Cross Country Care

“Its easier to stay up than to catch up” ~ Unknown

Cross Country season is afoot! (sorry)  Athletes all over Alabama are pounding the pavement in sweat-drenched groups, arms pumping in perfect cadence.  Their faces are portraits of focused training.  They envision each race before it has begun.  They listen to their bodies during each stride to strategically determine the next mile’s effort.  A runner’s game is one of the more psychologically played sports among athletes.

Cross Country is an endurance sport.  It’s a team sport that requires the runners to complete well-thought-out trails through grass, mud, woodlands and/or water.  Because of the diverse possibilities of each race, athletes should train both mentally and physically, in anticipation of uncertain, natural occurrences.

Some runners psychologically make a mountain out of a molehill, as the saying goes.  A runner’s concerns regarding uphill running begin more in their minds than in their legs.  This can cause the runner to doubt his/herself when they find themselves facing an unfamiliar incline during a race.  The best way to a runner can keep from suffering a negative assessment of a hill during a race is to train toward making hill climbing just another stretch of the race.  Take away the import or the significance of a hill in a race.  Once you deem a hill climb as nothing more than the next step, you won’t even think twice about the presence of it in a race.

The terrain is rough at times during a Cross Country trek so it is a good idea to run through freshly plowed land (with the land owner’s permission, of course).  The ground of a freshly plowed field is uneven, soft in places, hard in others and offers a great training field for the Cross Country competitor.  By training on this type of terrain, you will gain confidence and speed to carry you over this type of obstacle in every race.  In the actual race, it is best to sprint over this type of ground and save yourself for when the trail is good.  Don’t forget to visit this training ground after a good rain.

The mind/body connection is essential in Cross Country.  Obstacles are plentiful in Cross Country, due to the design of the trail.  However, do not forget the obstacles we tend to place in our minds when running the race through in our heads.  The key to overcoming any obstacle is to do so without doubt and without fear.