There are so many factors that play into the way a run may go, most importantly you have to listen to your body. We cannot force anything at this stage of the summer. We don't want you to be over trained when you report for XC season. Leo (Mrs. Petrina) and I take the 1st mile or 2 to work into the pace and let our body get accustomed to the weather, terrain, and run effort. We don't need to be blazing out the door with no warm up or stretching. It’s not a bad idea to do skips and walking drills before a run, I would recommend it.

Another factor is the weather. Heat, humidity, dew point and more factor into the way a body will react on any given run. Make sure you are hydrated well before and after runs. Sports drink are vital this time of year to keep your electrolytes at the proper levels with all the heat and humidity.

The way the Sunday runs are going to work and have been working, when I am in shape, we go out at a comfortable pace and slowly bring the pace down every mile until we are just flying back and finishing at a solid pace. The new Tuesday 1k repeats are going to be exactly that 1k repeats at a tempo pace with little rest to lock good leg turnover into the legs. Doings these 2 workouts will help make the Normal and Normal + runs feel easier as we go along.

Remember the main focus of summer training is to build mileage and speed as the summer progresses. This will ensure a great base for the real workouts and racing of XC season and beyond. Have fun, don't force it if it's not working on that day. Good luck and see you at the group runs.

Coach Petrina