Cape May!!!

[maniacmiler]

Hey on the 5th i am heading to Cape May, NJ until the 12th anyway want to come run with me or is anyone going to be down there. Also, any good running routes or somewhere near i could go run?


Thanks!

[tb1223]

when i was there a few summers ago i recall i had a pretty nice run along the boardwalk. don't know too much about that area though, i.e. trails and such.

[maniacmiler]

anyone else?

[polyxc]

running on the beach is always good.

[ILOVEBERGENRUNNING]

ill be there 12-19
ill priv msg u

[stillrunning]

The beach in Avalon, first town north of Wildwood, has an excellent beach for running (at low tide), have run many summer miles there... firm, not much of a tilt. It's about six miles from the fishing pier south to the bulkhead at the inlet, and return. Perhaps there's still a six miler over this stretch, the late Browning Ross used to hold one there every year BITD.

Ditto for Sea Isle, next town north, with the advantages of a stretch of boardwalk in the middle of the island, with bathrooms and water fountains; and you can run a good 10 or more. Best bet is start around 44th and the Boardwalk near the life guard office, where the Beach Run 10 Miler starts (this Saturday?)... head north or south, you can run about 2.5 one way in either direction, back on the boards, water, then the opposite direction. Again, at low tide this is an excellent running surface.

Hope that helps, don't know much about running in Cape May, but I don't think it has anywhere near the length of beaches.

[MJKruns]

The beach in Avalon, first town north of Wildwood, has an excellent beach for running (at low tide), have run many summer miles there... firm, not much of a tilt. It's about six miles from the fishing pier south to the bulkhead at the inlet, and return. Perhaps there's still a six miler over this stretch, the late Browning Ross used to hold one there every year BITD.

Ditto for Sea Isle, next town north, with the advantages of a stretch of boardwalk in the middle of the island, with bathrooms and water fountains; and you can run a good 10 or more. Best bet is start around 44th and the Boardwalk near the life guard office, where the Beach Run 10 Miler starts (this Saturday?)... head north or south, you can run about 2.5 one way in either direction, back on the boards, water, then the opposite direction. Again, at low tide this is an excellent running surface.

Hope that helps, don't know much about running in Cape May, but I don't think it has anywhere near the length of beaches.

Could head to Higbees Beach and run to Cape May Point, there are a few trails there too.

[xcobserver]

From the center of Cape May, you can head out Sunset Blvd to the light house, which offers opportunities to run on some nature trails and the beach. If you can handle running in the sand, you have a couple of miles from the east beach (near the Coast Guard station) to the light house. Hope you aren't looking for any hills because there are none to be found.

[king99]

stillrunning made an inetresting reference on his post.

Careful about logging too many miles on the beach, and without shoes

natural slight tilt can result in IT band issues and hip problems..

Not my words, but a noted coaches, I just spoke to about this.

[Bennett]

The only people who should run on the beach are Erica Eleniak, Apollo Creed and Rocky Balboa. No serious runner should run on the beach. You might as well party at the Arts Center without your shoes on or have Trevor Graham coach you. Puhleeeeze do not run on the beach.

PS King, I'm just going to follow you around b/ cthat's where the action is.

[polyxc]

...Puhleeeeze do not run on the beach...


I remember reading that Herb Elliott ran barefoot up and down sand dunes, and I tried to do the same thing.

Maybe that explains why I never was fast!

[stillrunning]

King,
I'd agree with some of your caveats... NEVER in bare feet (I ran that six miler barefoot one year, and you did not want to see the result), plus with the slight give in the sand and no support from a lifted heel, your achilles will be strained for sure. And I'd agree that a steady diet of beach running probably could put a strain on ITband and hips. The reason I noted that Sea Isle and Avalon at low tide are pretty much flat and firm, is that it does distinguish them from other beaches I've tried to run on that I would never try again. If there is a slope, or only soft sand, I would stick to the asphalt. But I've put in 80-100 mile weeks while on vacation in Sea Isle, and lived to tell about it. Bennett, you're entitled to your opinion, but for me, running on the beach in the early morning is about as exhilarating as running can be.

