<p>Not sure if this is the appropriate forum but I'm trying to make my jc's track team this spring. Does anyone have advice on how I should go about training and so forth? My mile is at a paltry 6:50 right now (lol) and I want to get it down into the fives. Please help me!</p>
<p>Up the mileage. Then during track season, do speedwork.</p>
<p>Are you planning to run distance (such as a mile) or speed? Is the mile the only thing they will test you on? We kind of had two separate try-outs for distance/speed. If you don't have another sport, I strongly suggest joining cross country in the fall first - it builds endurance and really prepares you for track where I found the workouts to be much more intense. Are you a guy or a girl?</p>
<p>Use ankle weights. It helps with conditioning in the beginning.</p>
<p>Do not use ankle weights! Unless of course you want to be injured. Just get out and run. Slowly increase the distance of your runs without worrying about the pace at first. Try not to stop and walk during any runs.</p>
<p>Yeah, you should incorporate some speed workouts (400s, 800s) into your regimen...at first, try running 12 400s at 80 second pace with about 90 sec - 2 minute rest in between...then eventually cut it to around 70-75 seconds. That's what we do in XC.</p>
<p>You should join cross country in the fall if you plan to run the mile/two mile in the spring. The endurance runs will really help.</p>
<p>I agree with ExRunner.</p>
<p>Just to add, the friends that I have that are in Cross Country, commonly run 7-9 miles a day, thinking it as nothing, not really for time, but just to build endurance.</p>
<p>Thanks for all of the advice! Yah, I'm not sure if I'll be able to join CrossCountry this fall but I'm still going to try to up my mileage. Any tips on dieting? What are all your thoughts on training on a treadmill versus roadwork?</p>
<p>By the way, I'm male and I've had a four year hiatus from Cross Country! lol</p>
<p>First start to build some endurance, but don't kill yourself by starting off to hard. Gradually increase your mileage, and incorporate speed work into your workout. I am a soccer player converted into a cross runner, and what I found to help me the best in the transition was running with other cross runners to develop a sense of pace.</p>
<p>Definitely join XC this year. It's probably not too late yet and cross country teams are usually always looking for more runners (it's not that popular of a sport at my school in comparison to football and soccer). This is my first year doing cross and I love it! First meet next Thursday:)</p>
<p>Poll: who's planning on continuing to run in college? Any thoughts?</p>
<p>I will run in college recreationally. Keeps me in shape and focused for school.</p>
<p>How are ankle weights dangerous?</p>
<p>I run in college (err, when my college existed? so long New Orleans :(), but not a distance runner, so this doesn't apply to me at all.</p>
<p>I would definitely up your mileage early and do some interval work. With a 6:50 mile it's more of your speed endurance that needs work than anything else. I remember in high school we had the slowest kid I've ever seen go from running 7:21 in the mile to 5:10 in two months just by doing some 400 intervals and that type of stuff. If he can cut that much time off, you can get into the 5s no problem.</p>
<p>
The ankle weights can damage your joints (particularily knees). They're really only supposed to be used when walking around -not running or dancing.</p>
<p>Don't start intervals untill you can run at least 6 miles comfortably without stopping. At a 6:50 mile, I doubt you have enough endurance for intervals to really help you very much. I learned this the hard way. I started out doing intervals and they did nothing for me. Then a good period of milage, and the next season I finally learned what all of the hype about intervals were about. You need to be in shape for them to help you though.</p>