Cross-Country tips please?
don't listen to Linda. after your in shape, you feel amazing after a run. i can tell you'll do well because your looking to improve on your own : ) drink as soon as you wake up. i drink tons of tea. not sweet tea regular tea. it's like super water. lol. for motivation think of how much good your doing for your body! how much longer you'll live! here are some motivational quotes that make me want to run for days. http://www.greatest-inspirational-quotes.com/inspirational-running-quotes.html for form you want to keep your shoulders back, head up and forward, move your arms at your sides back and forth really hard it makes you go faster, and land on the bottom of your foot, not the heel or toe. YES! core strength helps with running! for diet eat lots of vegetables, fruits, carbs, and lean meats. eat three hours before you run and eat protein afterwards to help build muscle. chocolate milk is good after a hard run : ) and its full of protein, so is peanut butter. three miles a day is good, but your body will adapt. try running slowly for four miles one day and sprinting two another day. running uphill really helps too! good luck! : )
Cross country road trip tips?
You are covering way, way, way too much territory in three weeks. All you will see is through the windshield. You need to reduce your trip area. Use www.mapquest.com to figure out how many hours it takes to go from Point A to Point B. Remember that is non-stop, not including stops for meals, gas, stretching, sightseeing, or sleep. If you want to see America, stay off the Interstates. Take the old US Highways like US64 across southern TN, old Route 66 through the west, the Pacific Coast Highway up the CA coast. That also adds time because the speed limits are lower than the Interstates. Your idea of camping and eating from groceries is a great one. I did a 4-week road trip, and we ate from groceries most meals. Treat yourself to a fabulous dinner in a local eatery every few days, like the Farmer's Market in Los Angeles, fish places on Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco and at Pike Place in Seattle. We kept a box in the trunk with cereal and single-serve items. Stop at a grocery for milk, fresh cut fruit, fresh snack size veggies, deli meat. Be sure to eat healthy or your stomach will act up. Pack a picnic bag with plastic dinner plates, plastic bowls (get both at dollar store), a set of metal cutlery for each person, some serving spoons, plastic drinking cups, napkins, salt/pepper/sugar, etc. Be sure to include a sharp knife to cut things like watermelon. May is not usually a busy time, so you should be able to just drop in and get a place to stay. I can't help you with camping recommendations. Your best friend in this trip will be a credit card with a substantial limit. Then you can pay for gas, groceries, hotels, and admissions without having to carry a lot of cash or being at the mercy of the ATM machines. Get you a paper map of the US. Then go to the websites of each state and look for the top attractions. Mark them on the map. Then figure out your time between each point. I think you will reduce the area of your trip. Here is why: Raleigh-San Diego = 38 hours non-stop (mostly interstates) San Diego- Seattle = 20 hours " Seattle- Raleigh = 44 hours " Total = 102 hours non-stop If you drive 10 hours a day (which is a lot), that is 10 days of nothing but driving. You haven't seen anything, you haven't even stopped for gas or food or to pee. You have to shorten your trip.
Any XC/Cross Country tips?
I agree with everybody else with the year round running, but I would suggest taking a week or two off after the season because of how strenuous cross country is on your feet, ankles, shins, knees, etc.Here are some more:When going up hills, run on your toes.Invest in some good socks-I like Balega. They are nice and thick, with a lip on the back so they don't fall into your shoe while running!Get fitted for running shoes, don't go with Nike just because they have cool colors. Actually go to a ship that specializes in running shoes!Invest in a roller, they are pretty cheap and help loosen up muscles before and afree a race (which prevents injuries)SLEEP!During a race, know where the 1/4 point, half mark, the 3/4 point and the last turn is. My coach told us the first 1/4 should focus on position, after that settle into a rhythem. Know where the half way point is to check your pace. At the 3/4 point, pick it up. After the last turn mentally prepare yourself to gain speed to pass a bunch of people in the chute.Have a strategy (as above)Get a watch, time yourself.Drink your last sip of water 20 minutes before your race.Pee. Like 40 times before your race. You will always have to go right at the start line if you don't!Pack a running bag. (Extra socks, blanket if it's cold, rain jacket, shoes to hang out it)Go for a cool down after races
Running tips for cross country?
