QT: Mid-Summer Struggles Many Runners are Forced to Face

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Don’t look now, but we are at the midway point of 2022.

Yep.

This time of the year can be a difficult time of year for a lot of runners, at least it is for some of the runners I coach.

Today I’m taking a look at some issues you may be struggling with right now, and offering a few suggestions to help you stay the course with your training.

The Summer Struggles are Real…

With a little luck, you’re not dealing with any mid-summer struggles related to your running at the moment.

More than likely, not everything is absolutely perfect for you right now.

Here are a few areas some of the #DizRunners are struggling with right now.

Maybe your summer struggles are similar?

If so, here’s hoping you can get off the struggle bus soon.

Weather

The summer weather can be pretty brutal for even the most dedicated runner.

Whether it’s hot and humid or hot and dry, it’s still hot for a lot of folks.

And I don’t care how much you try, you can’t just ignore the impact of the heat on your running this time of year.

With the exception of heading inside and running on the treadmill, which actually is a very viable option, there’s not much you can do to eliminate the impact of the heat in the summer.

Believe me, I wish there was another option.

So all you can really do is adjust what you’re doing until the weather cools off (eventually).

• Slow down.
• Run early/late.
• Reduced mileage.
• Change where you run.

Whatever alterations need to be made for you to get through the rest of the summer, just trust that you’re not going to be losing your fitness while running a little less/slower.

The boost you’ll get will more than make up for any drop in fitness, though if you’re running consistently I can basically guarantee you won’t be losing fitness anyway.

Upcoming Race Timeline

It may not feel like it outside right now, but fall is coming.

At some point.

If you’ve got a goal race planned for this fall, or even into the early part of next year, don’t fall asleep on your training.

It’s easy to still feel like October/November is a long way off.

But race day will be here sooner than you might think.

Keep doing the work.

Because showing up on race day ill-prepared sucks.

Schedule in Chaos

Summer schedules can be a hot mess.

Kids out of school. Holidays. Vacations. Work non-sense.

Life is always a factor, but it feels like life happens exponentially in the summer.

If that’s the case for you right now, give yourself some grace in regards to your training.

Do the best you can to stay on track, of course, but we all are going to miss a run here and there.

Is that ideal? Obviously not.

But is missing a run a major deal in the big picture? Not at all.

A Dip in Motivation

If you don’t much care for running in the heat during the summer, it’s pretty easy for your motivation to lag this time of year.

If you really don’t want to run through the summer? Don’t.

It really can be that simple.

Give yourself a week or few off, and hopefully you’ll find your motivation coming back sooner rather than later.

When your motivation comes back? Get back out there.

But until then? Less may be more.

After all, running is something we are supposed to enjoy first and foremost, right?

To Struggle is Human…

It would be lovely if we never had any summer struggles in our running lives, but that’s just not realistic.

If you’re not struggling right now, that’s awesome!

Get out there. Get your miles in. And enjoy this struggle-free time while it lasts!

But if you are struggling right now, know that you’ve got plenty of company.

And also, know that these mid-summer struggles are temporary.

Hopefully, your ride on the struggle bus will come to an end soon…

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Are you struggling a bit with your running this summer? I promise, you're not alone. #runchat Click To Tweet

What are You Struggling with on the Running Front at the Moment?

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