[Joe Lanzalotto]

I don't think we want to hear what exhilarates Bennett.:p

[tenkkid]

One nagative about running in Cape May is that there is little shade. Depending on how far you like to run, here are a few thoughts. Running along Beach Ave from end to end including the boardwalk (which is asphalt) is roughly 4.5 miles. At the north end of town you can add a 1.5 loop off Pittsburgh Ave. (blinking light) down to the Coast Guard entrance and back along the bay. For about 7 miles plus, go South along Beach Ave., right on Broadway and take it straight out over the bridge to Rt 9 (North Cape May). Make a right and follow towards the Parkway and come back into Cape May over the main bridge into town. For best beach running go over to WIldwood. The beach is wide, as flat as a beach can get and fairly well packed. If you run early the boardwalk is not crowded and is about 2 miles long so you can go out on the sand and back on the boardwalk. I can make other suggestions if you tell me the distances you would like to run.

[king99]

Bennett..:D

Follow along, I am still waiting for 125 pound 19 year olds to "bitch slap " me..

[maniacmiler]

I need a run of 85 minutes (12 miles) and all others are 65 which is over 9

just for reference

[homeless]

Bennett..:D

Follow along, I am still waiting for 125 pound 19 year olds to "bitch slap " me..
we all are...camera at the ready

[maniacmiler]

78champ........you're not going to request they ban me from my vacation are you?

[78Champ]

78champ........you're not going to request they ban me from my vacation are you?

I do know the governor. ;)

JW

p.s. - I do know someone that would pass for his twin.

[Scotty]

stillrunning made an inetresting reference on his post.

Careful about logging too many miles on the beach, and without shoes

natural slight tilt can result in IT band issues and hip problems..

Not my words, but a noted coaches, I just spoke to about this.

Good point, but this should be common sense to anyone who has done even the slightest bit of beach running. It does not feel right at all. The uneven pitch is something to be avoided. (a mile here or there will not do any harm)

[your boy]

Good point, but this should be common sense to anyone who has done even the slightest bit of beach running. It does not feel right at all. The uneven pitch is something to be avoided. (a mile here or there will not do any harm)
Depends on the beach. Wildwood at low to mid tide has zero slant and you can run forever with no problems. With this heat I've run up to 50 minutes barefoot on the beach with no problem. My first day running barefoot this summer I ran 30 minutes on the beach and thought I'd feel it the next day but no problems the next day. I agree that most beaches may be difficult to run on, but not Wildwoods beaches.

[your boy]

The beach in Avalon, first town north of Wildwood,

Those are fighting words in Stone Harbor!

[stillrunning]

how could I have overlooked Stone Harbor??? I could be permanently banned from Springers for that. Thanks for the confirmation on the beach running, obviously there are two schools of thought on this... it just never posed a physical issue for me, at least running on Avalon and Sea Isle beaches, and from memory I'd think the same would apply to Wildwood... they offer essentially flat, firm sand, no problem at low or medium tide. Maybe a Jones Beach presents a different geography, I think it does, steeper drop-off... but running on these South Jersey beaches is simply not a problem from my experience.

[homeless]

Those are fighting words in Stone Harbor!
whereas anything is a fighting word in Wildwood...;)

[godonthestartingline]

Springer's>running on the beach

[stillrunning]

payoff for running on the beach = Springers :)

[Joe Lanzalotto]

how could I have overlooked Stone Harbor??? I could be permanently banned from Springers for that. Thanks for the confirmation on the beach running, obviously there are two schools of thought on this... it just never posed a physical issue for me, at least running on Avalon and Sea Isle beaches, and from memory I'd think the same would apply to Wildwood... they offer essentially flat, firm sand, no problem at low or medium tide. Maybe a Jones Beach presents a different geography, I think it does, steeper drop-off... but running on these South Jersey beaches is simply not a problem from my experience.

Coming off knee surgery 6 weeks ago, my orthopedic surgeon specifically told me not to run on the beaches at LBI - too slanted. He also said that even healthy you shouldn't run on beaches that have that significant a tilt to them. However, he did say that beaches like Wildwood were flat enough that if you spent time running in both directions it generally woulnd't casue a problem.

Stone harbor is a great place to run.

[homeless]

Coming off knee surgery 6 weeks ago, my orthopedic surgeon specifically told me not to run on the beaches at LBI - too slanted. He also said that even healthy you shouldn't run on beaches that have that significant a tilt to them. However, he did say that beaches like Wildwood were flat enough that if you spent time running in both directions it generally woulnd't casue a problem.

Stone harbor is a great place to run.
Hudson Ave in LBI could have been used as an uphill workout yesterday with all the erosion that had taken place

[Joe Lanzalotto]

Yeah, it was pretty bad in Barnegat Light last week too, although when I was leaving it was already beginning to fill in again. the beaches in BL are huge.