What is cross country like?

Question

This is my first time with cross country (I'm a sophmore) and I'm wondering what it's like. How hard are the first practices? What is the longest amount of miles we run for practice? Is it only for the really intense girls? What happens if you're c**p at it?

Answer 1

in my experience xc is really fun. the first practices are usually really chill just getting the team together and meeting and stuff. it really depends on your coach and stuff how practices go and how far you run, on my team the farthest we went was like 6 miles or something. it doesn't matter if you aren't the best person because there are people of all ability levels and the most important thing is self-improvement.

i always thought that xc was really fun because it is a really relaxed sport and there is usually a lot of fooling around and just having fun

Answer 2

Cross country is really fun. You don't have to be good at it to enjoy it. If you are good at it, it feels really good to win or do well, but if not you can still have an awesome time and the thought of doing your best and finishing the course is a great feeling, good luck!

Answer 3

Its the most amazing sport EVER!!!! Practices depend on your coach, and usually they tailor practices around the different ability levels of the runners on the team.  You probably can expect the coach to make you do a timed run in the first few days so that he can gauge your fitness level that will direct your training for the next couple of weeks.

Longest amount also depends on te coach and how hard he trains you.  In high school I don't think I ever ran over 5 miles in practice. In college there were days when we ran 10, so it varies. All sorts of girls run, as long as your dedicated you can do it, and its worth it beleive me. There is no way you can be bad at it, the point is that you got out there and tried to the best of your abilities.  You will be surprised to find out that everyone, even the people you are competing against, are super supportive and encouraging, that's what makes it so great!  Everyone cheers everyone else on.

Best of luck! You'll be great!

Answer 4

There was once a person that said "Running is a mental sport, and we are all insane." Well, it's true.

You can only be bad at it if you don't push yourself hard enough. that's what the sport is a ll about if you want to be competitive in it.

I have never seen a runner that was good and was not very intense.

however it's a lot of fun and very rewarding and if you are successful at it you will improve and find it to be satisfying.

The workouts are as hard as you want to work.

XC is not all fun and games though, you will feel pain and you will want to stop running during workouts at a certain point but, that is what makes it so rewarding, when you don't stop and you realize how disiplined you are and that you did something you never thought you could do before.

It may seem very hard at first but remember, your body isn't use to it yet.

XC IS NOT FOR WIMPS OR SLACKERS!

Running on a wet muuddy xc course is like no other ewxperience i have ever had.

You have to be aware of the element too.

i once raced at sectionals in shorts and a tank top, nothing else, weel beside underwear, when there was about 6 inches of snow on the ground in the biging of the winter after the october storm (sorry if u don't no what it was) that had been trampled on by five previous races of over 100 runners. at the end of the race I hade litterley icicles in my hair, mud up to my thighs and the barf bags my team used during the race to keep are feet warm were completely black inside from all the mud.

After that though, i wsn't cold anymore.

Here is a picture of what you may look like after  a race on an xc course.

Hope i didn't scar u too much!

Answer 5

yea, i can fully agree with the post before me, first practices are easy runs and just about getting to know your teammates. the most our coach makes us do is 6-7, but for a beginner like you the maximum should be 4.  

XC has runners of all skill levels from the elite to the first timers.  If you are c**p, i can personally guarantee that u will see results by the end of the season. Just go for it

Answer 6

Its a good kick in the ***, but yet fun at the same time.

Answer 7

I had mine for the first time today. It was grueling and I slowed down alot but at the end when I went home, I felt sooo good! I felt like I should have ran harder. My coach told me he doesn't care how you are in the beginning, Its the end result just to see if you improved. I think the most we will run is like 1 hour or a little more which is you say you run 10 minute miles, then its 6 miles at the most