The first pair is for practice. This pair should be well cushioned, or else you’ll develop blisters or shin splints from the impact with the ground. The second pair of shoes should be cross country spikes (or flats, if your courses involve paved roads). This pair is for racing. It is a much lighter pair and has thinner cushions for a lower center of gravity. Do not wear these to practice, for they wear out quickly. Also, wearing spikes or flats during practice may lead to an injury because they’re not as cushioned as practice shoes.
Don’t forget to warm down at the end of training or racing, too. Walk briskly for 5 minutes at the end of your run. Then stretch. It’s more important to stretch after you run than before you run. Stretching after you run prevents injuries and works well because your muscles are warmed up and will be at their most flexible, reducing the possibility of pulling them.
Find a suitable place to begin cross-country running. Good choices include local parks (keep off the paved areas), trails in your area, hills, and even botanical gardens if you’re allowed to run on the grass and mud! If you can map out the suitable places to run in advance, this will cut down on time spent searching for suitable locations.
Run at a pace that slightly pushes you but doesn’t cause you to struggle; don’t worry if you can’t do this at the beginning since this is just about defining where you are at the start, and you’ll soon start improving. [7] X Expert Source Francisco GomezFitness Coach Expert Interview. 24 October 2019. Time the mile run and work out your running pace – it’s a pace that is 1 to 2 minutes slower per mile than your mile trial time. [8] X Research source Keep running the mile at your initial pace until you feel ready to move on. Move up to two or three miles or kilometres, and keep working your way up. For novices, runs longer than 10 miles (16 kilometres) will hurt you, for more experienced runners, more than 16 miles (25. 7 kilometres) in a run will do more harm than good. Use an easy pace at 2 to 3 miles (3 to 5 kilometres), about 3 to 5 days a week over a few weeks.
Use your lunchtimes to run. If you have access to local parks, waterfronts, hills, etc. , near your workplace, take the lunchtime opportunity to squeeze in some learning time. If possible, find a running buddy. [10] X Expert Source Francisco GomezFitness Coach Expert Interview. 24 October 2019. It’s easier to team up with someone as keen as you to learn cross-country running. As you improve, the two of you can race off one another during training. Take care with hill running. Too much uphill running can cause injuries to your muscles and joints, and descents that are too fast can also cause harm. Shorten your stride when running uphill and maintain the effort rather than the speed. Downhill, lengthen your stride a little but maintain discipline to stop yourself from sprinting. Focus on your breathing rhythm on hill runs. [11] X Research source
If it’s possible, try to run the circuit as a practice run before the event; knowing the race well is an important part of not being surprised and of knowing where you’ll hit your pain barrier or meet other challenges. If it’s too far away, run equivalent courses in your own area to get yourself ready. In addition, learn all that you can about the course. Check out the enrollment material, look at the relevant websites, and ask questions of other runners on cross country running forums.
Having lots of recovery periods in the lead-up to the race is extremely important. The day before the race should be an easy training day (running too hard will cause your legs to be too sore) and be sure to have at least 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep the night before the race.
Prepare a snack bag and your water needs. Bring a banana to eat after a workout or race. The sugar in the banana will be quickly absorbed by your body, restoring your energy. Also, the potassium found in bananas will help prevent cramps. Turn up at least an hour before the race. This is even more important if you don’t know the area, as you’ll want to spend some time familiarizing yourself with the terrain and rules, etc. , as well as signing in and meeting officials. Warm up. Do this at least 10 to 30 minutes prior to the race. Be sure that have plenty of time to stretch before you make your way to the starting line.
On the other hand, other cross country runners prefer to run at their pace from the start, as running out fast can wear you out immediately and lose you time overall. [14] X Expert Source Francisco GomezFitness Coach Expert Interview. 24 October 2019. It’s absolutely vital to know your pace and race method before you turn up, although as a beginner, if you’re prepared to experiment in the first few races, this can be a good time to find out what works best for you. Find a good race pace for you to use and every race make your race pace a little faster.
