Cross Training Questions - I have some questions about cross-country training:?

I have some questions about cross-country training:?

I'm 15 years old, my mile time is around 6 min or less, and I can run 3 miles around the track at 8 min/mile. -How many miles should I run a day to get ready for cross-country? -Where should I train for cross-country (there's no hills around me, mostly streets)? -How many days a week should I take off? -How fast should I be running (min/mile)? Thanks for your help.

Public Comments

You should run about 3 to 4.5 miles a day except for the day after you run in a meet and you should be doing that around 20 minutes after 2 weeks and you can train anywhere.
Heyy im trying to train for XC also. Here's what I think: Run about 4 - 6 miles a day, Run around your neighborhood (regardless of the fact that its flat), take off 1 or 2 days a week, and 8 min/mile is perfect (that's what I run too)! Good luck :)
i'm 15, and my mile is in the upper fives, so i think we're on the same level...until we git into the distance. you really need improvement on your long run. so first off, you need to work on increasing your distance. if 10 miles is too much to start off with, do 6. you need to work on your distance this should be LONG, SLOW DISTANCE. dont try to make it fast. just work it up to where you can do a comfortable 10 mile run. it is vital that you do these long runs in the heat, because in cross country, we both know that it gets pretty damn hot! and running in that heat will give you a lead over the other runners, who train in the comforts of their cool home. you also need to work on your speed. if you have a track nearby, do 400, 800, and mile repeats. this stuff is REALLY important. you really need to do this stuff for two miles, and by the time cross country hits, you need to be able to do them up to three miles. it's called intervals, if you arent familiar with them. for mile intervals, run a mile, and then rest for about 2 minutes. then you run your second mile. the shorter the distance, the less recovery time you need inbetween. for 800 repeats, do four of them. for 400 repeats, do eight of them. every once in awhile, you need to do a workout with just weight lifting, and crunches, situps, pushups, etc. it's vital that you take TWO days off per week. anyway, you just need to rotate days. easy, hard, easy, hard. here's an example: M 10 mile run T fast three mile run W one of the interval workouts T medium 4 mile run F 6 mile run S REST S SLOW JOG for about 5-10 mins. i dont have hills either... that sucks hard. when doing the interval workouts, doing them on streets or concrete is fine. preferably on a track, tho. when doing a long run, do it in a grassy area. you gotta find some grass, or dirt roads or whatever. by the start of cross country season, you need to try to zone everything into 6:30 mile pace. when doing speedwork, make sure to run it at that pace. dont wory about the speed to your long runs, tho. one more thing: stay away from coke and candy. good luck.
Cross country is all about having a strong base to get you through the 3mi course. Here are some answers to the questions you asked: -Start by increasing your weekly mileage (about 30+ miles/week). This means your long runs should be 6 miles or more. Once your body gets used to the increase, work on your speed at a local park twice a week by running long strides on the grass. This not only helps your race times drop, but also gives you a break from the monotony of running long distances all the time. -Since you don't have any hills around you, the best you can do is find any gradual uphill slope and run repeats on it, making sure you lift your knees high and pump your arms. If you can, have some of your runs go through different surfaces such as dirt and grass. -I would recommend taking the weekends off in order to fully recover and relax. Have some fun with cross training--getting into a pool and biking are great ways to relax while still taking some time off the constant beating your feet get. -Once your base gets stronger, you will be able to do long runs at a faster pace. Keep a watch on you and time a few of your runs. The next week, see if you can improve your run times by a minute or two. Since you are already able to run 3 miles at 8 min/mile, your goal should be reaching the 19's or better when you peak during season. This means about 6:30min/mile pace or better. The important thing is that you don't run long runs hard every time. Make sure you have a nice leisurely run once a week where you are going at a very comfortable and relaxed pace--take time to enjoy running! I hope this helps, and best of luck.
I turn 15 in September, I'm going to be a freshman and my mile time in eighth grade was 4:43. I started off running 20 minutes a day. What i'm trying to do is build up a base. Building a base takes a while. My coach doesnt want me running a 5k race every week just cause I don't have the base to do it. I then went up to 25 minutes the next week, and 30 the next. Right now i'd say i'm at 40 minutes at like mid to high 7 minute mile pace. Take your easy days easy, and be thankful for off days.
Well, sometimes you don't need a huge amount of distance to get ready.When I was a freshman in HS i ran 17:45 in a 5k but I only did 30-40 miles a week, which means my longest run that I did was 8 miles. I try to make up for the lower distance by getting alot of core work and upper body strength. So, if you're like me and hate the long runs I'd recommend this schedule: Mon: 5 miles, between 7 and 7:15 pace, 100 push ups, 200 crunches Tues: 6 miles, 7 minute pace, 75 push ups, 150 crunches Wed: 5 miles, 7:30 pace, 150 push ups, 300 crunches Thurs: 8 miles, 7:30 pace, 50 push ups, 100 curnches Fri: 6 miles, run as fast as you feel, optional push ups/crunches Sat: 5 miles, 7 min pace, 75 push ups, 150 crunches Sun: OFF Don't worry too much about getting hills and such into your training right now, just build a solid base to start off with. ***And remember to eat your greens (they build up your recovery muscles) and drink plenty of water***
I would suggest getting in somewhere between five and ten miles in a workout. There will be days when you will want to focus on other things and will get in less, but look to that as a goal. Nothing beats just getting out on the road and running (unless it is a trail). However, for hill training, you might want to consider going to a local high school and running up and down the football stadium stairs. This would be one of those days where you do not get in long distances. Race up the stairs and use the down as a recovery. This will help with uphill climbs but won't do that much for downhill technique. I would suggest running five to six days a week. I know people who run seven days a week, but I never could keep that up for very long. I always wanted/needed at least one day off. However, if you are serious about x-country, you will want to get in the miles and workout at least five days a week. For the most part I suggest not worrying about how fast you are running, but do make sure you are pushing yourself. The initial goal should be to build up your base miles, especially during the off season. As you get stronger your speed will naturally increase. Once you get into the season, your coach will be working with you to improve. However, one thing you could do is pick a course - three mile, five miles, what ever - and time yourself. Use that as a base and then as you run, do a personal time trial periodically to see if you can improve your time. Some days you will, some days you won't, but that can serve as a barometer on how your training is going. The other thing about how fast is that it is dependant on your conditioning and natural ability. I have no way of telling how fast your really may be, but I suspect you have lots of room for improvement. My guess is that you can probably work that 8 min/mi for three miles down to 7 minutes fairly quickly, but again right now (pre-season) just concentrate on base miles. Good Luck.