Alright, just started my first year of cross country, and I guess I'm pretty good for a first time freshman. They try to get us to run 3 miles or so with minimal stopping, with stretching and pushups. It's a bit hard, but I can manage. I know that I'll get better, but does anyone that currently runs have any tips to give me? I'm trying to get on varsity by next year, possibly this year (along with tennis)
Should ask Zephyr, he's into running. I run myself, mostly HIIT instead of endurance though. Other than remembering to stretch and stay hydrated, I really don't know what kinda advice you're looking for.
Even though it's kind of basic, control your breathing well. When I ran in personal fitness class my biggest problem was loss of breathe because I inhaled and exhaled at aqll the wrong times. It could just be because I'm overweight.
I used to be in Cross Country like you, but then I took a hurdle to the knee. On a more serious note: I listened to music when I did it. Very helpful. I dropped out because it ate up too much of my time. Oh well, go grab an ipod and start donwloadin!
I run varsity Cross Country, Indoor track, and outdoor track, so ask me anything you need to know. For general distance running tips, here's a few: -When running up hills, look down and pump heavily with your arms. -When you get a stitch (cramp in your chest/abdominal area), pump your arms a little more than usual to increase blood flow to that side of your body. -Your legs will always try to outright your arms, so if you need a quick boost simply pump your arms faster. -In case you haven't figured it out, your arms are ironically very important, so do push-ups every other day. A good workout I like to do is a simple push-up circuit of 10 pushups into 2 arm raises, then afterwards you decrease the number of pushups by one and increase the number of arm raises by two until you reach 1 push-up and 20 arm raises. -Another thing about the arms, keep them tucked in at 90 degrees or less and pump them in as parallel a motion as possible, you want a strong forward motion, not a strong side-to-side motion. -Breathe in through your nose and out of your mouth, or in through BOTH your nose and mouth simultaneously while still exhaling out of your mouth. -Breathe in a consistent pattern unless you begin to sprint, otherwise you'll risk a bad stitch. -Don't drink water just before running, wait 30 minutes or so before running once you drink. -Never eat at least 2 hours before a run, you will puke, and it will suck. -While running, lean forward a little bit, puff your chest out a bit, and keep your back relatively straight. Good posture is incredibly useful. -While a lot of people like to listen to music while they run, I discourage it. Music will get you into the habit of running faster and in beat to the music, and it's not permitted during a race. Instead, listen to your body for signs of distress or injury. Another huge thing here, Are you a heel-striker, midfoot-striker, or forefoot-striker?
You might already know this but, wait until the person in front of you is tired, then try to get ahead. Otherwise just keep a steady pace.
I'm no good at running, but I would say zephyr gave the most pro advice, like literally the like 2 things i could have mentioned he had already mentioned x.x
When I ran cross country I always had a watch on me to record my time and to be able to keep my pace during practice. When you record your time you can see where you are at, and from there you can set goals to where you want to be. It is important to set goals so you are not mindlessly running. Also have a day where you do like 4 to 5 800 meter practices this helped me with my kick, but I'm sure your coach has set practices for you.
If you have a midfoot strike, be sure to switch to a shoe that'll accommodate it for you. I've heard excellent things about the minimus all around, and I myself use Vibrams, however I run forefoot.
Honestly, I would never have thought there was that much involved with running, I was always just under the assumption that you put one foot in front of the other lol.
Yeah, there's a lot that goes into it, even more so when it comes to competitive racing because it's a battle of both wits and endurance. A nasty little trick I like to use is when I'm slightly in front of somebody and they feel the need to tailgate, I turn a corner sharply and sprint for a second or two to open the gap between us. Obviously he won't see me do so and will in his mind believe he's just slowing down when he's actually going the same speed. It'll screw with his pacing for the rest of the race as he'll think he's much more tired than he really is.
I'm not a runner, but I know some stuff. 95% of a sport is mental. The other 5% of that is your body, which is only strong enough if you allow it; without focus, commitment, and willpower even doing a few stretches can seem a Herculean effort.
