Trying out for cross country team...any tips?

Question

I am going to train over the summer to be on the 9th grade girls cross country team. My mile time is currently 6:57. What mile time do you think I should work towards? As you probably know, you run miles and miles, and for tryouts we have to run 4 miles. What time do you think I should aim to be able to run that 4 miles in? Any other tips would be appreciated.

Answer 1

four miles? aim for 28 =]

are you a girl or a boy? i forgot to look =x haha. im a girl and run about a 22:00 average. for a 5k... sometimes faster, sometimes slower....here is some advice.....all i focus on when im training is a regular schedule. having a schedule lets you know exactly what youre doing when...that way you arent ever suprised by a workout..and you know when to rest during the day.

Monday: normal run (3-5 for a girl 4-6 for a boy)

Tuesday: Pyramids on a track. ( 200, 400, 600, 800, 600, 400, 200 ) with no more than 1 minute and 30 seconds in between. its best to jog in between some of them as to not tighten up.

Wednesday: recovery run. "LSD" ;] long slow distance. ( 6-10 for a girl 8-12 for a boy)

Thursday:normal run (3-5 for a girl 4-6 for a boy) with some strides at the end ( high knees, butt kicks, a few short 50 meter sprints)

Friday: normal run (3-5 for a girl and for a boy) ending with a few hill repeats

Saturday: Cross train ( bike, swim, yoga..ext...)

Sunday: either rest day or easy 3 mile run.

thats the schedule i stick to during the summer when my coach cant be around to tell me what to do. i ran a pr of 21:00 in my second year of xc for a 5k...improving my time by 6 whole minutes!!

your coach will prob give you something different to do..but to train for xc i would do this before you make the team. =]

as for breathing and posture...breathe from your gut. and the best advice i learned about breathing was to exhale every four steps on your right foot. example: first step = breathe in.. second step = breathe in ..third step = step = breathe in ..fourth step = breathe it out quickly. and your posture...pick up your knees and rely on your arms when your legs feel tired. stand straight and keep your head up..but not too high, as you dont want to trip on a rocky trail.

tuck your shirt in before races and buy good training shoes. i like brooks brand the best. and racing shoes help..brooks and asics are great ! drink plenty of water all day before your run. (drink till your pee is almost clear) and make sure you pee it all out before your run ;]

happy ruunning. i hope i helped.

ps...there is a great book called "fast track" by suzy favor hamilton which is amazingg. check it out at barnes & noble.

=]xc is lovee<3

Answer 2

just try hard

Answer 3

I have been running for 8 years now and would recommend the following:

I would strengthen the core: calves, quads, hams, back and abdominal (the "six pack" muscles along with the obleks), chest and arms. But when strengthening these muscles, I would focus more on the muscle endurance not the muscle bulk. For more advice for this, I would consult with a personal trainer. For the running part, I would stay flexible as it helps/contributes to your balance (so do the muscles in your core) but also helps prevent some injuries like pulled muscles and shin splints. Also, I would try to make up a schedule where you can run for X amount of days and try to have a long run. I would start off slowly, running about 2-3 miles per run for the first week and increase my mileage per week. Make sure you have the following: a good diet, hydration, sleep, a good sense on how to take care of your body, and sleep. Good Luck!!!

Answer 4

For 4 miles?!?! Umm....about 30-40minutes.

Your mile time is good...that will give you a good time for your 5k races.

Be Ready to run hills.

Do High knees up the hills...you'll go faster!

GOOD LUCK!

I hope this helps! :)