80 miles of weekly running at 7,000 feet isn’t exactly our idea of a relaxing summer vacation, but for some ambitious athletes, it’s a sacrifice worth making. Our friend Brian Metzler explores this in “‘Where You Come to Get Good:’ Why High School Runners Flocked to Flagstaff Over the Summer.” High schoolers are descending on the Arizona mountain town to log serious mileage. Teams like Belen Jesuit and McCallie School use the high elevation to bond and ramp up their training, often bumping into pro runners along the dirt trails of Buffalo Park. The town’s running culture recently got a boost from “High Mileage Summer ‘26,” a Diadora pop-up at Run Flagstaff that hosts Sunday long runs, watch parties, and a speaker series to unite the community. If a trip to Arizona isn’t in your budget, you might consider a cheaper, sweatier alternative to trigger similar physiological adaptations. “Heat Training Acts As ‘Poor Man’s Altitude Training’ To Boost Athletic Performance, Study Shows” explains that braving hot, humid conditions for four to five weeks may increase blood volume and red blood cell count, mirroring the benefits of three weeks of high-altitude training. This process could also improve your VO2 max, offering a notable performance payoff when fall temperatures arrive. You probably won’t feel like it’s working during those sweltering midday sessions, but staying properly hydrated and adjusting your pace expectations could help you bank fitness for a future PR.

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