Many people argue that cross country is one of the hardest, most physically challenging sports there is out there. A lot of people shudder at the idea of running two or more miles on hilly, steep, muddy and rocky trails. The funny thing about that is that is not even the worst part. In order to run two to four miles in races, one must prepare. “How do you prepare your body to run this long?” one might ask. That is where my argument comes in. Being a cross country runner of four years, I have seen, done and heard of a plethora of ways and strategies to become a successful cross country runner. Some are outlandish, ridiculous and just plain out stupid; but some are also rewarding, beneficial and worth the hard work. Personally, I feel like having a good strong balanced diet, learning how to pace yourself and maintain a positive, motivational attitude and the key ingredients in being a successful cross country runner.
Some people have this idea that cross country runners, or just runners period, only eat salads or small meals. This is absolutely false. Running takes a lot out of your body. It makes your metabolism work a lot harder and it burns a great deal of your energy. Food is your main source of energy and if you are just eating salads, then you are not going to get the amount of energy you need to successfully run 3 miles or more. When I was a runner, I made sure to eat a good, nutritious breakfast. I would eat scrambled eggs, with a little bit of cheese, grits, hash-browns, or toast, sausage or a piece of ham. The eggs and ham will give you your protein, which is very important because protein builds and repairs muscles. The cheese on the eggs, gives you a source of vitamin D, which builds strong healthy bones. The grits, ha...
... middle of paper ...
...w quickly you'll be done. Also, keep in mind that you are not racing for just you, but for your team also. Letting go of all the negative vibes and thoughts can make room in your mind for the thought that can help you succeed.
Cross country is not a hard sport, contrary to popular belief. People often think that you have to be born with the stamina needed for running four or five miles at a time. There are so many different things people think is necessary, like running sprints, heavy miles or lifting weights and building strength, but in reality these things are minor. Although being physically fit is idealistic, it is not the most important thing needed to be successful because having a well-balanced, nutritious diet, pacing yourself and setting a strategy, and having the right positive attitude can put you in the shape to be a successful cross country runner.
Muscular endurance- As the player must continue running, their muscles will begin to tire and lactic acid will build up in their muscles. To ensure the players muscle don’t fatigue, the coach of this elite athlete has clearly targeted their muscular endurance. Shown through the multiple resistance trainings and circuit training, the athletes muscular endurance will be sure to improve.
The training in these sports is an enormous difference. In cross country a runner trains by going miles upon miles each day to build their stamina, as a sprinter this is far from my favorite part. This is a sport where an athlete has to have the will to stay true to a course instead of cutting and cheating themselves the training they will soon need. Cross country is a mentally tough sport, an athlete has to have the mindset that they will be able to go that distance. While in track the athletes also train to build their stamina, it is a different aspect they need it for. This is a sport with no shortcuts, but knowing I pushed myself as hard as possible in those short, intense workouts. Both of these sports consist of lengthy stretching to stay as healthy as possible for the real purpose.
In East Africa, there is an area know as the Great Rift Valley. It is in this Great Rift Valley, where the world’s most dominant long distance runners come from, Kenya. In the past three decades, runners from Kenya have simply dominated the sport of long distance running in all facets including cross-country, track, and the marathon. In the world rankings for marathon running, Kenyans hold 8 of the top 10 spots for the men and 6 of the top ten spots in women’s rankings. (Entine, Par. 2) But how can one country be so overpowering in a sport that anyone can participate in? There are a number of factors that all work together to make Kenyan runners the best of the best. Rigorous training regimens, the physical geography of Kenya, country and world support of the athletes, genetics and early participation of children are all factors in the study of why Kenyan runners are by far the best long distance runners in the world. To start off, you must look at the physical geography in which the Kenyans train.
There are even steps for cross country runners who aren’t as good as everyone else. The most important step in my opinion is to master walking without anyone seeing you. By doing this it lets people think that you hadn’t walked at all so they will think that you have more endurance than you actually do. Next when you do walk, fast walk. That way your pace isn’t as slow, therefore; it makes it even less noticeable that you walked. Lastly don’t compare yourself to anyone else in the race. You are doing what you can do they just may have been running for a lot longer than you. Set a goal of how fast you want to run and really work towards it. A good thing
Dr. Kenneth Cooper set up the scientific purpose for running long distance in 1968 by publishi...