If you get to the top, make sure that you pull away from the rest of the pack giving you a cushion to work with once you enter the final . 1 miles of the race, which so often decides the outcome of a race. When you’re running ahead of someone else, dart quickly past them to psych them out. Never look at another racer’s feet. Otherwise you risk dropping into their rhythm and falling behind; keep your eyes on their shoulders. Be proud of your achievement no matter where you arrive in the race. This is challenging running and even participating is an incredible feat!
Additionally, if you’re not already running, speak with your doctor about taking up this strenuous sport if you have any fitness concerns. If you’re in bad shape, don’t give up; just take it more slowly and be very kind to your body as you get used to the running and exercises. The beauty of running is that you will gradually improve your fitness and stamina. Do push ups and sit ups every day. This will strengthen your upper body, which is also vital in a race. Start with fifteen push-ups and twenty-five sit-ups and work your way up. You may discover that your calves and hamstrings get a little sore if you’re not already a seasoned runner. This is a good thing; it means that you’re working the muscle in a way it’s never been used before. This is similar to when you go to the gym after a long absence and do a complete weightlifting workout. Of course your muscles will be sore, but that isn’t a bad thing! You might want to consider cutting back a little if they are especially sore.
Cut down or cut out the fast foods. They provide empty, non-nutritious calories that don’t give long-term energy. Instead, fill up on the complex carbohydrates. Eat lots of veggies, fruits, whole grains, and drink water. Also, get plenty of high quality protein. Before a race, eat lightly. It is recommended that your meal be 2 to 3 hours before a race, and 1 hour before training. [16] X Research source Eating any closer to a race can cause you to cramp up. Drink 230 to 460 ml (8 to 16 fl oz) of water or a sports drink an hour before running. [17] X Research source Read up on sports nutrition. It’s a complex area with lots of ideas but only you know your own body’s needs and can make the right choices for fueling it. Do some research and trialing to see what energizes you the best.
Set a big goal. Now that you’ve started, it’s time to focus on your first cross country race. Which one will it be? Choose one that is coming up and start working toward it. Start adding one long, hard run to at least one day a week. Do your best to keep running without stopping over a long period of time, such as an hour or two and build it up. Weekends are best for this, although you can also make good use of evenings during daylight savings in the warmer months of the year. Continue training by observing the easy day/hard day routine. No matter how experienced a runner you are, training should not consist of all hard days. Your motivation and your body will soon wear out! Instead, implement a system of training that allows for some days where the runs are easy and other days where you really push yourself. As a beginner, slowly build up to harder training days. Keep a training log. This will help you to keep track of your running progress and will enable you to note when it’s time to switch up your training to its next level.
Cross country running demands a great deal from your muscles but the gradual increase in strength and improvement of your range of speeds occurs without the jarring that is common with track or road training. This means that you can slowly improve your running skills over time without cumulative damaging effects. [19] X Research source Other benefits to cross-country running that apply to running generally include its potential to keep your weight in check; it can be varied between individual goals and competitive goals depending on what you seek from it; your legs will be in great shape; and you’ll experience energy increases. [20] X Research source
The end of a cross-country run is filled with the desserts of rewards – you’re absolutely and utterly entitled to that hot bath, massage, fantastic meal, and night in a comfortable bed (with the added bonus that you’re guaranteed to have an incredibly good night’s rest).
If you’ve been pushing yourself too hard, ease up. Allow time for recovery and remember that you’re running for yourself, not for other people. This type of running is about participating and giving your best. It doesn’t matter where you come in the races or training, just as long as you’re persistent and do your best. Keep in mind that, as with marathons, cross-country racing is 90 percent mental and 10 percent physical. Make the decision to keep going and to beating your last best.
Cross-country running is popular in many countries, including the USA, Canada, Scotland, England, Australia, New Zealand, and a number of countries in Europe, Asia, and Africa. IAAF Athletics provides ongoing updates of running races around the world, including cross-country running which you can check out to plan which races are of interest to you. Happy travel running!
