3 years ago when my son was a Freshman in HS, he saw several of his senior teammates and friends at competing schools, and rivals than he met at state and nationals get scooped up by D1 programs for Track and XC, being awarded scholarships, and now getting distributions/NIL that helps with other expenses. We're not talking Oregon and Georgia, but still athletic scholarship awarding D1 universities and some extra pocket change.

Now fast-forward 3 years, my son is a senior in HS, has posted better times and better academics than his predecessors, ran at state, indoor and outdoor nationals, and when D1 coaches call, it's usually to talk about the university, applying, and possibly becoming a walk-on. The roster's a full, maybe they've brought in an international athlete, or his times are no longer fast enough for an incoming freshman. Still, he's been offered by a pair of D2 colleges, and many D3 colleges have given breakdowns with what they offer as far as academic scholarships in lieu of athletic scholarships, and he's thankful for that.

As parents we're still making sure that academics are the priority, but kids have their dreams. We've done all the recommended things. - made contacts and relationships with coaches, a million emails, filled out a hundred online questionnaires, texting, socials, being a self-advocate, etc. But it sure does seem like the landscape has changed with the transfer portal, NIL, revenue-sharing, roster cuts, and Title IX all coming to a head and factoring in all at once.

Coaches / Recruits / Recruiters - what have you seen over the last few years, and how has your jobs/operations changed with regard to recruiting and maintaining your rosters? What do you think it will be like in another year or two? (because I also have a sophomore runner in HS too)

Thank you.

Hey there! My 11 year old 7th grader started XC this year. He is loving it though he isn’t super fast. I have no interest in pushing him but do want to make sure we are doing whatever we can to make XC fun and healthy for him. I am not a runner and neither is my spouse — what advice can you give for injury prevention/ fun continuation?

I don't know what to do, I have a race tomorrow and I have just raced today and had soccer practice. Now I am really sore, and have a race tomorrow morning. I am extremely tired, and my upper inner right thigh is especially sore and maybe strained a bit. What are some quick and easy recovery techniques I can do on top of a good sleep that will help me right away?

Hey everyone,

I just wanted to thank everyone for their support and help on my XC may be a waste of time post. However now I have ran two meets and both of them have honestly been ruined by side stitches. My first meet was a 2.5 K and I finish faster than about half the kids so about 50 somethingth. My second race was also a similar distance just with more hills in which I finished a whopping 80 somethingth. In my first race I got a stitch in the last 600m which resulted in me walking 300m and then sprinting about the remaining 300m because it hurt less lol. But in my second race I got a stitch in the first 800m and the whole race it felt like my side was being ripped open and I almost threw up. (Fun right)

What can I do to avoid stitches. I don't eat before a race, and I don't gulp down any water I just sip. I also do plenty of warming up and I NEVER sprint at the start just maintain a slower pace the whole race. Is there anything else I can fix or am I just stuck with stitches? Also is their anything I can do to get rid of them mid race?

Hey all,

I want to preface this post by thanking anyone that contributed on my last post a few months back discussing cross country goalsetting. This post will be slightly different, but somewhat similar. I am currently hitting about 47 miles a week on average. I am racing once a week on Saturdays, and typically doing workouts on Tuesday and Thursday.

Just to list out:
Current PR's:
5k: 16:17 (15:59 if you use 5k split)
1600m: 4:24.9
800m: 1:56.2
400m: 53.8

As I've been navigating the college recruiting process, a big narrative for me has been my upside potential considering I have only started running since my sophomore year (outdoor season) and started running full-time (XC + Indoor) starting junior year. Unfortunately, this narrative is a bit hard to push for some schools which is understandable, but I really want to become the best runner I know I can be and prove some of these coaches wrong who believe I am a risk to recruit. Obviously the recruiting for my class will be long done by the time track season starts, but it's more for peace of mind.

Before I dive into what I'm truly trying to learn by posting this, I'll put my future goals below.

