Cross Country Burn Out

by Mike

My son is in 7th grade and he has enjoyed some success running CC. He always finishes near the front of the pack, but his times are not improving (based on meets at at the home course). He is not afraid of working hard, but based on his comments it seems he is worried about pushing himself too much.

He seems to be worried about burning out 1/2 way through the race. I don't have answers for him so I always say "do your best". How do you know how much to push yourself? Thanks.

Hello Mike,

One of my favorite things was coaching middle school cross country. It is a very rewarding thing to coach because you can help teach new runners how to train and race.

I think the main thing your son should focus on is the beginning part of the race. I like to call the first part of a race (the first two or three minutes) where you have to run FAST BUT RELAXED! This means, you need to run a quick pace, but you shouldn't be wasting all your energy right away.

After this, tell him to focus on trying to gradually pass people. One by one he can work his way up to the front, and maybe win a race or two. It is a lot more fun to be passing people in a race instead of being passed. You have to keep it fun at this age so he doesn't shy away from a great sport.

If your son always finishes near the front, then tell him to start out near the front, but let the people who sprint out fast go. I always tell the kids that I coach this, "They hand out the medals at the finish line, not at the first turn."

If he is able to hold back a little at the start, but still run fast and relaxed, he shouldn't have to worry about burning out. Everyone is tired at the end of a race. It's the runners that learn how to distribute their energy evenly that do well.

Another big thing is just running consistently will help him. If he can run a few miles (1 to 3 miles about five days a week) he will improve too.

Take care - David Tiefenthaler

Here is Mike's response to my answer.

Thank you for the info and the quick turn around. I appreciate it.

As a parent, what I really enjoy about the middle school CC races is how nearly every parent/spectator cheers for every runner. It is clear they are giving everything they have to finish the race whether they are 3rd or 53rd. It is so different from baseball, football, hockey and soccer where the parents care about winning and rarely offer anything positive toward the opposing team. I hope my son sticks with CC.

Thanks again.