Archives for coaching cross country

Three Things

It’s important for everyone who’s interested in track and field to put all the pieces of the puzzle together. After all, this is a sport that is not always considered to be the premier and most exciting to fans, and it is certainly not one of the most sought after or respected among its peers….

Protein for the Win – Protein Needs of Cross Country Athletes

Low fat, high carbohydrate, low calorie intake, carbohydrate cycling, vegetarian, vegan, junk food!  What else have coaches heard from their endurance athletes regarding nutrition?   Today we will focus on the importance of protein. In the last few decades cross country runners have increased their awareness in how nutrition affects performance, but with diet fads, advertising,…

September Training for Cross Country Athletes

There is no better time in the cross country season then September.  Fun invitational meets, hard-core training, an already well-formed team, pretty good weather, and still eager runners all make for a very enjoyable month.  For a cross country coach, September training is especially interesting because it is the month of training creativity.  Already past…

Coordination as a Primary Physical Component in Cross Country Running

The first step in designing training programs for cross country runners is visualizing a clear understanding of the physical components needed for success.  Designing distance training schemes without a clear purpose in mind is an inefficient process at best, and at worst is a hodge-podge of this and that from impractical weight room exercises to…

Flexibility as a Primary Physical Component in Cross Country

There are five primary physical components that are targeted for improvement during physical training.  The degree of emphasis placed on each of the five components of strength, speed, flexibility, coordination, and endurance is sport specific.  All must be addressed for any athlete to improve performance capacity.  In cross country running, the component of endurance is…

A Test for Aerobic Capacity

There are many tests available for coaches to use in assessing the track and field and cross country athletes aerobic abilities on their teams.  Throws coaches commonly use the over-head backward toss of the shot, jumping coaches use the three-legged bound, and distance coaches use the Kosmin Test; all in an attempt to predict future…

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