Cross Country

The best thing to do over the summer to be prepared for the demands of fall cross country is to simply run. But it's as important to be smart about summer running as well as ambitious. Once school is out and the summer begins, novice/beginning runners should start by running every other day, perhaps starting at 1 mile and gradually building up to being able to complete 3 or 4 miles (in 30 to 40 minutes). After a few weeks, working towards a goal of running 5 days a week should become a priority. Not only will improved cardiovascular fitness and better muscle strength/adaptation be gained through consistent summer running, but as well, a tolerance for heat, and a stable pre-season body weight. Injury prevention can also be greatly improved by entering the season with a solid base of summer running. Incorporating hills or occasional quick bursts during a run will add variety and help with overall development, but it isn't necessary to do arduous, demanding workouts... just get the mileage accumulated. Equally important to the physical gains, a confidence in oneself will come with summer running, such that the more challenging team workouts done during the actual season can be aggressively approached. Ideally, by mid-July (one month out from the beginning of the school year), one of the weekly runs should be a lengthier outing, perhaps up to 1 hour of consistent running at a comfortable pace. Swimming or cycling can be substituted for a daily run, and other activities such as push-ups, sit-ups or other physical exercise would only help to improve fitness for the fall. On a practical note, running earlier in the day (when it is cooler and before other activities begin to interfere) is a wise habit to establish. Keeping track of daily and weekly mileage is also recommended. If you would like support on keeping track of your mileage the teams set up a google doc to log your miles. If interested in participating please email the coaches for more information. Good luck!

WSC Coach: Brian Caldwell; bcaldwell@webb.org

VWS Coach: Geoff Owers; gowers@webb.org