Sand Dune Park: Vertical Challenge

“I bet you I could run up and down this thing 7 times!”

“Ok, you’re on.”

10 minutes later…

*huff* *puff*

“How many was that?”

“You’ve done three.  and you WALKED the last two.”

Sand Dune, ONE.  Alex, big fat ZERO.

For those of you that like some outdoor exercise, check out Sand Dune Park, located off Rosecrans in Manhattan Beach.  It’s a beach-like workout without the actual beach and is a popular spot for people to do some fun, vertical conditioning.  Beware: The hill is steep.  Steeper than pictures indicate.  I’d describe it as somewhere between a Blue and a Black Diamond slope (maybe 50-60 degrees).  So, collect all your facts before you challenge a friend into a run-off where the loser buys beers.

There’s two sides of the hill, one for kids and one for adults.  I really recommend sticking to their guidelines and running on the appropriate side.  If not, don’t say I didn’t warn you that a 7 year old kid will be plowing into you at full downhill speed screaming at the top of his lungs!  The kids’ side actually appears to be the steeper (but shorter) of the two, and I usually don’t see too many kids here unless it’s a weekend afternoon.  Parking is available on Bell St., which you can enter from Rosecrans.

Oh and don’t wear shoes.  And please try not to kick sand up as you run into other people’s faces!