Those Sweaty Summer Miles Mean Something

Those slogging summer miles can help you in the long run, but only if you treat them with the respect they deserve.

Photo by Clem Onojeghuo on Unsplash

I have come to the conclusion that summer is the absolute WORST time to train for anything. Especially here in Virginia, where both heat and the dreaded humidity (it’s truly what will kill you) play a role in making every time of day a bad time to run. However, summer running, if done properly, can be one of the most productive boosts leading to a fall race (or even in terms of longer-term planning for big spring races).

Sweaty Summer Miles

Learning my Lesson

Back in 2019, when I got serious about running again, I set out to just get more consistent with my running. I thought if I could make running a regular practice (keep a consistent schedule), I’d grow to fall back in love with the sport. Everything was going great, and the regularity really did impact my desire to continue to grow as a runner. I even joined a run training group in Richmond (RaceTeamRVA). It became such a blessing for my running because it gave me communal motivation to keep me invested. I had others invested in my growth, and it made me more committed. However, the downside was that I began running with this group towards the end of May in 2019. That’s right—all of this started to happen right as we were entering summertime in one of those humid and muggy regions of the country.

I remember slogging through the miles each Saturday during our group long runs. I tried to find my easy pace, but nothing seemed to work. It all felt hard, and as much as I sweated, I struggled to stay fully hydrated for runs. Even though I would bring water bottles with electrolytes to keep hydrated, I was wondering how much of this was worth it. I struggled through 8, 10, and even 12-mile runs, getting through summer training, but the coaches kept encouraging me. While there were times I wanted to give up, I stuck with it and continued to train. The coaches would reiterate that summer miles lead to fall PRs. Well, I didn’t think I would PR, but I hoped it would at least lead to me not dying…

It was one Saturday towards the middle of September from that year when the lesson of summer miles really hit home. I was going to miss the opportunity to join the club for our weekly group run and was going to get my long run in while visiting my in-laws in Ashland, Va. One of the coaches posted in the Facebook group we had going a note of encouragement for the next day's run. He encouraged us to keep in mind the weather. Normally, this would have been done because of oppressive heat or humidity leading to Heat Advisories for our area and calling us to make sure we exercise caution on when (and even where) we ran.

This time was different, though. He was encouraging us to use this long run to accomplish something. It was going to be a bit cooler (in the 70s), and the humidity was going to be low, which meant that there would be less stress from the heat on our cardio and aerobic systems. The workout was a 7-mile long run, and he encouraged us to take it easy for the first couple of miles fairly easily, and then, as we felt comfortable, to let our foot off the brake more (basically run faster).

Well, I did just that and surprised myself. Most of the summer, I had been sitting around 9:45-10:30/mile (and doing quite a bit of walking to regulate my heart rate). However, when I opened up that run, I began dropping into the low 9:00/mile and feeling so comfortable. I never felt judged or inadequate where I was in terms of pace. Opening it up and seeing all the strength I had gained through those rough summer miles was so affirming for my running journey. It taught me the importance of those summer miles and that they were actually worth it in the long run.

The Miles Can Be Tough

Summer miles are tough, and it is often hard to find that right pace, but we have to cut ourselves some slack as we run them. They will not be perfect miles in any way, but they are miles that are worth it in the end. This goes along with making sure we are running productively during these hotter temperatures. The fact that it is hotter means your body is doing more work than it would normally do. It requires more energy to run at what your easy pace feels like during hotter and even humid temperatures. You need to be more in tune with your hydration and ensure your body is truly getting what it needs.

You are going to need to back off what you think your pace needs to be and do what you should do instead. Tools like this one from Runners Connect can take some of the guesswork out of it for you

Screenshot from runnersconnect.net with information I put into it for a 3 mile run. My regular easy pace is around 9:30, and you can see with the heat and humidity factor, I should probably be around 9:58/mile.

You can see from the information I submitted for a recent run I was going to do at run club, that sometimes it can mean backing off almost 30 seconds per mile.

I promise…it will be ok.

The Strava police will not come after you. You need to do what is going to help you grow, and sometimes that means backing off to make sure you are getting the aerobic benefit from doing easy runs in those conditions.

We as runners have to be smart because the awesome thing is that what feels like it sucks during those warm and muggy summer months could really surprise you when those cooler fall and winter months come around. By persevering through the challenging summer miles, you build the strength, resilience, and endurance that make your fall and winter runs feel like a breeze. So embrace the summer struggle, stay hydrated, and trust that the effort you put in now will pay off when the temperatures drop. Keep running smart, listen to the mentors in your community, and you’ll see the rewards in your improved performance and newfound confidence.

Now as an added note to my friend and coach Ryan Carroll: this does not negate that I will ALWAYS complain about the heat and how much I am sweating…