We're at the halfway point of summer, and this is exactly the week I want every one of my athletes to stop and take stock. Not a rest week. Not a break. Just an honest look in the mirror before the next three weeks decide how your August goes.

The gap between JV and varsity is almost entirely a fitness gap — and fitness gaps close in the summer. Here's the exact blueprint: progressive mileage, real easy days, one smart workout a week, and the strength work most runners skip.