Spring Break
The Daily OrangeXC | Miller runs 80 miles a week during summer; primed for breakout year
By Kevin Trudgeon
Posted: 9/24/07, 11:13 PM EST Section: Sports
In the minds of most college students, the summer is a time to relax. No longer hampered by the burden of classes and papers, students can kick back. Sleeping in is usually at the top of everyone's list, followed by summer vacations or simply catching up with friends.
For Brad Miller, summer time means training time.
As a sophomore on the Syracuse men's cross country team, Miller knows that hard work in the offseason is the only way to see improvement during the regular season. And so, once school ends and summer rolls around, he hits the pavement, the asphalt, the grass and pretty much any type of land out there, as he runs and practices with his fellow cross country teammates.
For Chris Fox, in his third year as SU's head coach of the men's and women's cross country teams, practicing in the summer is a must.
"Brad put in a really big summer this past year, much more than he's ever done before," Fox said. "Our team follows a general plan, and the kids are running anywhere from 65 to 100 miles a week. I think Brad was in the 80s, which was really good. In our sport, your summer makes the season."
While improvement from year to year is always a goal for an athlete in any sport, there is even more emphasis on getting better for Miller and his cross country teammates, as they know that the expectations for the upcoming season are very high.
After starting the 2006-07 season ranked ninth in the preseason poll, the men's team took first place in its first four meets and finished with a solid third place showing at the NCAA Regionals, garnering national votes for the first time in program history.
The past success was not forgotten, as the team entered into the 2007-08 season ranked third in the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association Northeast Region preseason poll.
While the bar has been raised in terms of expectations and pressure for the Orange, for Miller, it's all about running as a team and achieving the success he knows they are capable of.
For Brad Miller, summer time means training time.
As a sophomore on the Syracuse men's cross country team, Miller knows that hard work in the offseason is the only way to see improvement during the regular season. And so, once school ends and summer rolls around, he hits the pavement, the asphalt, the grass and pretty much any type of land out there, as he runs and practices with his fellow cross country teammates.
For Chris Fox, in his third year as SU's head coach of the men's and women's cross country teams, practicing in the summer is a must.
"Brad put in a really big summer this past year, much more than he's ever done before," Fox said. "Our team follows a general plan, and the kids are running anywhere from 65 to 100 miles a week. I think Brad was in the 80s, which was really good. In our sport, your summer makes the season."
While improvement from year to year is always a goal for an athlete in any sport, there is even more emphasis on getting better for Miller and his cross country teammates, as they know that the expectations for the upcoming season are very high.
After starting the 2006-07 season ranked ninth in the preseason poll, the men's team took first place in its first four meets and finished with a solid third place showing at the NCAA Regionals, garnering national votes for the first time in program history.
The past success was not forgotten, as the team entered into the 2007-08 season ranked third in the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association Northeast Region preseason poll.
While the bar has been raised in terms of expectations and pressure for the Orange, for Miller, it's all about running as a team and achieving the success he knows they are capable of.
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