by Larry Eder
This is the fourth day of the first week of Summer Mileage, this is about your future.
Cole Hocker is the 2024 Olympic champion at the 1,500 meters.
2024 was a great year for Cole Hocker, as he took silver at the Worlds in the 1,500 meters and gold in the Paris Olympics.
Cole Hocker has won the last two US Olympic Trials at the 1,500 meters, and competed well at the US champs. I was quite impressed in 2022 when Cole won the 1,500m and 3,000m at the US Indoor Champs in Spokane, Washington.
Cole Hocker trains with Cooper Teare and has learned his lessons well. He has won four US titles at 1,500 meters, and one title at 3,000 meters. In 2021, Cole took sixth in the Olympic 1,500 meters and in 2023, Cole took seventh in the World Champs 1,500 meters.
“There was a very small percentage of people who thought that I could win Paris. Luckily, I was one of them.” Noted Cole in a recent Instagram. Check out Cole’s You Tube at Wahoo Presents: Cole Hocker. I really like it, he keeps is focused, a little bit of fun and a honest representation of racing and training and living at the elite level.
Cole Hocker won the FootLocker XC in 2018, and als won 4 NCAA titles while at the University of Oregon. His racing style? Cole Hocker has an explosive finish and seldom races poorly. His Olympic gold medal is a testament to an athlete who believes in himself, came through cross country, then track in high school and college and now races for NIKE.
At the 2025 Pre Classic, Cole finished 4th in the Bowerman mile, taking a PB in 3:47.38 !
Watch Cole Hocker in three weeks at the US Champs in Eugene, July 27-August 1, 2025.
The road to 2025 Cross country is just beginning
Time to build some mileage for fall cross country!
Today is July 10 , 2025
Week One, Day four, Summer Mileage.
Thursday, warm up, 45-50 minutes with five one minute hill charges, keep the pace moderate, cooldown.
Hydrate and stretch. Always hydrate.
Some thoughts on summer mileage program.
Have you considered cross country?
Cross Country is offered in over 16,500 high schools and many junior high schools. It normally goes from mid-August to November for most. To prepare for cross country, we at RunBlogRun encourage you and your 550,000 closest friends who like the 400m to 5,000m, consider cross country!
It is a great way to stay in shape and it builds your fitness so that you are ready for the challenges of cross country.
What motivated Steve Prefontaine in the summer between his sophomore and junior year?
Was it the knowledge that he had not done his very best in track and field? Perhaps, he had not taken his commitment as serious as he thought he should?
When you have not achieved what you expected, how do you respond? Are you being called to put in some more effort? Many of us have had those challenges, and Summer mileage is a great program to get one self focused.
Think about five things you can do better for fall cross country, write them on a post card, and tape it to a place in your room where you will see it at least once a day!
Remember to drink 8 glasses of water, 12 ounces each a day!
When Pre was in high school, after he failed to make his State track meet as a sophomore, he became obsessed with daily training. These were not just easy runs, they were bone-churning, gut-wrenching efforts focused to make him unbeatable. In his junior year of cross country, Pre saw that his summer of running made a huge difference.
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.
Other book suggestions include Self Made Olympian by Ron Daws, A Clean Pair of Heels by Murray Halberg, and Pre! by Tom Jordan.
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.
