Hot Runner Summer

As we roll into July, we talk through some strategies for doing more than just making it through summer training, and instead making the most out of the seasonality our state offers. We tackle both what types of workouts work best this time of year (both from a weather and training periodization perspective), as well as the significance of effort-based training. As elite coach and Wisconsin native Jerry Schumacher expressed, there are big long-term benefits to be had from having a training cycle that is responsive to the climate. While certain types of workouts can be brutal on a muggy morning in July, some of the types of workouts that are most conducive to the summer forecasts also align nicely with a long-term build towards fall performances, regardless of whether those goal races are a marathon or a 5k cross country race. Beyond being a bit of a necessity in the heat and humidity of the Midwest, we also share why we believe mastering effort-based is key to optimizing training and maximizing performance over an entire running career.