We’ve officially hit that point in the season. The summer humidity is sitting heavy on the pavement, the air feels like warm soup by 6:00 AM, and your running gear a. If you’re struggling to find the motivation to lace up your shoes right now, you are definitely not alone. When the heat index skyrockets, fighting your winter paces is a losing battle. But instead of letting your routine turn into a miserable grind, let’s change the rules of engagement. If you need a mental reset, here are five ways to stop surviving your summer miles and actually start enjoying them again.
Take It To The Beach
If you’re tired of staring at the same sizzling asphalt, change your terrain entirely. Heading to the coast for a beach run is one of the best ways to trick your brain into enjoying the heat. The trick is timing it right with the low tide so you can run on the hard-packed, wet sand right by the water’s edge. You get a fantastic calf and ankle workout, a steady coastal breeze, and the ultimate reward: walking straight into the ocean for a post-run cooldown soak.
Go On A Color Scavenger Hunt
When you’re glancing at your watch every thirty seconds waiting for the mile to click over, the run drags on forever. Take the focus off your screen and turn your route into a game. Pick a few highly specific colors before you step out the door (like neon pink, bright turquoise, or school-bus yellow) and challenge yourself to find them in the wild. Focus on tracking down local lawn ornaments, colorful flowers, or vibrant cars. Shifting your focus to your surroundings takes your mind off the heat and helps the miles fly by.
Lean Heavily Into Little Treats
Let’s be completely honest: sometimes we just need a good bribe to get out the door. Summer running is the perfect excuse to operate on a strict reward-based system. Plan your route so it finishes directly at a local coffee shop, a bakery, or a smoothie spot. Knowing there is a freezing cold iced coffee, a sweet treat, or a fresh acai bowl waiting for you at the exact moment you stop your watch is an incredible motivator. You’re not just running; you are commuting to breakfast.
Chase The Shade (And The Fountains)
Forget your standard, exposed road routes until October. Summer is the time to become a local expert on shade logistics. Map out trails with heavy tree canopies, residential streets with massive oak overhangs, or parks with public splash pads and water fountains. If you happen to run past a neighborhood classic like a rogue lawn sprinkler hitting the sidewalk, don’t run around it—run straight through it.
Host (Or Join) A Ridiculous Themed Run
If your training schedule is starting to really drag, it’s time to inject some pure silliness into the miles. Get a few friends, or your run club together, and host a low-stakes themed run. Locally, we have events like a “Floatie Mile,”where everyone lines up to run a mile while carrying or wearing a fully inflated pool float. Trying to jog with a giant pink flamingo or a pool noodle immediately strips away any pressure about pace or splits. It gets everyone laughing, lowers the stakes, and reminds you that running is allowed to just be fun.
The biggest key to surviving the summer is letting go of what you think your pace SHOULD look like. When you stop taking it so seriously and focus on the small, weird joys of the season, consistency takes care of itself!
Welcome to Fit Five Friday, our new linkup!
We’ve got FOUR incredible co-hosts, and we are ready to link up every Friday to share YOUR weekly fitness favorites! Join My First 5K and More, Running With Attitude, Run Laugh Eat Pie, and Runs with Pugs, every Friday for Fit Five Friday! Who’s ready for some fun?
What is your go-to trick for beating the summer slump? Have you ever run a pool float mile, or do you just run for the iced coffee? Let’s talk about it in the link-up below! 👇
Thanks for the ideas.
For me, it’s to have company. Always makes the run for bearable.
or run a race. Races are more fun than runs.