Guest Contributor: Coach Alli Felsenthal
For many runners, summer can feel like an awkward transition period.
Spring races are done. Fall marathon training hasn’t quite started. The temperatures are rising, motivation can be low, and many runners find themselves wondering how much they should be running right now.
The truth is that Summer may be one of the most important training seasons of the entire year!
Instead of chasing peak mileage or trying to stay in marathon shape year-round, summer is an opportunity to build the foundation that will make you a stronger, healthier, and faster runner when race season returns.
If you want a running routine that actually sticks this summer, focus less on piling on miles and more on building the athlete behind the runner.
Build Strength Before You Build Mileage
One of the biggest mistakes runners make is waiting until they’re injured to prioritize strength training. Don’t wait! Summer is the ideal time to flip that script.
Before your next marathon build begins, focus on creating a strong, resilient body that can handle the demands of higher mileage later in the year.
Aim for 2–3 strength sessions per week and prioritize:
- Single-leg strength
- Glute development
- Core stability
- Hip mobility
- Balance and coordination
- Rotational movement patterns (think the Paloff press, lift/chops, or anything working the transverse plane of motion!)
A stronger body improves running economy, reduces injury risk, and helps you maintain efficient form when fatigue sets in during longer races. Think of summer as your opportunity to build the chassis before you put the miles on the engine.
Embrace Speed Before Marathon Training Begins
Summer is also the perfect season to work on speed.
Many runners spend months training for half marathons and marathons without dedicating time to improving their top-end speed. Yet speed development can make every pace feel easier later.
Rather than focusing on long marathon workouts, consider incorporating:
- Strides after easy runs
- Hill sprints
- 200-meter repeats & 400-meter repeats at mile pace (or faster!)
These sessions help improve running economy, neuromuscular efficiency, leg turnover, power production, and confidence while running at faster paces.
You can gain these benefits while running fewer total miles than you would during a marathon build!
Run Less, But Run Better
Not every season requires peak mileage. One of the greatest gifts you can give yourself before marathon training begins is a temporary reduction in volume.
This doesn’t mean stopping running. It means creating space for adaptation.
By running slightly less and focusing on quality workouts, strength training, recovery, and life balance, you’ll often arrive at marathon season healthier, fresher, and more motivated than runners who never take their foot off the gas. Summer can be a time to maintain fitness while reducing the physical and mental stress that often accumulates during race-specific training.
Sometimes the best thing you can do for your future marathon self is not run as much right now.
Train at Different Times of Day
Summer offers an opportunity to become a more adaptable runner.
Most runners naturally gravitate toward early morning runs, but don’t be afraid to occasionally experiment with different training times. Try running at different times of the day to train your body to adapt to different conditions during the summertime. You never know what conditions you might face come race day!
Each presents unique challenges and learning opportunities.
You’ll gain valuable insight into how heat impacts your pace, how humidity affects your hydration needs, what fueling strategies work best, and how your body responds to different environmental stressors.
Learning these lessons during lower-pressure summer training can prepare you for race-day conditions that may not be ideal.
Remember to adjust expectations. Pace is often slower in heat and humidity, and that’s completely normal. Run by effort. Drop the ego!
Don’t Forget Your Electrolytes and Fuel
As temperatures rise, hydration becomes even more important.
Many runners underestimate how much sodium and fluid they’re losing through sweat during summer runs.
Several hydration reminders:
- Start all of your runs well hydrated.
- Bring fluids for longer runs.
- Replace electrolytes during and after workouts.
- Consider a sweat test if you’re a particularly salty sweater.
- Monitor urine color and recovery between sessions.
Fueling matters too. If you’re running longer than 60 minutes, practice taking carbohydrates during your runs. Personally, I take in fuel regardless of how long I’m running to train my stomach and muscles to house more glycogen over time throughout training!
Summer is a fantastic time to test different gels, sports drinks, electrolyte strategies, and dabble with pre and post fueling and hydration routines. Practice it all! Your future self will thank you for doing the practice now.
Looking for an electrolyte to try for your next run? Our friends at Vitalyte are offering 15% with code PBHALF2026.
Looking for a fuel to try? Our friends at e-Gel are offering 10% with code PBHALF.
Why Summer Is the Perfect Time to Find a Coach Who Gets You
Summer training often looks different than race season and that’s exactly why having a coach who truly gets you can make all the difference.
As temperatures rise, schedules become less predictable with vacations, family events, and travel, and many runners find themselves in a transition phase between spring races and fall marathon training. It’s easy to feel like you’re losing fitness if you’re not logging peak mileage every week. A coach who understands you knows that’s not the case.
Instead of blindly adding miles, a great coach recognizes that summer is an opportunity to build the foundation for future success. They know when your body would benefit more from strength training than another long run. They understand that developing speed, power, mobility, and durability now can pay massive dividends once marathon-specific training begins.
A coach who gets you also knows that summer training isn’t one-size-fits-all. Some runners thrive in the heat. Others need more recovery. Some are balancing travel, kids, work, and life while trying to stay consistent. The goal isn’t to follow a perfect plan. It’s to follow a plan that works for your life, putting you first as an individual, and then focusing on your needs as an athlete. This might mean running fewer miles while maintaining fitness through higher-quality workouts, working in family vacations and time on feet around runs during certain weeks around trips, learning how your body responds to different stressors around this type of training (and allowing your body to adapt with adequate recovery from the stress of your training).
Most importantly, a coach who gets you helps remove the pressure of feeling like every run needs to be perfect. They remind you that summer isn’t about proving your fitness. It’s about building it.
The best summer training isn’t the one that looks the most impressive on paper. It’s the one you’ll consistently do. A coach who looks at your training holistically and helps guide you towards finding your balance to stay consistent makes a world of a difference!
Keep Running Fun
Not every run needs to be about a race result. Summer is a great time to reconnect with the reasons you started running in the first place. Join a local group run. Explore a new trail. Run with friends. Sign up for a fun 5K! Take the pressure off pace and performance for a few months. Consistency thrives when enjoyment is part of the process. The runners who stay healthy and motivated long-term are rarely the ones who train the hardest every day. They’re the ones who learn how to make running fit their lives while still challenging themselves appropriately.
To Sum Things Up
If you want a summer running routine that actually sticks, stop thinking like a marathoner for a moment and start thinking like a well rounded athlete! Lean into this season to build strength, and work on speed and more quality while dialing in your fueling and hydrating strategies to discover the parts of running neglected in those marathon heavy builds! And find a coach who helps guide you every step of the way. No one conquers great things solo!
Your strongest marathon season starts long before the marathon build begins. It all starts with what you do this summer.
About the Author: Coach Alli Felsenthal
Founder of RunWithAlli Coaching, Alli Felsenthal is a certified run coach, lifelong athlete, and passionate advocate for helping runners feel strong, confident, and capable—on and off the road. With years of experience coaching athletes of all levels, she’s known for her practical, no-fluff training strategies, deep understanding of mindset, and her supportive, real-talk approach.
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