Summer training isn’t just about watts and miles. It’s about the long game…the quiet work when no one’s watching, the sweat that sets you up for that Iceman finish line feel months from now. Whether you’re hammering solo rides, corralling kids on a family trail spin, juggling client calls from the road, or sneaking in pre-dawn laps between vacation days, summer builds more than fitness. It builds mindset.
Because even in the summer, we’ve got Iceman on the mind (well, some of us do!).
Let’s talk about that.
The hot summer months don’t mess around. It’s hot. It’s busy. And between late meetings, family trips and lake days, training time feels rare. But this is where the good stuff happens…the mental resilience that Iceman rewards every year when the temperature drops but the effort spikes.
Mantra #1: “Embrace the burn. Own the trail.”
That uncomfortable “Make It Stick” climb? You trained for that in July. Every humid morning ride or dusty evening lap was a down payment in November.
Summer is a juggle. Work ramps up. Weekends fill with weddings, camping trips and everything you promised your family you’d finally do. Riding becomes a negotiation…not with your fitness, but with your schedule.
And that’s okay. Because showing up anyway…even when it’s not perfect, is what actually builds Iceman legs. You don’t need an uninterrupted block of training. You need intention.
Mantra #2: “Something > Nothing.”
A 45-minute spin between meetings. A trail ride at sunset. An unstructured hour of gravel with no headphones. These aren’t backup rides. They’re part of the plan.
If you’re a parent, your summer rides probably look a little different. It’s not always about interval sets, it’s about stopping for snacks (we ride for snacks!), building confidence and celebrating the little wins.
But here’s the thing: those rides still count. They count for connection, for patience, for remembering why we ride in the first place.
Mantra #3: “Fast kids, faster me.”
Whether your kid is hitting their first berm or still swerving into your back wheel mid-climb, they’re part of your training. Ride with them. Laugh. Chase. Get dropped and love it.
I’m a West Michigan Coyotes coach, and let me tell you, you can’t fake it in front of kids. They sniff out inconsistency faster than a dropped chain. Coaching with the Coyotes means showing up sharp, showing up human, and modeling effort…not perfection.
It’s the reps, the questions, the pre-ride banter and post-ride breakdowns that shape us as athletes and leaders.
Mantra #4: “Train together. Thrive together.”
Every time you invest in the group, you raise your own ceiling. The best training sessions aren’t about PRs…they’re about shared momentum.
We all have a line that keeps us going when the trail turns cruel. Here are a few I’ve heard this summer with the Coyotes, and a few I’ve muttered to myself mid-ride:
- “Just one more climb”
- “Send it”
- “Don’t stare at that tree”
- “This is what November legs are made of”
- “You don’t disrespect sugar. You thank it. You honor it. You ride for it.”
Pick your mantra. Or make one up. Just make it stick (see what I did there LOL).
Here’s what I want you to do this summer…regardless of fitness, FTP, or family calendar:
- Ride when it’s hard to.
- Ride when it’s inconvenient.
- Ride with people who make you better, or make you laugh.
- Say your mantra out loud when the trail bites back.
- Don’t overthink your fitness. Just keep moving forward.
Because when Iceman rolls around, no one cares what your August Strava stats looked like. They’ll care how deep you can dig at mile 26 or when you come around the corner into Icebreaker.
See you on the trail. Or behind a pack of 12-year-olds dropping the hammer. Either way, we ride.
Tobi Tungl is a passionate mountain biker and ultra endurance gravel cyclist who thrives on pushing his limits in the great outdoors. He has a deep appreciation for nature, savoring the scenic views and challenges of unpaved singletrack trails and long gravel routes. Tobi’s passion for adventure drives him to constantly seek out new ultra endurance gravel races and mountain bike events that take him on new dirt roads. He has participated in the Iceman Cometh Challenge for over a decade. When not hitting the trails or grinding away the miles on gravel, Tobi enjoys camping trips with his family. He is also actively involved with the West Michigan Coyotes youth mountain bike team, where he coaches and rides alongside his daughter, fostering her love for the sport. The solitude of the trails and the invigoration of conquering an ultra-endurance race is what fuels his obsession with mountain biking and gravel cycling.