Cross Training Questions
Training for cross country - new start?
Hi, i have been out of action for several years and used to use cross country to improve my fitness for my kickboxing. I am pretty much startign a fresh with this and have planned and ran a .75 mile route which i have run for the past 4 days. I still cannot complete the run entirely most of it is on fairly short hills but with some big hills (2) (this is where i struggle). I have done road running in the past and obviously this is very different but i would like to hear peoples experiences - what should i be doing? running the .75 mile for a week then gradually increase? run slower or what? i do understand as well that eating is a big part of running when i used to train 6 days a week i had to have a high carb inake. This time round i would like to loose a few pounds as well so what is the best foods to eat to aid this which will give me energy too. I also like a routine before i run this used to be a black coffee half hour before i trained? anyone elses routines which help them? Help!
Public Comments
- I suggest trying one day on, one rest day. Or just try this run x3 a week til you can do it, then slowly build up either speed or distance. Fartlek is good (changing pace). For energy - carbs are good. So think pasta, bananas (not too many of latter!). For short distances you really dont need too much, i'd focus more on warm ups and warm downs after before/after the run. Dont eat before you go running (allow at least an hour) - i wouldnt drink the coffee. Keep it for when you get back.
- Yes
- try drinking water instead of coffee. keeping hydrated is important. try working on that hill. when going up that hill try doing high knees. when going down, let your self go. take longer strides and you won't tire out as much. good luck!
- Drinking coffee before training is actually a good idea, as it kickstarts the metabolism and acts as a stimulant for the heart. As for the training, I'd keep doing the .75 mile run but not every day. You're just going to burn yourself out without ever achieving your goal. Do it every other day, at whatever speed it takes for you to finish the run. Then gradually increase the distance to about 3 miles over time, each time making sure you can complete the run. Once you can do this you can start timing yourself to make sure you do the run faster each time. Road running is good for general fitness but you really can't beat running over different inclines and terrains for all round training, and fat loss! As I'm sure you remember from the last time you did x-country, it comes with practice. I'm pretty certain it won't be long til the old training kicks in and you're sprinting over thos hills!