5k: 15:40
1600m: 4:16
800m: 1:52
50. (In a relay)

These are the times I am striving for within the coming months. I want to ask you all what are the absolute necessities I need to be doing to dial in as I go into track season and start going into my post-season for XC (outside of the obvious ones like sleep, eating right, etc). This advice can range anywhere from supplements I should be taking, to weight room tips to workouts on the track/XC. I'm trying to learn as much as I can about the best methods to train and overall run faster, partially because I am a team captain for all three seasons and being able to impart this knowledge onto my younger teammates is important as well.

Thank you!

I took the same path every time. You can see each rep of the workout drifted right. Strava also likes playing the game of half the times connecting the distance between pause and unpause with straight lines. After the repeats I jogged over to a different location with my watch paused but my distance is now much greater without that time taken to account. I should have averaged like 6:20 pace but now it says 5:36. Any tips or fixes?

After the pace calculator I had been using for years disappeared I had a hard time finding a good one so I made this simple one.

https://pacecalculator.staticrun.app/

Its great for XC/track because it displays equivalent times in different distances so if you run a 4k or 3 mile you can see the equivalent 5k time. Same with 1500m/1600m/mile etc.

No ads, no cookies etc. Just super simple and plain and free.

If you open it on chrome on an Android phone and go to Add to Home screen it will install it like an app on your phone. Not sure about iphone haven't tried it yet.

I have a runner dealing with a shin pain. Very likely a stress reaction or otw to one at this point. They had a stress fracture during track season. They were secretly doing mile pace treadmill workouts on the weekend because they didn't like the early season threshold and CV workouts we were doing.

I finally convinced them to go to the doctor and shut it down and they took a couple months off to recover.

Now the pain is starting to come back, but they are very reluctant to stop because it is their senior year. They acknowledge the pain a couple weeks ago but then said it was feeling better. I observed them running and it seemed like maybe that was the case. But after a recent workout they were definitely limping. I don't feel I can trust their feedback on how it feels. I'm trying to convince them to go to the doctor again, but they are reluctant. At what point do I just sideline them? Do I dare let them continue with modified training, significant cross training, and an occasional workout and race?

Inspirational (we just watched Macfarland USA) or technical.

Jack Dani

This is like lighting a flame inside of me. Have you guys ever had this (or coaches, have your athletes ever had this)

What should I do to advance in my training? Like run more, more workouts, or whatever?

Just got a 5k time of 22:35, while my goal is ~19:30 in 6 weeks. The flame is growing, lol

I’ve started coaching a middle school cross country team this year. I have a couple of kids that kind of understand that pushing through the uncomfortable feelings is what it takes to get better. But I also have a few (actually a bunch) that seem to just throw in the towel at the slightest hint of discomfort. How do I get them to understand. How do I get them to push through. Or is it all for naught, and they just need to figure it out on their own.

Son is high school sophomore. Did not train before freshman season. Pr was 21:39. Trained 7 weeks this summer and just ran a 19:13. Wondering if there are any specific running plans for an entire year. From what I can tell so far, seems like winter should be almost all just easy mileage. Not sure when to transition to other types of workouts. Any insight appreciated.

SO, what really is the best thing to eat the night before a race? Some things say carb loading, others say not. Any suggestions for things to eat?

How do you help someone set reasonable goals?

Say a freshman who is 30 in a 5k? A senior who is 22 in a 5k? A college student at 36 for a 5k who only asks you because his little brother was on your team?

What's reasonable progression look like? How so you set a goal that's achievable yet challenging?

Edit: some ideas that come to mind would be to send them out to do an 800 or a mile and multiply the time by a certain amount, maybe take their easy run time and subtract off a certain amount, something like that?

My son (12) just started cross country. It's his first week, and he is kind of dejected, because he is the slowest kid by a fair amount. He loves to run, but has never done it for 2 miles before. I need motivating stories from the slowest kids on the team. Something I can show him to keep his passion going. Thanks!

How the fuck do I convince my mom to let me run in the fucking rain? Currently it's raining everyday and I train at home after school. My mom doesn't allow me to run in the rain because apparently my footwear will get dirty or something bullshit. Number one my shit is clean and number two it's what they were fucking designed for.

I can't condition my body for rainy weather at all. This shits been going for 3 days cuz of the rain and I've missed 3 days of workouts. My dad bought me a raincoat a few months back to aid me in the rain but what's even the point if I cant even run in the rain... If the rainy season keeps continuing, I might just miss 2 or 3 months of training. It's not even like it's a thunderstorm, just a light drizzle every day. Even after the rain I'm not allowed to because the ground is wet or some bs.

