Summer is in fully swing. Temps are soaring, humidity is excessive, and training blocks are at an all time high. Am I right?! Training in these less than ideal conditions is tough stuff. It requires a bit more planning and the willingness to throw pace out the window. For a lot of us, that’s hard. But, I have a few tips to help you get through the dog days of summer.

Before I started coaching, I had a job that worked me 7 a.m. – 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. I was on my feet literally all day and spent the majority of my time interacting with customers and staff. I was training for my first Ironman race, had only been married a couple of years, and my husband was working full-time while finishing up his master’s degree. To say our life was busy would be very accurate! That year was a test to my ability to plan and schedule as I had to figure out how to balance work a full training load and family time around two very hectic schedules. This is where having a coach really helped.

When life gives you lemons, make lemonade. That’s the saying right? Well life has given us lemons post Age Group Nationals, but Kelly and I are going to make lemonade out of it! Let’s fill you in.

In prep for my athletes "A” races for the year, I encourage them to race throughout the season in their build up. I think it is super beneficial for a few reasons. First, it breaks up the monotony of training throughout the year and gives the athlete something to look forward to as they build.