Start doing some hill work and fartleks after you have increased your mileage, around 2 times per week. Make sure that you don’t do 2 hill work or fartlek workouts back-to-back though. Continue building up your mileage slowly until you reach 6 - 7 miles (9. 7 - 11. 3 km) on your longest run for the week. Continue training until you begin to taper off for the race, and focus on speed intervals once you have increased your mileage to the maximum. If you are working, you could use lunchtimes to squeeze in brief training runs. Before and after work can be used for longer runs, and the weekend can be used for full-distance runs. There are many training plans for cross country available freely online for you to use. Talk to your coach or look online to find one that is geared towards your running ability.
This helps your body to get used to what will be expected of it on race day. If part of the race involves road running, then do some training runs on roads. If a different part of the race involves running in the woods, then do the same during training. There are often reviews online for larger cross country races. Use a search engine to find reviews, and to read about the experience that other runners have had with the same race.
Hill training once or twice a week works well. Run at an easy, jogging pace up the hill, and then run downhill at your target pace. Make sure that you stay in control and aren’t overstriding, and repeat 6 - 10 times.
Your surging pace should be either as fast as you can go, or your top target pace that you are aiming for during the race. By slowing down periodically, you’ll improve your ability to run at consistent speeds during longer runs.
An example of a ladder workout is running slightly faster than your target pace for 1 minute, then jog at an easy pace for 1 minute. Next, run slightly faster than your target pace for 2 minutes, then jog at an easy pace for 2 minutes. Repeat this up to 4 minutes, and then work your way back down the “ladder”, ending with 1 minute again.
Taper by exponentially reducing your weekly mileage for 1 - 2 weeks before the race. Also reduce the number of intervals and duration you are doing during your training. [6] X Research source Although it can feel wrong to stop training as much as race day comes closer, don’t replace the absent runs with other forms of exercise, as this time is necessary for your body to rebuild.
A ratio of 4:1 carbohydrates to proteins is generally recommended for runners. Within 1 hour after each run, make sure that you refuel with a carbohydrate and protein rich snack. Some options are a piece of whole-grain toast with peanut butter, or some yogurt with fruit. If you are having trouble feeling fueled for running, book an appointment with a sports nutritionist or dietician, as they can give you tailored and specialized advice.
Although everybody requires a different amount of water, 60 oz. (1. 7 L) of water daily tends to work well for most people. For every cup of coffee, soda, or alcohol that you drink, match it with a glass of water. Your urine is the best indicator for how well hydrated you are. The more dehydrated you are, the darker it will be, so aim for light yellow.
Don’t drink the featured drink if it wasn’t part of your training. Each drink has differing levels of carbohydrates, proteins, and electrolytes. Suddenly introducing these to your system on the race day can cause digestion issues.
Carbohydrates give both your brain and muscles the energy and nutrients that they need to run the race most efficiently. For more variety of complex carbohydrates, try oatmeal or tabbouleh too.
If you haven’t eaten much fruit throughout your training, now is not the best time to start. All of the extra fiber from the fruit could hinder your digestion.
White pasta with a simple marinara sauce usually works well the night before a race.
Each hour, drinking 4 - 8 oz. (0. 1 - 0. 2 L) is a good amount to aim for. Make sure that you eat some salty carbohydrates on the day before the race, such as pretzels, to make sure that your body isn’t flushing out electrolytes that you will need for the race.
These are general guidelines, and sticking with what has worked for you before running in the past is best. Never experiment with new foods on the morning of the race. Although coffee isn’t generally recommended before a race as it can harm your digestion, if a cup of coffee is part of your daily habit then definitely include it on race morning too.
If you have trouble sleeping the night before the race due to excitement or nerves, having this consistent sleep schedule will help your body to cope well without any adverse effects.
A mantra is both something to focus on, and something to help you keep going. Repeat the mantra in your head calmly and steadily, to create a rhythm for your pace or for your breathing. A useful mantra for strength is “Run strong. Be brave. ” A mantra for enduring the tough times is “The pain of discipline or the pain of regret. ”
Check the elevation and terrain of the course before making a race plan so that it can be as accurate as possible. Race plans generally start off patiently and conservatively during the beginning, and focus on speed during the final mile.
If possible, don’t go to bed too early, otherwise you may wake up too early on the race morning and not be able to get back to sleep.
Picking up your race pack early means that you are also more likely to get a t-shirt size that fits you best. Race packs are often picked up from a health and sports expo. Take part in the expo, but try not to walk around too much. You need to save your energy for race day. Also don’t use anything that you purchase at the expo on the day of the race. Save it for your future training and races. [21] X Research source You can pick up your bib on the day for many smaller races. See you race details or contact the organisers if you are unsure.
Dress for 15°F (9°C) warmer than it actually is, as it will feel as though your body is heating up by this much anyway. This will help you to wear clothes that are a comfortable temperature during the race. The gear which you will need to lay out the night before are short, top, race bib, socks, shoes, hydration belt (if you are using one), ID, car keys, and anything else you will need on the day of the race. Pin your race bib to the front of your top, using a safety pin in each corner to secure it. If there is a timing device on the back, make sure that it isn’t bent in any way. [23] X Research source
Having all of the logistics sorted before the day of the race will help you to feel calm and confident on the day. Studying the race course map is also an important aspect of the logistics. All races will provide a map outlining the race that you will run on the day. Many of these include where the bathrooms are, where food and fluids are provided, and where the first aid station is. The course map will also show the distances and elevations that will occur during the race. [24] X Research source If you live near the course and are allowed access to it, go for a walk to get a feel for it beforehand.
Make sure that you have practised running with a shorter stride and watching your steps, if you think that the ground might be icy on the day.
Many longer races have bathrooms located along the route.
If it’s cold out, you may want to spend a little longer warming up. Doing your regular pre-running stretches during this time will also help your muscles to stretch and warm up. Even if you’re feeling very warm, try your best to keep pants and a shirt on over your racing outfit while you’re warming up. It’s actually ideal to be sweating a little when you shed your outerwear and get on the starting line.
This is a great time to do dynamic stretches and stride-outs to finish warming up.