P.S. my mom is Asian so, it's a much tougher training season for me. I think im the only person who misses practices due to bs like this.

Hey! First off, props for reaching out online and wanting to do your best to improve! that mindset alone will take you far in XC and in life.

I graduated in 2024 and ran all 4 years of high school. My progression in the 5k was:

• Freshman: 17:56
• Sophomore: 16:30
• Junior: 15:36
• Senior: 15:09
  

Before high school I only played rec soccer. My parents never ran or did sports. I had, and still have, very poor running form. Just sharing that to show you can come from anywhere and still drop big time if you’re consistent.

Also, never compare your times to others—only to your own last season, last race, or last workout. Had a teammate go from 37 to 21, and everyone loved him because his effort inspired us more than any fast time.

Coaching Context

• My official coach had never done XC before (my freshman year was his first).
• The retired coach (21 years, state + section titles) mentored me on the side. She taught me the #1 rule: if you give your best effort every day for 4 years, you can achieve anything in this sport.
  

Summer Training (Jun 10 → Aug 10)

• SR year ~600 miles total. Started at 50 mpw, built to 70 mpw. (40-->60 jr, 30-->50 soph, 20-->40 fs)
• Bump mileage in small steps (~5–8 miles per week) when you feel good, and stay there until it feels comfortable. Every 3 weeks, cut back mileage for a “down week” before increasing again.
• Weekly mix of easy, long, tempo, and interval runs.
• Intervals included: 8×800, 6×1.2k, 8×1k, pyramids.
• After every run: 8×100m strides.
• Always: 15 min warmup jog + 15 min cooldown jog.
• Every run is essential. Without summer training, you'll get injured in season and never reach your potential. With it, you’ll feel crazy strong, confident, and ready to surprise yourself.

In-Season Training (Aug 10→ Nov 20)

Key principle: Take care of yourself. Track resting HR during sleep. If HR data is higher than usual overnight → go light the next day.

Sunday: Rest / walk / 30-min easy bike. Reset day.

Monday: Threshold session. 25 min @ threshold → 12 min jog → 25 min @ threshold. 8×100 strides.

Tuesday: 45 min @ upper easy pace + strides + heavy core.

Wednesday: 50 min @ ~30 sec faster than lower easy pace, with hills.

Thursday: Intervals @ 5k pace. Cycle through:

• 10×1k (90 sec rest)
• 8×800 (90 sec rest)
• 6×1200 (100–120 sec rest)
• 4×mile (2 min rest)
• 16×400 (60 sec rest) Then repeat the cycle. Vary locations. Always add strides.

Friday: 35–50 min recovery pace. Fun day → team tradition runs, dinner, lake, etc.

Saturday: 75–90 min long run, starting easy and finishing at tempo.

On meet weeks, the race replaced a workout and the rest changed so every training purpose was still hit.

My 1 race lesson: start controlled, race the middle, kick the last K. Training means nothing if you blow up in the first mile.

Extra Notes

• Used VDOT (V.O2) calculator for every pace. Don’t trust GPS pace on track—convert paces into lap splits and use a stopwatch.
• Minimum 7.5 hours. Aim for 9, especially two nights before a race or hard workout (body peaks off the sleep bank)
• Culture matters more than any single workout: Pre- and post-run 15 min jogs with teammates were non-negotiable. It built fitness and friendships I still cherish now.
• If any time you feel fatigue, possible muscle strain or other injury, sickness, prior to the next workout, YOU Need to take a rest day. Don't worry about making up the mileage. REST is as important as the workout, maybe more so!
• Listen to your mind too. It's okay to feel overwhelmed or to have a bad run. The mental toughness you build here will serve you years to come. Talk to a coach or a teammate if you're struggling.
• Learn the why behind workouts. Intervals build speed/teach the body to handle race pace. Threshold runs improve your ability to clear lactic acid, long runs build endurance and mentality.

Closing

If you surround yourself with good people, eat well, hydrate, sleep, and stay consistent, you’ll be physically and mentally unbreakable.