Running is the oldest and most popular sports in the world. Most runners feel that running is fairly simple, when in reality it is very complex. Running is one of the only sports that gives the whole body a work out. Leg strength and cardiovascular endurance play huge roles in the success of a runner, but they are not the only things that measure ones running ability. Upper body strength and back support are also important in running. Since athlete's's bodies are made up entirely of muscle, they must exercise often in order to take care of themselves and prevent injuries. Muscles are like any other thing in the world, the more you use them the stronger they get. Running long distances is strenuous on the muscles and if they are over worked and under cared for they can be damaged. Running causes the muscles that are active to become strong and less flexible, whereas the opposing muscles that are relatively under used become weaker. When muscles are being used they expand and contract often. If the muscles were not used in a while they usually get sore from the work out. Since muscles are the most important part of being athletic, proper care should go into maintaining them. Stretching before and after runs is a perfect way to care for your muscles.
...t used to running long distances. It’ll take even longer for a person to get used to racing long distances. Running/jogging long distances and actually racing long distances are two totally different things. Cross country also requires more energy than track. In track you get recovery time in between your races, but in cross country you run the 3.1 miles altogether with no breaks.
I enjoy running but I am definitely not a runner. I’m the girl that’s loudly gasping for air after running just 1 lap around the track in gym class. So why did I decide to run cross-country? Honestly, I just wanted to get in shape. I wanted to feel like an athlete. I am always up for a challenge and this was definitely one. Running 5 miles a day became the new normal for me. It was agonizing. I was used to running 1 slow mile and nothing
With amenities such as cars and buses, I have no pragmatic reason to use my feet, especially if I lack a destination. I do not run to the gym to acquire a stylish figure, for my slender frame does not require it. And this grueling run differs from a relaxing jog to a coffee shop. I am pushing myself constantly to run faster and farther, for my team as well as for personal glory. Somehow with tireless effort and unflagging commitment, I run through the sleeping streets of my neighborhood with the awareness that I am steadily reaching my goal-maintaining the discipline that cross-country demands. In my mind I see a victory line that symbolizes the results of perseverance and hard work. This line makes me realize that ambition and tenacity do not go in vain.
Running is a natural form of human locomotion. To many, running is an essential aspect of most sports and is also a simple way that requires little to get exercise anywhere. But because many people have adapted to improper forms of running over time, numerous physical injuries are the results. With the help of understanding the physics behind running, people can learn to run in such a way that expends less energy from the body. Keeping physics in mind may also lead to less injuries and effortless running. Remember, physics can be very helpful when running!
Jesse Owens once said, “We all have dreams. But in order to make dreams come into reality, it takes an awful lot of determination, dedication, and self discipline, and effort.” Running track was always a dream of mine. Since I was a little girl, I always loved to run around the house, backyard, shopping store, everywhere. I had a lot of energy in me when I was little and my mom would call me a “busy body.” I struggled finding something I was good at that I actually enjoyed. My coach motivated me to run hurdles because she said I was tall and lanky. I had the body of an hurdler. Also it was something positive and kept me active while doing something I loved.I was determined to make this dream come true. Not only run track in grade school, but to be the best at my events and become the best and have numerous gold medals from the Olympics.
Stress is an inevitable part of life but there can be a healthy ways to respond to it. As individuals start to fight their stress with running exercises, they can realize that they slowly become more immune towards future stress. Although running is a challenging sport, it does not require too much from a person. There can be many long-term goals established through this physical activity. Exercise can be an advantage to the physical body and contributes to lowering stress
Training for a marathon is a huge commitment which calls for a large amount of time, energy, and physical strain. The key to training is staying motivated, practicing safe and smart training, and following a nutritious diet(“How to Train for a Marathon”). Fi...
As the topic above endurance runners have slower twitch muscles in the body. The anatomy build of an endurance runners differs from a sprinter. Scott Amato, (2013, September 27 explains long distance are typically tall. The article also explains that long distance runners have long arms. The long legs of a long distance runners helps with a making fewer steps while running. While these are the typical characteristics of a long distance runners, some runners are normal height but have long legs to be able to give them the advantage of long strides. Most long distance runners are really thin and have less muscle mass. However; there is a reason why long distance runners have less muscle mass. Less muscle mass helps the long distance runners run longer as well as allowing the runner to run fast during a race because runners are not held down with all that muscle mass. Most runners do not weigh a lot because long distance runners run burn a lot of calories while running, causing runners to gain no weight at all. Most long distance runners have high VO2 max, which leads to them running for long periods in time. While these are the characteristics for long distance runners, there are different characteristics for