2025 Spring Racing/Training Program, June 19, 2025, week 14, day 4, final week of sharpening, Third week, transition from track to cross country.

The road to 2025 racing is just prior to Nationals!

We have built Spring Track & Field now for the final week!

Now, we are at the final sharpening for some.

NIKE Outdoor is June 19-22 (includes USATF Juniors),

Good luck for all at Nike Outdoor and NB Outdoors!

For many, time to take a two-three week light break prior to Summer Mileage.

Thanks to the nice notes from coaches and athletes.

We will begin our slow launch of Summer Mileage on June 2 as well.

Today is  June 19 , 2025

For Those Sharpening, we suggest the following:

Thursday, Warm-up, 45 minutes of easy running, 6 x 150 meter stride-outs, cooldown.

For Slow Summer launch, two weeks of Easy Running: 

Warm-up, 30 minutes on bike, walking or swimming.

Hydrate and stretch.  Always hydrate.

Some thoughts on summer mileage program. 

Have you considered cross country?

Cross Country is offered in over 16,500 high schools and many junior high schools. It normally goes from mid-August to November for most.  To prepare for cross country, we at RunBlogRun encourage you and your 550,000 closest friends who like the 400m to 5,000m, consider cross country!

It is a great way to stay in shape and it builds your fitness so that you are ready for the challenges of cross country.

What motivated Steve Prefontaine in the summer between his sophomore and junior year?

Was it the knowledge that he had not done his very best in track and field? Perhaps, he had not taken his commitment as serious as he thought he should?

When you have not achieved what you expected, how do you respond? Are you being called to put in some more effort? Many of us have had those challenges, and Summer mileage is a great program to get one self focused.

Think about five things you can do better for fall cross country, write them on a post card, and tape it to a place in your room where you will see it at least once a day!

Remember to drink 8 glasses of water, 12 ounces each a day!

Other book suggestions include Self Made Olympian by Ron Daws, A Clean Pair of Heels by Murray Halberg, and Pre! by Tom Jordan.

Graham Blanks is one of the most promising American distance runners. Graham has won two NCAA cross country titles, and his moves over the last season showed his prowess and racing savvy! This past winter, Graham improved his 1,500m PB by seven seconds. Then, in the Ten, that wonderful 10,000m happening that Sound Running produces in March, Graham ran sub 27 minutes with his 26:57.30! Over 5,000m, Graham had gone from 13:19 (9th in Paris Olympics) to 12:59.80 in December 2024 to 12:48.20 for 5,000m in that Oslo Diamond League event!

Look at Graham, his confidence, his presence, his improvements! Notice that cross country training and racing has played a huge part in his development!

Cross country builds careers!

Larry Eder has had a 52-year involvement in the sport of athletics. Larry has experienced the sport as an athlete, coach, magazine publisher, and now, journalist and blogger. His first article, on Don Bowden, America’s first sub-4 minute miler, was published in RW in 1983. Larry has published several magazines on athletics, from American Athletics to the U.S. version of Spikes magazine. He currently manages the content and marketing development of the RunningNetwork, The Shoe Addicts, and RunBlogRun. Of RunBlogRun, his daily pilgrimage with the sport, Larry says: “I have to admit, I love traveling to far away meets, writing about the sport I love, and the athletes I respect, for my readers at runblogrun.com, the most of anything I have ever done, except, maybe running itself.” Also does some updates for BBC Sports at key events, which he truly enjoys. Theme song: Greg Allman, ” I’m no Angel.”

View all posts