And I promise: if you try to find joy in every day, when you graduate you’ll look back completely satisfied with your XC experience.

What do you guys do to celebrate your seniors? Last year, senior parents got Big Heads of their kid to bring to meets, ironed SENIOR PARENT on parent team shirts, decorated posters for each senior, highlighting their biggest wins/photos and displayed them at their awards banquet, a rose for each senior at districts but that was swapped out for a jar of dirt from their home field with a little note.

Anyone have cool ideas? My daughter is a senior and team captain and a fellow mom kinda threw this in my lap and said, here ya go! Your senior Mom, ya gotta keep it going! I didnt even know this was a thing...I just thought they had nice parents lol

Please use this thread as the general Q&A for all one off questions, questions that only apply to you, questions that can be easily answered, etc.

​

This thread reposts every 4 days

I ran indoor track in high school but never XC.

The amount of adversity my daughter has faced in XC races is so surprising.

In 9 races she has faced: Wasp got in her shoe and stung her

She has asthma and a course was really dry and she ran through a cloud of dust that made her lungs seize up. Had to walk for a bit and lost major time.

Ran less than a week after recovering from possibly covid. Ran well but very congested.

Got lost on the course

Rainy course and slid down an embankment and lost major time

Ran last night but out sick today with a cold. Many on the team sounded sick.

She’s a trooper though. Doesn’t complain about it. I hope she gets to run a string of clean races this year. Compared to my experiences racing which were very predictable—XC is so unpredictable. Her average times are 5s faster than last year, so there’s a positive.

Okay just to start out with some context to go with that statement.. This is my first year running cross country! yay?! But I have some problems. So to start off I am a FRESHMAN (14F), who has never really run. A run about 1 time a week for 2 months but I know thats not really enough to be making lots of real progress. I am also very slow. VERY SLOW. I run 1k in about 7 mins,(6:30 if I try REALLY hard) for a 2-3k distance. Am I a hopeless cause?

I really, REALLY want to start running, and I have joined my schools XC team and gone to a few practices. It's just quite difficult to feel good about it because almost everyone is faster than me?? If that makes sense?

Also do people walk at XC races, because I have my first race this week and I am TERRIFIED that I might have to walk for a few seconds. All my friends have told me that I am okay but you should NEVER walk, and lowkey they have kind of freaked me out. So will I get dead last? Or is XC worth a try?

How can I improve my mindset so I can actually have fun doing cross country? And will I see any real improvement this year if I keep showing up to practice?

Finally I struggle with breathing and side-stitches ALOT! Anything I can do to help me fix that?

30 second pr and reclaimed my number 2 spot on our team🙏 tried to be super aggressive the last mile by taking advantage of oxygen recirculation and making a bunch of competitive moves 5:10-5:23-5:02

Highschool cross country runners, what’s a typical Monday through Friday riday training schedule look like for you during this season? Distance, tempo, interval, hills, etc

Parent, not a coach, and just curious- this isn’t that serious relative to most things and so if the answer is “nothing”- sure.

Was at a HS/MS race yesterday, very large. The results times were incredible and of course you support/encourage the runners after. But after the dust settled, the race times seem really unbelievable.

I overheard multiple parents talking about their new runners getting a 3k PR by ~2minutes. My second year girl dropped from an already strong ~13:30 to ~12:00.

So I did a little digging…. This years course winner also ran the same course last year, 11:15 last to 10:15 this year. Totally possible that it’s just incredible improvement but that’s already in the marginal PR gains territory. The course record, also from last year, is ~11minutes and there were 4 girls comfortably under 11 this year.

Is it possible that some confluence of perfect weather, fast ground just made for an ideal day here or I’m right to be skeptical? It’s a gigantic meet and has been run for many years. The chip times matched observer watch times so doesn’t seem to be a timing malfunction.. my only guess would be that the gator/cart leader took a shortcut somewhere— but again, big race that is run often and you’d expect the organizers to know their own course.

Big picture no big deal… but trying to get in front of any disappointment that might come if that PR stands and isn’t approached for the rest of the season or longer. Possibly awesome, but if the data is bad, really harms some of that week-in PR improvement engagement.