How should I train for Cross Country?

go to practice damn it! like when i did football, the faster you get use to the pain and workouts, the easier it is. and you should probably run in the woods. 1, because i love going in the woods personally, and 2, because if you live in an area like mine, most of the course is in the woods with steep *ss hills.

You are going to have an awesome time in XC! (as long as you don't let those demons that whisper "hey, take a break!" get to you)

Regarding those knot feelings in your shoulder, stomach, and ribs: Make sure to stay hydrated! I can almost guarantee that if you stay hydrated you will feel MUCH better. Hydration will prevent a great deal of problems... I cannot stress how important it is to stay hydrated.

For an active person such as yourself, it is recommended to drink about 3/4 your body weight in ounces of water. Example: if you weigh 120 lbs, then you should drink 90 oz (that's somewhere around 2 liters, or 4 water bottles, I think). And drink throughout the day! Do not drink it all down at once, you have to try and spread it out. Exception: try to avoid drinking a lot around the time you eat meals, especially when you are eating foods like meat. That will mess up the acids in your stomach and make it harder for you to digest fully.

Sounds like a lot, right? You might be thinking that you are going to have to go to the bathroom very often, and you will. But over time (perhaps after a week or so) your bladder will get used to it and you won't have to go so frequently.

Caffeinated drinks (soft drinks, coffee, etc.) do not count as water! Caffeine flushes water straight through your system at a faster rate and in the end dehydrates you more than the drink hydrated you.

Also, try to drink in sips and not in gulps, especially around the time when you run. This will help prevent cramps in your stomach area.

Remember, if you are thirsty, then you are already dehydrated! If you get cottonmouth after a run, then you didn't hydrate enough!

And don't worry, you will be fine! Just keep running everyday, at the very least every other day and you should be able to run 4 miles at a time! You are also going to get plenty of practice in the XC season before any meets or invitationals as well.

Hope you have fun! Run as a pack!

heyy dont worry about it by xc starts you will definitely be able to run 4 miles. The key is running every day and slowly working your way up (to prevent injuries). To further prevent injuries make sure you stretch, which I'm sure you are already doing.

And if you are referring to a side stitch pain, eventually these will go away as you get in better shape.

Have fun running xc this fall... I know i will :)