Summer Training during high school and college created some of my best memories. The pure bliss of mileage, few workouts, freedom to run whenever, relaxation from no races in the near future, and excitement from seeing fitness slowly build. It was one my favorite training block of the year, and also an incredible way to spend time and bond with friends during the summer. With that said, all of that excitement, freedom, and fun can also make it easy to take things overboard.
Running too much mileage or pushing workouts too hard is so tempting, especially when fitness is good and it doesn’t feel too hard. However, the relaxed nature of summer training exists for a reason: competitive season of cross country isn’t until November. Pushing training in June and July and continuing to build that fitness all the way through the fall without overtraining, getting injured, peaking too early, or experiencing burnout is incredibly difficult. That’s why summer training is such an art–a careful balancing act between blissful running and running oneself into the ground. Watch the video below to hear my top tips for hitting that balance perfectly.
