by Larry Eder
RunBlogRun provides, as it has since 2006, a summer cross-country mileage program. Over eight weeks, we help you build up your mileage, provide weekly tempo, hill workouts, and either a race or a third quality day. The idea is to get you ready for fall cross country. Thank you for considering our workout plan.
Sundays are long run days in this program. In my racing days, my coaches had me run a long run once to twice a week. In high school, I ran 8-12 miles for long runs; in college, 15-18, and post-collegiate, 18-23 miles (on three-week cycles).
In high school, it was about getting mileage in. In college, we were building a base and preparing to race 5,000m to 10,000m. In post-collegiate, it was about building endurance for marathons, cross country, and track racing. Arthur Lydiard, one of the most important coaches in our sports’ history, suggested 90 minutes to 2 hours once a week, as it helped build capillaries and increase the efficiency of your circulation system.
Right now, we have you doing 70 to 75 minutes at a conversation pace. Throw in a few hills and do some trail running. Challenge your feet. Enjoy nature and be grateful that you can move and enjoy the world you live in.
Today’s workout for August 21, 2022, s a 70-75 minute run with a cooldown, and make sure you hydrate all day (you should be drinking 8-10 glasses of 12-16 ounces of water each and every day to support your training and a healthy body. This is not one of those discussion points. Want to keep the injuries down, hydrate, want to recover from workouts, hydrate, want to be the best athlete that you can be, hydrate.)