I LOVE cross country! When you run, never stop and walk or even slow down. If you are going to speed up or slow down, then gradually slow or fasten yourself because the quick, dramatic changes give you "side-stitch" or maybe you would know these as the cramps you were asking about. It is usually in your side or in your stomach. These are normal, don't panic. The best way to get rid of these after running is to keep your arms above your head. Drink plenty of water before a race, but too much water right before you run can make you feel sick and ruin your race for you. Try to time the drinking or eating at least 10 mins before a race unless it is a very small portion. The faster you run, the faster it's done ; ) Icy hot patches? No, forget them unless you have an injury. Tips for trying-out and making the team would be to start slower and get faster when running. Show the coach you pace yourself. NEVER stop completely!!! Don't walk! DRink and eat well the day before try-outs. Dehydration kills your running. Your times sound okay, but they can be improved by simple ab workouts and overall, the strengthening of your body. Try looking up ab workouts and make sure you stretch your hamstrings. Shoes: Find shoes with good arch support, but too much sole on a shoe makes it too heavy. The closer your shoes is to the ground, the easier it will be to run. You know if your shoes are old if they have little crinkle lines beside the sole. That means it's old and it can really damage your legs. Try to buy two different pairs of running shoes. Switch every day. Look up workouts online for your age and that should help. Bring WATER to practice. Don't wear anything too tight because it will make you feel horrible. At meets, if it's chilly out, try to wear sweats to keep your muscles warm. Stay strong, keep running! E-mail me if you need any advice. I hope you make the team!
3km cross country run tomorrow, any tips?
Try to run an even pace, don't sprint at the beginning and don't save something to sprint at the end. Once you are in your race, concentrate on running in small parts, run to the next corner or hill, catch the person in front of you and then focus on the next person. Relax, let your hands and arms stay loose. Take deep, full breaths, don't gasp or pant and don't worry about how the air gets inside, use your nose and mouth, because your lungs don't know how the air got there it is all the same. You will run your best times if you run an even pace for the entire distance.
Any tips for me to run a 4Km cross-country race?
keep a good pace(don't try to stay with someone you know is 2min faster, try to get in a group if you like, or try to stay by yourself if it helps you stay focused) stay hydrated,drink water..especially when you wake up from sleeping eat alot of carbohydrates the night before, and maybe a couple of days before stretch and warm up before the race breathe in the nose and out the mouth smoothly the entire race, it will help keep lactic acid from building up, and allow more atp to form making you have more energy where comfortable shoes, preferably spikes(make sure the spike lengths fit the course) have a walk through of the course, to know what kinda pace you'll need where and if there are any obstacles GOOD LUCK:)
Tips for running Mt. SAC cross country race?
oh my god!!!! i went to MT. SAC last year and it was the best race ever! My team isn't going this year and I am very upset. Well I agree that it is important to try and go out slow but there is really no way to do that. The first mile is all flat, and as a sophomore last year my first mile was 5:20. Immediately after the first mile you turn up a huge hill and do a few hundred feet of switchbacks. These hills are long but not too steep. After that you have a huge down hill and then the course is flat for a while. Then you get to "poopout hill" which I don't think is that bad. Apparently everyone dies on it, but it isn't that long. Its pretty steep but just pump your arms and you'll be at the top within seconds. The back stretch is all kind of a blur I was pretty delirious by that point of the race last year. I know there is at least one more hill, but I do remember the last quarter mile being flat, and I remember coming through at 18:14 which was my best time last year.
I have my school cross country coming up. What are some tips to help my running?
I would suggest three main things:[1] Run with people at a scheduled, routine time. There is nothing more motivating than running with other people. Studies have shown over and over that you run both longer and faster this way. Also, I've made some of my best friends this way and it's truly one of the main things that makes the sport enjoyable. A routine time is good because ...then it's routine. You will spend less time arguing with yourself and playing mind games if you just know at a certain time each day a run is going to inevitably happen.[2] Keep a running journal. Include how many miles you ran, how you felt on a scale of 1 to 5, and if you did any speed work. It is fantastic to look back and see your improvement. It's also incredibly informative if your legs feel great or feel dead. You can look back and see what you did leading up to it. It's also a great tool for your coach to look at if you ever need help.[3] Finally, don't do too much too soon. Don't increase your mileage more than 10-15% per week. Your muscles can keep up with more increase than this, but the rest of your tendons, bones, cartilage, joints, etc, take longer to adapt - and this is why so many new runners get injured so quickly. Every three or four weeks, take a rest week. That doesn't mean to not run - just cut back a little. Improvement is all about recovery.