Cross country questions need answers please?

Question

I am a 14 year old girl entering high school in the fall. We hae this cross training to get us ready for the meets and ever thing during the summer.My coach says that I get good times which are ranging from 5:45 If I try really hard on the mile If I slack off I will get 6: 10 or something like that he keeps telling me to extend my legs to cover more area but I find it hard to do tha I am not sure If that could could be affected by my height I am very small like 4 feet 11 inches but that might be just making excuses I would really like to know how to keep my same pace during a cross country meet or a mile and wat could help me not to slow down.

thanks guys

Jes

Answer 1

i agree with track&xcchica..

i personally think you're amazing runner.. haha and yes i hear that those tall girls with the longer legs have a better chance at winning than the rest of us.

and also that you should keep your arms moving!! this really helps you run faster. "keep moving your arms from chest to hip." remember to have high knees when you're going uphill.

is 5:45 a time from your middle school miles? because the miles were the 1320's.. and in high school it's 1600. just checking..

Answer 2

Hello Jes!

  I hate it when people say that runners are only good if they're tall. Ít's okay because i'm short too. You are a perfect example of short people that are amazing runners! Your 14 running a 5:45 mile, and that's great! Just try to get your knees forward, and keep moving your arms from chest to hip. That should open up your stride. If your a good miler, you'll be a great cross-country runner. Just keep the pace, but conserve it till the end. Go on long runs and keep your steady pace. See how long you can handle holding that pace. You should be able to go for 5 miles i'm guessing. Just in races remember everything is going to be faster and you'll need to be stonger. Gradually pick up (your pace) thoughout the race. I hope this has helped and i wish you the best of luck! Hit me up if you need more help!

Answer 3

i am a captain for my team and ive learned from personal experience that hyperextending you legs will cause you to get cramps in your abdominals, and will also cause you to become short on breath after awhile. if you keep a 545 min pace through three miles youre good for a girl your age. that is at a 17 minute 5k . the best form you should have is keeping you legs under you and transferring you legs rotation faster. such as sprint the first 1oom to get ahead of the pack, then slow down a minimal amount to set a pace. keep that pace then when you near the last 400m or so then open up your stride.