Summer Running Program Helps Huskies Build Endurance, Confidence, and Community
While summer is often a time to relax, a dedicated group of Rolling Hills Prep students spent their break building endurance, strength, and friendships through the school’s Summer Running Program. Originally created to help prepare the Cross Country team for its fall season, the program was open to any student interested in participating.
For Coach Bianchi, the reason for starting the program was simple.
“Simply put, Cross Country is a fall sport. We race in the fall so we need to train during the summer. My old high school cross country coach used to say once the school year starts ‘the hay is in the barn,’ which I always interpreted as ‘we’ve done the hard part already.’ Summer is a time where kids don’t have to worry about tests or homework, so it’s easier to focus on running and building endurance, strength, and speed. It’s also an opportunity for kids to just hang out with each other ‘IRL – In Real Life’ as they say.”
Rather than limiting workouts to campus, Coach Bianchi took advantage of the South Bay’s scenic surroundings. Throughout the summer, students met at Malaga Cove in Palos Verdes and Veterans Park in Redondo Beach, running along trails, hills, and the coastline.
“My main goal is to show that running can be fun. We are lucky to live around some amazing nature, running trails, and hills in Palos Verdes and San Pedro. We are also right next to miles of beautiful beach strands to run along. This summer we met at Malaga Cove in PV and Veteran’s Park (in Redondo). I think this season we have a really good group of kids so I wanted to provide these opportunities with different scenery and terrain to see what the kids are capable of, which will help structure training and racing once we start school. Just like in the classroom, I like to meet kids where they are, and summer allows me to see where their fitness is at and a chance to see their progress.”
The program met throughout the summer, giving students the opportunity to build endurance, improve their fitness, and train alongside teammates in a supportive environment. Workouts included group warm-ups, running drills, active stretching, and runs through some of the South Bay’s most scenic locations.
This summer also introduced athletes to Strava (www.strava.com), a fitness app that allows runners to log workouts, celebrate personal achievements, and encourage one another.
“We are rolling out the use of Strava (www.strava.com), which is a fitness app. Athletes can log any kind of workout and even post pictures or videos taken during the workout. The app also gives out little shoutouts if you’ve run a fastest time or consistently post workouts, and teammates can also ‘like’ or shout you out with a comment. This is also good if kids can’t make practice or if they want to run on an off day, they can run on their own and keep the team in the loop.”
While the physical benefits are important, Coach Bianchi hopes students take away much more than improved fitness.
“Running and team sports builds character, perseverance, and resilience. I hope they feel proud to be a student-athlete at RHP and their hard work will pay off in the form of personal bests, a lot of growth, as well as many shoutouts during morning meetings.”
Beyond preparing athletes for competition, the summer program has also strengthened the team’s relationships before the school year even begins.
“The kids are already pretty compassionate and most of the kids know each other from last year. Every year kids change and grow, especially over the summer. I think this summer program has allowed for them to grow closer as teammates and as friends.”
As the Cross Country season gets underway, Rolling Hills Prep students will head into the fall stronger, more confident, and better connected—ready to support one another both on and off the course.
