How to improve in cross country?

Question

I'm a senior now and the past three years I have run cross country I have done terribly. Just last year in the last race did I finally break 20 minutes, but I feel like I won't even be able to do that again. I started practices today with a 2 miler and felt absolutely terrible. I haven't run since cross country last year. I want to be able to run in the 19s regularly and maybe even break 19. How do I work my way up to that level?

Answer 1

i think you should gradually increase the intensity and speed of your workout. also the distance. your legs and muscles and body will star to get used to the intensity that you train at. so keep training at harder levels to get used to them.

Answer 2

A quick history on my running experience in high school:

Freshman - did not run

Sophmore - ran track (1 mile)

Junior - ran CC half the time, ran track  5k time: 19:48

Senior - ran CC and track  5k time: 17:20

I think its critical that you vary your work-outs.  Spend one day running a long distance (5-8 miles), the other day running quicker paced workouts (e.g. sets of 400 on the track with 400 jogs in between).

Also, for me I never went too hard at the start of the race.  I let everyone get ahead (I was usually near the back of the pack at the beginning) and got a thrill passing people after the first K (doesn't work for everyone).