Set Goals

As with any sport, it’s a good idea to set goals in your sport. Write down what you want to achieve during the season and the training that you need to do to reach your goals. Touch base with your coach before the season, especially if cross country is a new sport for you, and ask for help on how best to prepare and you will be on your way to a successful cross country season.

What Is Cross Country?

Cross country is a fall sport where runners race an outdoor course. Athletes earn points for their team depending on how they place in the competition. It is a fun and challenging sport. Everyone on the team can run, and even if they don’t place high enough to score points, they can often help in the strategy of the race.

Middle-school races are usually between 1.5 to 2 miles and high school cross country courses are generally 3.1 miles. College races courses are usually between 4 and 6 miles.

Comfortable Shoes

First, it’s important to have comfortable shoes when you’re putting so many miles on your feet. Your shoes should be padded enough to handle long endurance-building runs and light enough for some speed workouts. Your shoes will be your best friends throughout the summer and into your cross country season.

Build a Base During the Summer

Since Cross country is a fall sport, one of the best things that you can do to be prepared for the season is to get some miles in over the summer. If you are not running, or playing a sport before the season, you’ll need to train and get your body ready.

And start slow and run at an easy pace. Some suggest a pace where you still feel comfortable to hold a conversation while you are running. You can even use a run-walk method to get moving. Run for a couple of minutes and then walk for one, and then increase the running as you feel stronger. It’s also good to run outside on uneven surfaces, and in different climates, just like you will be doing during the season.

Be Consistent

When you are starting you need to be slow and steady. If you are an experienced runner but have not been training for a while, go on easy runs to get in miles at first, and then increase your miles until you build up your miles and are running on a regular schedule. Always find time to get in miles, and work up to running 5 to 7 days a week. Consistency is one of the most important things when training for cross country.

Basic High School Summer Workout Week (June – July)

• 3-4 Days – Easy Runs (20-40 mins)
• 1 Day – Long run (60-75 minutes)
• 1 Day – Rest or easy run

Pick Up The Pace In August

As the summer comes to an end and cross country season grows closer, it will be time to pick up the pace (This is only if you have been putting in miles and your body feels strong). To intensify your workouts, on two of your easy run days, you can either run faster for the last five minutes of the run, or you can run hill repeats. These speed days should not be back to back.

Basic High School Summer Workout Week (August)

• 2-3 Days – Easy Runs (20-40 mins)
• 1-2 Days – Speed Days (Easy 20-40 minute runs with the last 5 minutes at a faster pace, OR hill repeats – after a 10 minutes warm-up, run at 85% effort up a hill for 30 seconds, walk/jog back down. Repeat 8-10 times.)
• 1 Day – Long run (60-75 minutes)
• 1 Day – Rest or easy run

Listen To Your Body

Make Recovery a Priority. Take it easy on easy days. Get your miles in, but go slow. Make sure to stretch and roll out your body. Get a lot of sleep, eat healthy and drink lots of water.

Train With Teammates

Run with friends or teammates if possible. It keeps you accountable to your goals. Not to mention, you and your teammates will get better, stronger, and faster, and you’ll have a lot of fun.

Read More

• Cross Country Runner Nutrition
• How To Improve your Cross Country Race Times