Should i pay for the gym or the cross country running camp?

Question

I'm 15, i run a mile in about 7:30, i joined XC, i will do summer practice in the gym running 300 miles over the summer for 12 weeks and it costs 125 dollars for three months, the other option is running camp for 5 days where u run in the mountains for 7 miles straight which costs $370.. What is the better choice for a FIRST year cross country runner?????

Answer 1

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As a first year cross country runner, your first task is consistency:  getting out and getting the run in, day after day, week after week.  Far more important is it for you to get good quality miles in over an extended period of time than it is to enjoy five days in a running paradise.

And I sure hope you don't mean that you are running in a gym throughout the summer.  Boring!  Even in the hottest southwest climates of the U.S., it's far better to acclimate to the heat than to run circles or sprints day after day in a gym.

But presuming the gym practice means running with a group of guys/gals OUTDOORS several times each week over the three summer months preceding cross-country, you would be far, far better off doing this, as a first year cross country runner, in preparation for the racing season, than a week in the wild.

Look to going to the running camp a few years out, after you've established a solid habit of daily, or near-daily, training.

Regards,

Running_Dad

Answer 2

The longer running camp sounds better because it will keep you going and give you a better chance to get into shape.