The Summer Grind

A couple reasons I haven't updates this blog - 1) I forgot my password, and 2) I wasn't really sure where I was going to go with it once track season ended.

Don't get me wrong, I enjoy cross country. But I LOVE track. There are so many variables in cross country. Track is pure. There are no variables. Anything you do or do not do is the fault and success of you and you alone.

Obviously, again, it's similar in cross country. But is it really your fault if you have a bad race because you get slammed into a pole, or a branch takes your legs out, or the mud takes your shoes away?

I'm not sure, but I don't like any of those things.

But it doesn't matter! Because this is summer. At being both a collegiate....person and runner in summer means a few things. A) Run. A lot. B) Get a job. C) Have fun in nice weather.

Now, this make seem familiar to school, with the altering of B slightly, but I assure you it is no-....

Okay, it is.

The difference in summer training is both good and bad. It takes less time to do, as you just go out and run from home most every day, but it also is a lot more volume, which is NOT easier to do.

This is going to be my breakdown of workouts at the peak of summer mileage wise:

Monday: Run to work - 9miles
After work: To field or track for speed work. 4-5 miles

Tuesday: Run to work - Tempo in middle (about 25min of 5:30-40 pace). Strength when I get there.

Wednesday: Run to work, but longer way - 11 miles. Strides when I get there, +1 mile

Thursday: Run to work, HARD. ~6min pace.

Friday: Run to work. After work, do a hill workout on my street. ~4miles.

Saturday: Easy 15miles.

Sunday: Easy 6-8

That's about 80 mpw. And that's at the conservative end of the spectrum. I may double difference days.

To the average runner, this seems reasonable. To the average person, they are saying prayers and clutching jesus-beads. Or whatever they're called.

The summer grind is no joke, it is how you develop the secret of your success during the season.

And as we all know, the secret is..

..that there is no secret.