Sand Dunes in Manhattan Beach

by Ryan Watson
(Los Angeles, CA)

The most difficult workout that I have ever done was probably climbing up sand dunes in Manhattan Beach, California. In that city there is a park with a one sided sand dune which is a really good workout. I first found out about this place through a baseball coach of mine who took me there to train.

A one-way walk up the side of the dune took about 3-5 minutes, depending on how hard and fast I tried to run up the dune. For the first few times, I would walk up the dune at a relatively fast pace, almost at a slow running pace.

I considered myself to be in good shape at the time, but after the first few circuits, I was really wiped. The most difficult aspect of this workout was the liquidity of the sand, which seemed to dissipate under your feet with every step that you took. It was both a good training for cardiovascular exercise as well as lower body muscle strengthening.

Despite how difficult it was, it was definitely a fun and rewarding work out because running down the dune (after the difficult climb up) at a fast pace was really enjoyable and fun.

One of the other great advantages of this workout was that I could choose how many times I would go up the dune and control the type of exercise I was aiming for. If I wanted to work on stamina, I could go at a slower pace and do many repetitions.

My body was definitely sore after the workout, most specifically around my shins.

I would most certainly recommend this workout because it was fun and also challenging. Some advice I would give to another person trying it would be to do the workout with some music (to keep your mind occupied) and to have a several bottles of water with you. Enjoy!!!

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