Intermediate School Cross Country

Cross country is a sport that involves distance running across all terrains. Whether woods, hills, soccer fields, or sidewalks...we train and compete through, over, and across it all!
 

In practice, we focus on variety training. Some workouts promote endurance (2-3+ miles), some workouts promote speed (sprints), and some workouts promote strength (hills and core strength). At the middle school meets, however, all races are approximately 1.75 miles.
 

Our cross country team welcomes athletes of all experience levels. Some participants have been training for years and some have never laced up a pair of running shoes. We modify our workouts to meet the needs of everyone. Whether your personal goal is to finish a race in the top 10 or to finish a race without having to stop and walk, we are excited to have you on our team!
 

The season begins with practice starting in late August and extends through the month of September and into early October. With the exception of weather-related cancellations, we will practice or travel for a meet almost every weekday.
 

There are typically eight meets run on a variety of different types of courses (soccer fields, county parks, city parks, and even school grounds). When our team arrives at the site of each meet, we set our camp area and then warm-up by first exploring the whole course together. After the walkthrough, the girls run first and will continue warming up at the starting line. As the girls are then racing the course (1.75 miles), the boys will continue their warm-up at the starting line. Their race (also 1.75 miles) begins very shortly after the conclusion of the girls’ race. If you have parents, other family, or friends who want to cheer you on, there are many intersections on each course that are “spectator friendly,” so you will be able to hear the cheers of your biggest fans!
 

Each day, before our warmup and workout, we will meet as a team in a designated middle school classroom to discuss training methods, preview the workout, and/or preview an upcoming meet. We then proceed outside for a dynamic warmup to get the body prepared for the day’s workout. The focus of each workout switches daily to help promote well-rounded fitness and conditioning. These different areas include endurance/distance training, sprint/speed work, hills, and core strength. Cool down and stretching is then always a great way to complete any workout.
 

Yes! This all begins with getting outside and being active. Bike rides, family walks, and playing with friends are all good examples of activities that will keep your body moving on a regular basis. However, to train specifically for cross country, you will want to prepare yourself with some running workouts too. As mentioned above, we focus on endurance, speed, and hill training. If you would like specific workout suggestions, send Coach Hansen an email (ehansen@wdpsd.com). I’d be happy to help!

Email Coach Hansen (ehansen@wdpsd.com) I love questions!!!