Cross country season was half over on the first day of practice. And now, with over twenty years of high school coaching experience, I realize that summer training is a hallmark to success for distance runners.

I do not believe that summer running should reflect the rigors of in-season training. Rather, summer running should afford runners the opportunity to maintain and improve their fitness levels, experiment with cross training, build core strength, and join a community of likeminded teenagers who are focused on success as distance runners.