The cross country season arrives quickly. One week you are enjoying summer, and the next you are standing on a starting line wondering if you did enough. The athletes who perform well in September and October are usually those who used June, July, and August intentionally. Not frantically, not obsessively, but with a plan that built fitness progressively while leaving room for the training that matters most once the season begins.
This article offers a framework for summer training that prepares high school runners for cross country. It is not a day-by-day prescription; individual circumstances vary too much for that. Instead, it provides principles you can adapt to your situation, your goals, and your starting point.
The Purpose of Summer Training
Summer is not the time to peak. It is the time to build the foundation that allows peaking later. Athletes who train too hard in July often fade in October. Those who build patiently through the summer have fitness to spare when championships arrive.
The primary goal of summer training is aerobic development. You are building the cardiovascular and muscular systems that support faster running later. This means plenty of easy running, consistent weekly mileage, and gradual progression. It does not mean racing your teammates through every workout.
Secondary goals include developing running economy, building strength and durability, and establishing habits that carry into the season. Summer is also an opportunity to address weaknesses, whether that means improving your kick, building hill strength, or developing mental skills that need work.
A Three-Phase Approach
Dividing summer into phases helps organize training and ensures appropriate progression. The specific dates depend on when your season begins, but the general structure applies broadly.
Phase 1: Base Building (Early June through Early July)
The first phase emphasizes volume and consistency. If you are coming off a track season, you may need a brief recovery period first, perhaps a week of reduced running before building back up. If you have been running consistently through spring, you can move directly into base building.
During this phase, most running should be at conversational pace. You should be able to speak in complete sentences without gasping. If you cannot, you are running too fast for base building purposes. The aerobic system develops best through sustained, moderate effort, not through constant hard running.
Increase weekly mileage gradually, typically by no more than 10 percent per week. If you finished track season running 30 miles per week, aim to reach 35-40 miles by the end of this phase. The exact numbers depend on your history, your goals, and how your body responds.
Include one longer run per week, building toward a duration that challenges your endurance without destroying you. For most high school runners, this means 60 to 90 minutes by the end of the base phase. Run this effort easy; the benefit comes from time on feet, not from pace.
Phase 2: Strength and Introduction of Faster Running (Mid-July through Early August)
The second phase maintains the aerobic base while adding elements that prepare the body for faster running. This is when you introduce hills, tempo efforts, and light speedwork.
Hill repeats build strength and power without the pounding of flat intervals. Find a hill that takes 60 to 90 seconds to climb at a hard but controlled effort. Run up with good form, jog down for recovery, and repeat. Start with four to six repetitions and build from there.
Tempo runs teach your body to process lactate and maintain pace under moderate stress. A classic tempo effort lasts 20 to 30 minutes at a pace you could hold for about an hour in a race, roughly 80 to 85 percent of maximum effort. These should feel comfortably hard: challenging but sustainable.
Strides, short accelerations of 15 to 20 seconds at near-sprint pace with full recovery, maintain neuromuscular coordination and running economy. Include four to six strides two or three times per week, either after easy runs or as part of a warm-up.
Weekly mileage can continue to build slightly during this phase, but the focus shifts from adding volume to adding quality. Do not sacrifice the easy running that supports recovery; it remains the foundation.
Phase 3: Sharpening and Transition (Mid-August through Season Start)
The final phase prepares you to race. Training becomes more specific to cross country demands: race-pace intervals, course simulation, and practice runs that mimic competition conditions.
This phase often coincides with the start of official team practices. Work with your coach to integrate summer fitness with the team's training plan. The goal is to arrive at your first race fit, fresh, and confident, not exhausted from trying to cram in additional training.
Reduce volume slightly in the final week or two before your first race. This taper allows accumulated fatigue to dissipate while maintaining the fitness you have built. Trust the work you did in June and July; it does not disappear because you eased off for a few days.
The Role of Rest and Recovery
Training does not make you faster. Recovery from training makes you faster. The adaptation process requires rest, and athletes who skip recovery stagnate or break down.
Build at least one complete rest day into each week. Some athletes benefit from two. These are not wasted days; they are when your body consolidates the gains from training. Sleep is equally important. Aim for eight to ten hours per night, more than most teenagers get. Growth hormone, which supports muscle repair and adaptation, releases primarily during sleep.
Easy days should actually be easy. The temptation to turn every run into a tempo effort undermines recovery and limits how hard you can go on days that matter. Discipline on easy days enables quality on hard days.
Strength Work and Injury Prevention
Running alone does not build complete athletic development. Targeted strength work addresses weaknesses that running misses and reduces injury risk as mileage increases.
Focus on exercises that support running mechanics: single-leg squats and deadlifts for hip stability, calf raises for Achilles health, core work for pelvic control, and glute activation exercises for power and efficiency. Two to three sessions per week of 20 to 30 minutes is sufficient for most high school runners.
Flexibility and mobility work help maintain range of motion as training volume increases. Dynamic stretching before runs and static stretching after, along with foam rolling or other soft tissue work, keep muscles functioning well.
How a Summer Camp Fits In
A well-designed running camp can accelerate summer development by providing focused training, expert coaching, and an environment optimized for improvement. The question is how to integrate a camp into your broader summer plan.
A camp in late June or early July can serve as an intensive base-building block, providing structure and volume that athletes often struggle to maintain on their own. The community aspect, training alongside motivated peers, helps sustain effort through the less glamorous work of aerobic development.
A camp in late July can combine base maintenance with the introduction of quality work, bridging the first and second phases described above. Altitude training during this period, if the camp is located at elevation, adds physiological benefits that enhance the fitness built through consistent running.
The key is allowing adequate recovery after camp before your season begins. A two-week camp ending in early August leaves time to absorb the training and arrive at your first race ready to compete. A camp that ends the week before your first race may leave you flat.
Common Summer Training Mistakes
Running too fast too often. The biggest mistake is treating every run like a race. This prevents recovery, limits aerobic development, and often leads to injury or burnout before the season begins. Most summer running should feel easy.
Inconsistency. Three big weeks followed by a week off is less effective than four moderate weeks in a row. Consistency matters more than any single workout. Plan for sustainability.
Ignoring warning signs. Persistent soreness, declining performance, loss of motivation, and disrupted sleep are signals that something is wrong. Pushing through these signs often makes problems worse. Address issues early.
Comparing yourself to others. Your teammate's summer plan may not be right for you. Different athletes respond to different training, and comparison often leads to overtraining or discouragement. Focus on your own development.
Building Toward September
The goal of summer training is not to be in the best shape of your life by August. It is to arrive at September with a foundation that supports continued improvement through the season. Athletes who pace themselves through summer often finish the season stronger than those who burned bright early.
Trust the process. The long, easy runs that feel unimpressive are building aerobic capacity. The hill repeats are developing strength. The rest days are allowing adaptation. When you stand on the starting line of your first race, the summer's work will be there, ready to serve you when it matters.
