by Larry Eder
2025 Summer Mileage, July 29, 2025, Week 4, Day 2, a Tuesday hill day, some thoughts on Pre and Summer running!
Tuesday, July 29, 2025, warm-up, 5 x 2 minute hills, 5 x 1 minute hills, 5x 30 second hills, 30 minute eay running, cooldown.
Some thoughts on Pre!
Steve Prefontaine held American records for the 2,000m, 3,000m, 5,000m and 10,000m when he tragically died. A few of his friends teased him about winning a medal at the 10,000m and he gave them dirty looks, I have been told. Twenty-five laps on the track is a grueling distance, but the speed and endurance that Steve Prefontaine possessed may have suited him for that event, even more than the 5,000m!
The self knowledge that Steve Prefontaine developed training after his sophomore year in high school, and the even more knowledge he gained after his junior year, from training by himself to prepare for cross country, endured for the rest of his life.
How many degrees of separation from Steve Prefontaine? Ask Bill Rodgers! A month before Pre died, he sent Bill his first pair of NIKE racing shoes, with a hand-written note. Bill still has the note and shoes! For the 50th anniversary of Bill’s first win in Boston (a ten minute PB!), NIKE built a memory box for him, with his shoes, his note from Steve, his vest and a NIKE newsletter on Bill’s win!
You may train with others, but it is you doing the miles. I recall running mile repeats at Los Gatos High track, on a cold, winter night, with only our coach, Dan Durante, and my training partner, Paul Gyorey out there with me. It was tough, but it built us into stronger runners.
Your Summer mileage is a deposit into your future in running. If you want to see how good you can be, devote just one hour a day to running this summer and you will see the dividends!
Will. you be ready? Follow our daily training suggestions, and daily athlete stories and you will be ready to race in the fall!
The Nike Pegasus PLUS is a great entry shoe for high school cross country. You should consider it, and learn more about it at nike.com. It is light, cushioned, a good summer mileage shoe. If you need a little more cushioning, try the Vomero 18. The Vomero 18 has more cushioning that the Pegasus PLUS. If you like NIKE, I would suggest high schoolers use the NIKE Pegasus PLUS for Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. I would suggest the Vomero 18 for Sunday, Monday, Wednesday and Friday. I always suggest two pairs of training shoes. Why on Vomero 18? It is a cushioned shoe that feels great and is good on the roads and trails.
Do you want to be a better cross country runner than you were in the past? Focus and follow our training. It is all about the consistency.
For Great Summer reading! Self Made Olympian by Ron Daws, A Clean Pair of Heels by Murray Halberg, Pre! by Tom Jordan, Quicksilver, The Mercurial Emil Zatopek, by Pat Butcher, The Destiny of Alain Mimoun, by Pat Butcher (a monograph)
The Nike Pegasus PLUS is a great entry shoe for high school cross country. You should consider it, and learn more about it at nike.com. It is light, cushioned, a good summer mileage shoe. If you need a little more cushioning, try the Vomero 18. The Vomero 18 has more cushioning that the Pegasus PLUS. If you like NIKE, I would suggest high schoolers use the NIKE Pegasus PLUS for Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. I would suggest the Vomero 18 for Sunday, Monday, Wednesday and Friday. I always suggest two pairs of training shoes. Why on Vomero 18? It is a cushioned shoe that feels great and is good on the roads and trails.
Remember, one day at a time!!!! #SummerMileage, #CrossCountry,
