Running Routes - Get One

Here are my top 4 rules to running routes.

1. Make sure you have at least one running route that includes some hills.
2. Have at least one route exactly measured and where traffic is not an issue.
3. Have a winter & summer set of routes. 
4. Have a totally hard route so when your running friends come and play you can roll them.

I am open to a debate on the other side of this rule, but I really think that when runners run "on time" without a set course they run slower.  If you have a set course where you know exactly where you are headed, where the hills & turns sit ; you will get into a better rhythm and run faster.

When you set out to explore and just run around town on time it is easy to fall asleep, which is good, but not if you do it every single day of your training you are not running as fast as you should probably. For example on Monday I ran my normal 10 mile Miller Park route with a ton of hills in it for 10 miles at 6:25 pace without much effort, I followed that run up Tuesday with a brilliant 10 mile run at 7:19 pace "on time."  Mentally on Tuesday I was counting down every single minute which sucked too.

Your homework is to get out the door and make up a route you will be able to utilize and help get your training where it needs to be. I have stepped out the door and made up specific routes that I ended up using for ten years based on exactly where I ran that very first day. I had no idea I would be running those same routes for ten years.  Maybe I should have put more thought into planning but the routes seem to work.