XC GUIDE  - A Guide to XC and Our Program

What is Cross-Country:

Cross-country is a very special sport.  It is a team sport comprised of individual performances.  It demands a tremendous commitment and the will to endure a lot of discomfort.  In cross-country effort is rewarded in small doses.  Victories are quietly won and not widely recognized.  Attaining individual success can take a long time.  Our cross-country program will recognize these efforts and provide a team organization and training structure that encourages all of our runners to succeed. 

Cross-country running is a fall season sport.  Our runners will train through the summer to be able to compete and race in the fall.  Cross-country is long distance running and we will train our runners to be prepared for a season of at least 6 to 8 races or meets.

Cross-country is not held on a fixed track like track and field.  Runners usually race across open terrain, golf courses, and steeple chase courses: most often through a combination of woods, fields, and always with a hill or two, or three.  Course distances and terrains can differ for each race. 

What distances are normally run:

The National Federation of High School Associations has set a minimum distance of 2.5K and a maximum of 5K for cross-country races, not to be confused with training distances which can be greater.  Most of Allatoona’s races are 5K or 3.1 miles and daily training runs can be from 3 to 10 miles. 

How cross-country is scored:

Cross-country scoring is different from most sports, that is, the lowest score wins.  A cross-country team usually consists of 7 runners.  As each runner finishes the race, he/she is given a place card while in the finish chute.  This card is given to the coaches as soon as possible after the race.  The cards are turned in to the judges, along with the runner’s name and school.  The places of the first five runners for each team are added together to determine the team score.  In the event of a tie, the sixth and seventh runner places are added to determine the winner. 

For Example:

Allatoona = 1, 4, 5, 6, and 10 = 26

Hillgrove  = 2, 3, 7, 8, and   9 = 29

Allatoona wins!

What it takes to be successful:

More than anything else, success in cross-country takes time.  It takes time to learn, time to train, time to sleep, and time to rest and recover.  It takes before school time, after school time, weekend time, time away from family and friends, and time away from other interests.  Although the sacrifice is great for cross-country it can be a very positive and rewarding experience.

Being a member of the Allatoona cross-country team will require a great commitment and our runners will have to make unselfish choices to help our team succeed.  It is important for our runners to communicate with our coaching staff if problems occur before, during, or after practice or a meet.  Our coaches will help our runners maintain a positive attitude and set positive goals for the season.

Our goal is to be successful by coaching our runners to have a “TEAM FIRST” attitude in everything we do!  We want our runners to pay attention to ALL details.  Being organized, disciplined and routine will drive our cross-country team.  Our XC success can have implications weeks, months, and even years later in the lives of our runners.  This is very important to our coaches and our program.

Academics (Eligibility):

Our runners should do everything necessary to make academic progress toward graduation.  Our runners need to be enrolled in at least 7 classes per semester and our runners must accumulate the appropriate number of credits for each grade level every year to be eligible to run.  We will help our runners establish good study habits and we expect our runners to be excellent students (participation and behavior) in all classes.  We will build off days into our calendar and schedule for our runners to use if they need academic help.

Practice/Training:

Practice sessions are scheduled for the summer and the school year.  Summer practices are voluntary and are scheduled in the late afternoon.  School year practices are mandatory and are scheduled after school dismissal.  Practice is comprised of flexibility exercises, conditioning drills, and runs of different distances.  Most of our runs will be held at Allatoona High School, Picketts Mill Elementary School, Army Corp of Engineer Property and Kennesaw Mt National Battlefield trails.  The coaching staff will always supervise our training and running. 

We strongly encourage our runners to train with our team and coaches during the summer.  We will have a set schedule for summer training to meet with our runners at least 3 days per week.  Summer training is essential to build a fitness base for intensive workouts and races during the season.  Our running success is determined in the months of June, July and August.  Our runners have the choice to run on their own or run with the team, either way they MUST train and run in the summer for our team to be competitive.

As we begin the first weeks of training our runners should maintain a normal routine.  If a runner has not been training on a regular basis, he/she will probably experience muscle soreness and various aches and pains.  These cases should be discussed with the coaches, so that training can be adjusted.  Any athlete engaged in extensive training and competition can be subject to injury.  We can try to prevent most injuries when our runners tell us about their aches and pains before they become disabling.  When an injured runner allows the coaching staff to know about a problem, we can aid them in recovery, suggest they see their physician, or have them see our athletic trainer. 

