Everything Track and Field Discussion Forums

When building a base for cc is it wise to run twice a day-6-8 mi in the am and 3-4 mi  pm -or once a day with more rest.?

Im not a hundred percent sure which is better but rest is very important. If you feel good doing one in the morning and one later on then go for it... it definetly wont hurt for a base.

Is there a recommended amount of miles that hs runners should be running per week, or is this based on each individual runner. I have one runner who wants to put in a lot of miles, and probably could handle two a days, while his team mate that runs with him does not seem to like to run a lot. I guess what I am trying to figure out is if idealogy more is better is true for everyone. The second part of my question concerns MS runners how much training should they be doing during the summer? I have a son who will be in 8th grade and he has run the nile 5:17 as a 7th grader, and he wants to make a big imporvemnet over that, and in fact he is wanting to run a 4:45 mile as 8th grader, and i being a fomer runner who use to run 80-100 miles a week during the off season, am just not sure how to set up a training schedule for him? Any advice would be greatly appreciated. I am a former 9:20 2miler and 4:25 miler, but i needed the heavy week work outs to get to this point. My son wants to run a 10:20 1.8 cc time which is what they run here in SW Indiana.I could use some help with ideas, as I don't want to burn him out, but i see he has the want and desire to get better.

If you can handle the two a day workouts, go ahead. Just be sure and take a rest day if your body is feeling fatigued. Also, I like my runners to occasionally - once a week - do a longer run during base training, maybe up to twelve miles or so.

When training for any sport, including cross country. It is important to keep the body guessing. In the beginning of the season, it may be beneficial to run twice a day to help the body build up the ability to run a distance faster. However, this may not be something you want to do on a daily basis through out the season.

It is important to not do the same run or type of run on a daily basis. However, it is good to vary between a long run, a hill run, sprints, and varied terrain. This keeps the runners muscles working and building. Vary the locations of these runs as well. If you were to run the same location, at the same pace, every day your body would plateau and become used to the routine; keeping it from improving.

Good luck in your future seasons,
Sincerely,

The staff at Athletic Points
http://www.athleticpoints.com