Training for Monday, July 6, 2026, Summer Mile Program, Week 3, Day 1
We just finished the three-week preseason. He The NIKE Outdoor and New Balance Outdoor Champs ended on June 22, 2026. It’s time for the summer mileage program. We are now in week 3 of an eight week build up to your summer mileage.
We offer our readers (coaches and athletes) daily tips to increase summer and fall cross country mileage.
We will be sending our weekly training to middle and high school coaches, starting next week, to 46,000 cross country coaches in every state.
In the fall of 2026, around 587,000 high school boys and girls will compete in cross country!
The RunBlogRun Summer Mileage started on June 22nd.
This is Week 3, Day 1 of the RunBlogRun 2026 Summer Mileage Program!
RunBlogRun has offered summer mileage programs since 2006, the year we started the RunBlogRun blog. The truth is, we’ve been offering online training programs since 1996, when we launched them on AmericanTrackandField at Runningnetwork.com. Any questions? Please send to [email protected]ATT: XC training.
Our programs were developed by coaches, real coaches who trained in high schools, colleges and clubs. We focus on the long term, a couple of mountain days and a pace day. We encourage group training and coaches sharing them with their teams. All athletes must undergo physical examinations each year, between ages 13 and 19, before the cross-country and track season.
we recommend a new pair of training shoes (go to a local running store, try on the shoes, and support local running stores) and clean your socks. Hydration is key; Easy days are key. Follow the program after sharing it with your trainer.
Week 3, Day 1, Monday, July 6, 2026
- Beginners: warm well; run for 40 to 45 minutes at a moderate pace; if necessary, take a short break halfway; keep it relaxed; cool down; hydrate. The big issue is to keep moving forward. Run with other beginners. Encourage each other. It’s time to run the whole race; if necessary, slow down.
- First time distance runners: Warm up well, minutes of easy running, run 45-50 minutes straight, 4 strides of 150 meters, then cool down well and hydrate. Run at a conversational pace. Keep it relaxed. Try running in a park or on a cross-country track.
- Experienced XC racers: Warm up well, gather a couple of partners, run 55-60 minutes at a moderate pace, do 6×150 meter strides and cool down.
Hydration is a state of mind. Hydration isn’t about drinking lots of sugary drinks; it’s about drinking water, 8 to 12 8 to 12 ounce glasses a day, carrying a water bottle, and monitoring your intake of caffeine and carbonated sugary drinks, which are absolute crap for a true athlete.
Also, stay away from so-called sports energy drinks and do not combine them with alcohol. Why train hard and ruin it by putting some junk in your mortal engine?
Think before you drink.
Choosing shoes for summer training!
We’ve been busy testing a dozen training shoes. Look out for our reviews on IG, X, and FB starting this week!
For training high school distance runners during the summer, we really like it he Nike Pegasus 42, ghost of streams 17, Saucony Huracán 25, and New Balance Rebel V 5 fuel cell.
A new one to check out is the NIKE LDV 1000 ACG. A good mileage, fun looking, retro shoe (we ran in an earlier version in 1978!)
The key is this: go to your local running store, bring a clean pair of socks, and try on at least 6 different shoes from at least 3 brands. Find what is best for you. Run around the store, if they let you, around the block in them.
We suggest two pairs of training shoes: one for faster runs and one for long, easy days.
Do you want to be a better Cross-Country runner? Focus and follow our training. It’s about consistency. Increased daily training.
For 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)
A new suggestion: Once a Runner by John Parker. It’s one of my favorite books about running, about a runner who wants to see how good he can be. This book is a cult favorite.
Remember, one day at a time!!!! #crosscountry, #summermileage, #preseason, #crosscountry, #buildingendurance,
