If March is when you realize that the days are getting longer, then July is when you realize they have become too long indeed. Especially in those Chico summers, whether at work or at play, it’s easy to feel caught in an endless cycle where the days blur together.

The worst part is when the heat forces most folks inside for the back half of the day. In those afternoons, it seems like every minute ticks by a little slower than it used to. Summer is a season that demands a strong routine, a routine grounded by projects with goals. Fortunately, for the past three years, I’ve had a fun project of my own: running.

Beginning as a sophomore, I have taken summer running very seriously. My routes stretch all across Upper and Lower Bidwell Park, snake through neighborhoods, and reach all the way to the distant edges of the town. I use them, too; roughly five days a week, you can find me as I hit the trails. Beginning in July, cross country practices start, and I run with the team, too. Even our trips out of town see me put in a bit of mileage.

There are plenty of reasons why I care so much about running. Going for a run in the morning is a good way to get outside for a bit, and when practice starts, it’s nice to hear what everyone else has been up to.

I also find that putting in those miles makes a very tangible impact on my fitness. At the start of my second year in high school, I made the varsity team, with an improvement of 10 minutes on my previous time trial mark. Between then and now, I dealt with an unpleasant injury, bad enough that I could’ve decided to walk away from running — but I saw the value in my hobby and kept going. I may not be as fast as I used to be, but there’s joy in just getting outside and being with others who share your interest.

My belief in the importance of summer training comes from personal experience — since that second year in cross country, I have known that what you do in the summer is what will make or break your fall season. Snagging that opportunity to do hard work in the summer sets me up for success later in the year.

This principle can be applied to things outside of running, too. A good summer project can be the spark that kindles a newfound hobby or interest. In the summer of 2020, when we all were still largely under quarantine restrictions, I played a campaign of “Gloomhaven: Jaws of the Lion” with my mom and brother, and ever since have been obsessed with Gloomhaven games. In fact, we now play some sort of campaign every summer; a welcome break from schoolwork, besides being a fun way to fill those long afternoons.

Still, no matter what I do in the summer, it’s important to me that the activity is more than a time sink. I’ve said it before, but it bears repeating: no optional activity is worth doing if you don’t enjoy it. Summer is my time to pursue new interests while still getting my mileage in, and I like doing that. Running keeps me grounded in the moment, putting one foot in front of the other without any reason to preoccupy myself with the future.

I have been lucky enough to find that it does not take an exotic vacation or an amazing job to make a great summer. The most meaningful experiences could be sitting right under your nose, or, in my case, under the soles of my shoes. A little ambition combined with curiosity and a willingness to experiment has been my blueprint for beating summer blues, and the results have been humbling.

On Monday, my Strava profile recorded my all-time mileage — from July 21, 2022 to the present day — at 3,003 miles. Now that’s a summer project with results to be proud of.