Tips for Cross-Country running/races
Posted by Ray Gill
Filed under Running Videos
In ancient greece, there were only 5 original Olympic events; the foot race was one of them. I was so infuriated with the useless running advice videos on this site that were often unhelpful, vague, and brief, that I decided to make my own. I filmed it in one take, but it was 14 min long, so I had to trim it to 10 min (reason for having so many cuts) *The person I refer to in this video is channel “Expertvillage.” I make a few comments about the quality of their running tip video.
You can also follow me on Twitter and Facebook
Click here to like this post. 
Loading ...
If I do push ups and situps everyday, will I improve my race pace?
cross country is the greatest sport.
ha i like how you talked about taking a dump before a race.. we have a team dump and “how fast you run that day depends on how much you crap”
Great video man. I’m running in high school now and I totally relate and agree with you. Way to get the message out and thanks for the tips.
great video my best time for 3 miles is 22 mins or 23 mins. i do 3 sets of 15 ladder push ups. to keep my upper body
great tips man!
Good tips man I agree 100% with u!!! And Festus Missouri won state in 2009 ( my team lol)!
thanks for the tips. very useful
I would say probably not. It may make you more cut, but I feel like running is all about the lungs, legs and the mind. You will improve if you expand your lung capacity (maybe with swimming?), strengthen your legs and keep them conditioned with consistent mileage, and keep your mind fresh by setting achievable goals; also have the mental toughness to keep running when you feel like giving up. I’m not saying you shouldn’t do pushups or situps, but I don’t see how they would help.
@Corezkr A stronger core, in theory, can take a minute off of your 5K time….so yes, in theory.
Very helpful….especially the mind distractions. I have a question though — In practice I can run about a 19:50 or so 5K, when it came race times I’m always a little bit in the low 20′s, around 22 or 23. What happens is at the beginning of the race my legs seem to go numb, whether I start off at the front of the pack or dead last. Have you ever experienced this?…and what do you think could be causing it?
your the man. been runnign cross country for the last 4 years and im obbsessed with it. its incredible and a true addiction. run almost everyday since than. agree wit everything you said expecially at the beginning. everyone rags on runners but no one understands. running is the true test of who wants it more. hockey, soccer, baseball, whoever wants it more will often win pending flukes. IN RUNNING, its the true test of who wants it more, who put the hours in the gym and who is just plane BETTER
@Ojuicy74 So you got a State medal?
@segmata666 I was getting chills reading your comment hahaha. Amen!!!!
@matters9319 Maybe for races you do something different because you’re nervous. Do you not sleep well the night before or do you not eat enough so your body is weak? I admit that I feel weird right before a race and have to constantly piss every 5 seconds, but I tell myself that once the gun goes off, the nerves will settle and I’ll run great like I do in practice. Do you have teammates that you try to run with in the races? Maybe it would help to stay with the guys you run with in practice.
I know what you mean about real sports being the ones that push you to the edge. thanks for the tips. thinking of switching from competitive cycling to running
@aller7 That’s interesting. I’ve recently gotten into cycling, but I haven’t done any races, so I can’t call it competitive. I have just been sticking to group rides for now. What’s prompting this possible switch? Right now I’m desperately trying to hang onto both, but it’s tough to balance.
Personally, I find that race strategy often psyches me out. I don’t like that you can be the strongest rider in a group but make a stupid move and end up getting a fifth place finish. Some people enjoy that aspect though. It’s a pretty exhilarating sport and i’d urge you to watch some local races or grand tours on tv to give you an idea of what it’s like.
What times were you running in high school for 5k?
Mid to high 16′s
I know what you mean. My biggest problem is getting back into the field line after a pull.
i totally agree with you that runners don’t get enough credit. everyone says, “all runners do is – run!” and i don’t know what to say. all we do is really run, but there is more to running than that. running is definitely the hardest and most competitive sport out there
Yeah I’m in 2mile track event and I always tell myself NEVER LOOK BACK!
i agree! runners never get enough credit! i think cross country and track are one of the if not the hardest sports. yeah! i have to go to the bathroom before! i finished my first year in cross country as a freshmen and my best three mile is 17:36.8 =) i dont know if that is good or not but im proud. really good video
im a freshman running 526 mile. is trying to break 500 too lofty of a goal within this spring track season? and how intense do long runs really need to be? like at what percentage of effort should i be putting in on long runs (LSD’s)???