“Simple Ain’t Easy.”
–Thelonious Monk
Running is one of the simplest sports you can imagine: Get on the starting line, fire a gun, the first one to the finish wins. Simple!
Training for cross country is simple too–just go running. But just because training is simple does not mean that training is easy. It’s hard to get out the door again and again to start running*. It’s hard to be consistent with your training; it is simple to decide that you are going to run four, or five, or six days per week, the hard part is to get out and actually follow up on what you have decided and keep up your training week after week. It’s simple, but not easy.
This article is intended for the people who have decided to join the family of runners! If you have decided to join cross country next fall for the first time, we are here to help you.
Two things you need to do right away:
First: Schedule your physical–you need it to join the team, and it is smart to see your doctor before starting any new exercise program. All your medical forms are at: http://mvhs.fuhsd.org/crosscountry
First also 🙂 Get new shoes! Many injuries come from old or poorly fitted shoes. Please do not get your shoes over the internet or from a big sporting goods store–if they are selling tennis raquets and kayaks, don’t get running shoes there, go to a running specialty store that can help figure out your own requirements. Running Revolution of Campbell gives Monta Vista runners a discount–just tell them you run for MV: http://www.runningrevolution.com/ . Every runner needs new shoes! More on this at: http://www.mvrunning.com/coachs/shoes-not-just-a-good-idea/
The basic concepts of how to get ready for cross country are simple:
1. Give yourself plenty of time to prepare. In general, more time is better. If you start easy training at the beginning of summer, you will have 8 to 10 weeks of training before the first official practice of the season. That’s plenty of time. (The hard part–getting started! It’s surprising how fast 10 weeks goes to 6 weeks goes to 2 weeks. Get started early!)
2. Start short and slow and build up. That’s why starting early is important. If you start slowly and give yourself time to build up, you will enjoy yourself more, be less likely to get injured, and your body have time to make useful performance adaptations. Here is a way to think about your summer:
June: Slow ramp up. Start with 20-40 minutes of running per day, depending upon your fitness level. For the first three weeks, run every other day.
July: Start building mileage. Don’t worry about pace too much. You can be running 4 or 5 days per week by the end of the month. New runners can be up to 15-20 miles per week by now. Vary the length of your runs, don’t run the same run every day, and start adding hills some days. A typical week might look like: Monday run for 30-40 minutes, Tuesday run 30 minutes, Wednesday 30-40 minutes in the hills, Thursday a short easy run, Friday rest or play a game, Saturday 45 minutes-1 hour minutes and get some hills (Rancho?), Sunday rest.
August: If you have been running consistently, you should be able to run 5-8 continuous miles by now. Wow! It may be hard to imagine when you read this for the first time, but if you have been running continuously for 8 weeks you will be surprised–you can do it!
3. Do the little things! Warm up…stretch (see http://www.mvrunning.com/coachs/four-easy-stretches/)…do some core work…cross train (go for a bike ride, swim if you can). There are lots of tips on the mvrunning site see: http://www.mvrunning.com/coachs-page/
This may be enough for some of you to get started–you can make up your own plan and start running. That’s fine. If you want more structure, take a look at the plan attached as a download. Or, you can get together with the team for the daily summer runs–see the options at http://www.mvrunning.com/news/cross-country-2012-pre-season-meeting/ Whatever you do…be consistent! No matter what you do, it will help you get ready for Monta Vista Cross Country 2012!
We look forward to welcoming all of you new runners to our Monta Vista XC family, and the worldwide family of runners!
Running plan download:
http://www.mvrunning.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/How-to-Get-Started-for-Cross-Country.pdf
*Any experienced runner will tell you that the first block is the hardest! Once you are out the door and are a block away from home, it’s easier to keep going! Do anything you can to get out the door and get started! 🙂