Top 5 Cross Country training tips!
Many of you may have finished track season are ready to begin preparing for cross country. I have compiled 5 tips for cross country training that should hopefully benefit you training and your race performances.
1 - Get used to the terrain
Many XC courses in autumn/winter are very mucky and require a lot of getting used to. By doing a lot of your sessions on cross country terrain you will become more economical on race day. By running more in muck you will be used to it and come competition time you should me one step ahead!
2 - Work off time not distance
When training on muddy undulating courses your pace doesn't really matter it's more about effort. Trying to run specific time goals on this terrain will only set you up for a disappointing workout where you don't hit your goal times.
By running off effort you can run at correct race pace relevant to the terrain and how you feel on the day. Even if that means going slower, you will still get the same benefit of running faster at the same effort on a track.
If you maybe planned a session of 6 X 1k off 90 where you expected to do them all in 3 minutes, you can change it to something like 6 X 3mins 20 seconds off 90 seconds!
3 - Increase mileage
Cross country races are typically between 6k-12k and these are distance events especially on cross country courses! It is really about how has the most stamina and endurance. By running more mileage you increase your aerobic conditioning.
Just by adding an extra few easy runs to your weekly schedule will do the job! However make sure to build up your mileage gradually so you don't get injured.
4 - Run hills!
Any type of hill running is great for cross country. Hills build much needed strength and power in your legs for cross country races. Most cross country races are very hilly and the more you hit the hills the better!
There are a few different types of hill runs you can do, one of which is doing a long run on a hilly route which is also great endurance training! You could also do intervals at cross country effort or slower on a long hill to really build that strength in your legs as well as improving running form. Then finally you could short 8-10 second hills up a relevantly sharp hill to improve power!
5 - Train the mind and the body!
In tough cross country races the mind is often the difference between a good performance and a great performance. Cross country is all about how hard you could push yourself to beat your competitors, the man who who can take the most pain usually wins! To train your mind you need to push your body hard during training.
We all come to that time in training when you have to ask yourself "will I just slow down or will i push through the pain? By constantly pushing your body through pain regularly you will become more mentally tougher and come race time you will be able to handle the pain and have a great performance.
