Cross Training Questions - Getting ready for Cross Country?

Getting ready for Cross Country?

i never done cross country before however i want to do it this fall to get in shape for track next spring. (i run the 800m in track). I have only ran one 5k before and i got a 23:02. I know thats not too good, but that was the first 5K i've ever done and i really want to drop that time. So i have all summer to train for cross country. Right now i have a 23:02 and I would LOVE to finish the season with a time in the 21 minute range. ((Im a girl)) What are some workouts I can do over the summer to help drop my time? Hills? Distances? Anything else?? Any help is very much apprectiated, THANKS!!! **

Public Comments

i suggest you run every morning in the summer around your block. stretch and then jump rope or something. line jumps might help as well. im not a runner but i like running. im more of a tennis player. but anyway.. , there is this exercise thats very good, dont know the name though. what you do is ''sit'' against a wall with out help from your hands and sit there as long as you can. good luck and have fun! hope that helps^^
I have found that interval running helps your endurance for distance running. If running on a track sprint on curves and do a good paced run on straight aways. If running in neighborhood start at a jog and then alternate sprinting then jogging between telephone poles.
Now, I'm excited I love to talk about running. Ok, here are a couple of my favorite workouts. There is one that takes only 15 minutes: Using a watch, run hard, but not all out, for 30 seconds, immediately followed by a 30 second slow, recovery jog, then once that 30 seconds is over, you do another fast 30 seconds. It's just a pattern. *Tip* after a hard or strenuous run, it's nice, the next day, to find a soft, grassy area, and run barefoot. Another great workout to build up endurance and speed are yasso 800's. Run 4 to 8 800's at a hard pace, ex. if you race an 800 in 2:30, then run these in 3:00. This workout helps you build turnover in your legs. Also, a big thing is your arms. Learn how to use them correctly and not criss-cross them in front of your body. Takes practice but it's worthit.
try this plan: Mon-distance-5-10 laps around track or go on a long run down your street Tues-cross-train or easy run Wen-speed work, do 400m 5 times, trying to improve your time each lap Thurs-smaller speed work: do 20 20s, aka, do 100m in 20 sec, rest 20 sec, do again 20 times, or in your case maby only 10-15 times, this will gime you a great start and finish Fri-do two 1ks with a 3 min break inbetween and do some crunches Sat-same as wen or thurs Sun-rest or light activity, take the dog for a walk or step out and walk to dinner or at the mall and increace the mialage each week!!, it''s all speed at the beginnig, then endurance, so add the miles to this, but go back to this work out 1-2 weeks before your XC season starts, good luck, and go for the gold!!
A 23:02 is a good time, so good job :) Hills are a big part of xc so you should do a bunch of them, they'll also help with your endurance and they'll give you more calf muscle. Also over the summer go on really long runs with your friends or something at a pretty good pace. Run about 5 or 6 miles a day, so then 3.1 miles will seem pretty easy :) Good luck! :)
everyone else on here is a absolute idiot, you are never suppose to do any speed work over the summer time, if you do it leads to peaking early in the season, and that is bad by the way... run distance. start out slow, like a 2-3 mile run, and have a long run every saterday. your first week have about 15-20 miles in then the next week up your miles to 25 and then everyweek there after add a mile onto the total miles you have at the end of each new week. goodluck and godbless