An Ode to Summer Running
Summer running… a time where cross country teams everywhere start to prepare for the season ahead. It was one of my favorite things about the sport, when in a team setting. Nothing but miles - some hard, some easy - camaraderie, and a focus on process were at the forefront. With no races on the calendar for three to four months, teams have the opportunity to of course, lay an aerobic foundation, but more importantly, lay a foundation of culture within their circle. I was on teams that took trips to the Bighorn Mountains, the north woods of Minnesota, Boulder, and the Minnesota North Shore. During these trips, the training served as a medium for a focus on connection, and people. Conversation ranged from your deepest and wildest dreams, to deep dives on fantasy football prospects, to how to catch a fish with limited equipment later that afternoon. From what I observed over the years, this was everyones favorite time of year. Where training wasn’t analyzed as seriously, it didn’t matter how you felt, and where you could push a day for no reason, with no repercussions. With the hope of the season ahead, dreams were still dreams, and goals were still goals. Sometimes we hit all of these goals and dreams, and sometimes we didn’t. But the beauty of summer running lies in the presence of the process. Show up, run, sometimes far, sometimes short, sometimes hard, sometimes easy, go hang out with your friends (or work if you’re responsible), run again, go eat, go sleep, wake up, repeat. This was the cycle. Enjoying running for running, nothing more nothing less. It’s beautiful.
My summer running tips to high school/college XC athletes:
- Run a lot (within reason), push some days when you feel like it, recover the others
- Go on a “training trip” with your teammates (hint: its not about the training)
- Drive out for runs! Enjoy seeing new areas while you have the time
- Do strides! Sometimes on hills
- Invite anyone and everyone, regardless of what team they are on
- Go get brunch after you run
- Remind yourself to appreciate the little moments, they won’t last forever
- Don’t rush into the season, mentally or physically
- Don’t worry if you get “dropped” sometimes, its a long ways until November
