Summer Running Tips

Hello,

Catherine DeMarais and I were trading some emails about summer running, but I thought the information could apply to everyone, so I wanted to post it here.

Summer training isn't something I want to force on anyone...you have to take ownership of your own goals and put in the time and effort to make them happen. Here are a few suggestions to get you there:

1) Some Warmup/Cooldown Miles - I know it can become habit to get start running right out the door in the summer, but by running a warmup mile or cooldown mile every other day, you can add a few more easy miles each week...and it's good for your legs.

2) Plan Your Running Schedule - Each week, take 10 minutes before the beginning of the next week (Saturday), sit down and figure out how many times you can run, on what days, and approximately how far you want to go on those days for the next week (Sunday through Saturday).

If you take the time to plan it out and make accommodations for other events you have planned, running is more likely to happen. Plus, if you figure out how far you should be going each run...it will help you to run far enough and to stay on track with your miles.

Here's an example: Next week I plan to run 4 days - 6 miles on Sunday, I won't have time to run on Monday, 4 miles on Tuesday, I work late on Wednesday so no running, 5 miles on Thursday, I am travelling out of town on Friday so no running, then 5 miles on Saturday morning. I should have 20 miles next week on this schedule, then when I throw in a warmup or cooldown mile or two some days, I will likely end up with 22-24 miles.

3) Develop A Routine - As much as you can, try to find some consistent days to always run. Maybe weekends are easier, so plan to run as often as possible on both Saturday and Sunday. Maybe you work until 8pm on Monday, but it works well to run right after work...get in the habit of always doing a run at that time.

4) Have A Minimum Amount - Believe me, any running is good, but this is base training...these miles get you in shape to handle a rigorous season. Try to stick with a plan where 30 minutes or 4 miles is the least amount of total running you would do in a day that you run. It can be easy to cut things short at times, but the more running that happens in the summer - the easier it will be later.

5) Run With Others - The biggest help in training can be finding a partner to share the experience. The best summer training I ever did in high school was when a good friend and I got together to run at the same time each night...we ended up running together for over 40 consecutive days at one point and we were definitely ready when the season started. Another person can help you to keep up the pace, make the time go by faster, and hold you accountable to run...even if it would be just once a week, and it doesn't necessarily have to be someone on the team.

If you have any questions with your off-season training, please let me know and I will try to help.

Thanks,
Jesse