefits are not purely physical. When you’ve seen the sun rise over the Pacific Ocean a few times in all sorts of weather, the experience becomes a constant inspiration -“ even addictive, but in a good way of course. There’s also the pleasure of becoming familiar with the faces of regular runners -“ okay, their bodies too -“ and you feel a camaraderie when comparing notes with the other entrants in the annual Bondi Barefoot.

But you don’t have to compete. Do your body and soul a favour -“ set your alarm clock and give it a go. After a lap or two of the beach, you’ll even be warm enough for a dip in the ocean, currently around 20 degrees. In a month or two it will drop to 16 -“ that will put you to the test.