Do you think I will be able to lower my time in cross country? Especially considering how bad I did this year?
This past year I was a freshmen in High School Girls' Cross Country. I am a horrible runner, but I don't care, I like running. I started off with a 10:38 mile. (I know, really bad.) I ended the season with a 9:27 mile. Then for the winter season I didn't do any sports. I went for spring track and at the end of the season when we timed our mile, I had a 9:27. Considering that this was my first year of running, do you think I will be able to improve my time over the summer by running 5 miles per day 6 times a week? I'm also pretty short (only 5'2") and want to know if there's any way that I could possibly elongate my stride. Oh, and is there any good posture to run faster? When one girl on my team runs, it looks like shes bending her spine backward while running, but she is one of the fastest runners in the county. And is it better to do butt kicks while running? It feels much better and works better when I do 100m for track but will help with XC?Appreciate answers, please no bashing.
Answers:
6 miles, 3 miles , 6, 3, 3, 8, off
is better or run by time. Try
50 minutes, 30 minutes, 50, 30, 30, 75, off.
Also, if you aren't used to this much running, you must slowly build up to this or you will get injured. Don't increase the amount you run by more than 10% per week. Also, when increasing mileage increase 2 or 3 weeks and then back off one week before increasing again.
I wouldn't worry about your height. Tirunesh Dibaba of Ethiopia is shorter than you and she runs 5K in 14:30.
As far as posture, for distance running you want to run upright. Shoulders over hips. Don't worry about stride length. Stride cadence is more important. Many inexperienced runners overstride. Elite runners run at a cadence of 180 steps per minutes (counting both legs). Inexperienced runners tend to run at 150 to 160. If anything work on taking shorter strides and increasing your cadence.
Exercises/Stretches for IT Band pain?
Well, nobody starts out as the perfect runner. I ran cross-country in high school, and the very first practice, i came in dead last. But, i knew i hated that feeling of being in last, so i started running more and more. Even after practice. I was only 5'4' at the time too, but after our first meet, i never came in last on our team. I actually became the best on the team after a couple of meets. First thing i did was to build up myself up to running and not try to run in all at once. I used ankle weights on long distance runs at a good pace, but not too fast. Your body has too get used to it. Time yourself with the ankle weights during the week, then at the end of the week, time yourself without them. Things should be alot easier. As far as posture, find a position that is comfortable for YOU. You'll eventually get your stride down as soon as you find your posture. Oh,and by the way, i ended up being 2nd in the State by the end of the 11th grade,and not just my class either. So, i know if i can do it, you can do it. Just believe in yourself, and your determination will do the rest. Good luck!HI-TEC silver shaddow trainers?
If you run consistently and don't get injured, you can definitely improve your time.I don't think running 5 miles per day 6 times a week will be good for you. You need a training program in which you vary the stimulus. Ask your coach for help or look up some sample programs online.
Stride length is partially based on height, but mostly based on relative strength. So if you are able to push with more force, you will go forward farther, increasing your stride length.
When running a distance race, you should be running "tall" with your torso fairly vertical. Bending backward is not good form, it causes your center of gravity to be behind you. You don't want to be pulling your center of gravity behind you when you run, you want it slightly ahead of you so you can maintain your momentum.
Don't exaggerate any movement like butt kicks when running long distances. You want to be as efficient as possible and doing extra movements like that just use up energy.
*Don't use ankle weights! They will throw your form off and could lead to injury!
Should I go out for Cross Country next year??
good job, you're doing it because you love it! yeah, a bad time, but so what? a minute improvement is big, and if you condition like you say you will, you definitely will get faster. idk about elongating your stride, but you can make your stride smoother and more efficient. also, how do you swing your arms? try to keep them loosely locked like "L"s and swing them in short, precise swings straight forward, not side to side. try to keep your back straight and head up; not only will this get you more air, it will allow you to pick up your feet more for strides, making you much more efficient. butt kicks? only if you want mud tracks all over the seat of your pants and a ton of pointing kids, lol. butt kicks may feel good, but they're kicks, which works for sprinting, but in cross-country you need to stride (at least, until the kick at the end; you do have one, don't you?) yeah, I have a fast friend too, fastest kid in the county 4 years in a row both track and cross-country, and he runs kinda arched too, but try not to compare yourself to them; they have different capabilities and bodies, and what they're doing isn't always what would be best for you to do.congratulations, and welcome to the fold.
Track/ XC Off-Season Training?
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