Our runners should check the team training section of this website to learn, know, and understand our training plan and schedule for the summer and the season. 

Nutrition:

Training for cross-country running affords our runners the opportunity to introduce good, healthy eating habits.  Throughout workouts our runners are aware of body conditions, fatigue, energy spurts, thirst and the lack of energy.  The how and why of what food can do for performance should become very important.  We want our runners to understand that what we eat affects many aspects of our lives, including our training and racing in cross-country.  We want our runners to practice good everyday health habits including a balanced diet from wise food selections.  Our coaches will steer our runners toward “quality of life” food choices that will be evident in helping their performance, physical growth and attitude.

The BASIC-4 food groups to consider for food choices:

MEAT AND PROTEIN GROUP:  This group includes meat, fish, poultry, eggs, and alternative proteins such as dried beans, peas, and nuts.  Two or more servings should be eaten daily.

MILK AND DAIRY GROUP: Dairy foods such as low-fat cheeses, milk, and yogurts also provide protein as well as minerals and vitamins.

BREAD AND CERAL GROUP:  Whole grain breads, rice, and cereals provide energy and nutrients needed for growth and muscle development as well as the energy needed for athletic performance.  These foods are less expensive and lower in fat than many meats.  Many nutritional professionals recommend that Americans eat less meat and more carbohydrates.

FRUITS AND VEGATABLES:  Other foods high in carbohydrates and vitamin-mineral content are fruits and vegetables.  Vitamin-rich fruits highly recommended for everyone are:  strawberries, bananas, grapefruit, tangerines, apricots, oranges, prunes, melons, and dried fruits.  They are an excellent source of fiber.  Also good to eat are dark leaf lettuce, romaine, and endive.  Iceberg lettuce is of little value because it contains mostly water and a minuscule amount of vitamins.  Deep yellow vegetables, carrots, sweet potatoes, and squash are super foods full of Vitamin A.  Other highly quality vegetables are broccoli, green pepper, fresh peas, lima beans and parsley.  Four or more servings should be eaten daily.

IRON:  Iron is very important to runners and their ability to train, race, recover, and avoid injury.  The loss of iron can occur very quickly in long distance runners (especially girls) and we want to promote iron-rich foods instead of supplementation.  Iron-rich foods are:  liver, red meat, dried fruits, beef-tomato casseroles, dried beans, farina, and eggs with orange juice.

We encourage a variety of foods.  The amounts may vary with the runners and they should try to get to know what they can eat, how much they can eat, and when to eat before daily running practice and before races or meets.

Sample foods for each meal:

Snacks:  yogurt, dried fruits, popcorn, juices, nuts, fruits, cheeses, and cereals.

Day of the race

Food to avoid:  gravies, creamed foods, fried foods, donuts, pastries, soft cheeses, luncheon meats, bacon, rich sweets, ice cream, whole milk, margarine, and butter, special athletic drinks, fructose tablets, salt tablets, and special powdered drinks.

A pre-meet meal should be light, low in fat, and should be eaten at least 3 hours before competition.  The meal itself can consist of any food the runner believes is improving his or her performance.  However, there may be some things that should be avoided as mentioned above.  Remember, it is important to drink water before an event.  Most physiologists recommend 1 to 3 cups of water 30 minutes before a competition.

Hydration (Water):

Water is often a forgotten nutrient.  Without it we would only live 5 to 6 days.  Water is an absolute in all meal planning and especially specified during training periods and meet competition.  Runners must replenish their bodies with frequent drinks of water.  One to 3 cups of water 30 minutes before practice and before an event is recommended by most physiologists, but our runners should drink enough water throughout the day to be properly hydrated.  If you are feeling thirsty it is too late!  We recommend our runners to try and drink 32 to 64 oz of water daily.  The amount will vary depending on the runner.  It will be the runner’s responsibility to make sure they are properly hydrated for safe training, running and racing.

Water will always be made ready at practice and at races, especially during hot weather conditions. 

Clothing and Equipment: 

We want our runners to be prepared for training and competition.  If a runner is unprepared they will be unable to practice, compete in a meet, or participate in a team function. 

For training purposes our runners should have shirts, shorts, socks, shoes, stopwatch and water bottle.  During colder weather runners should have a long sleeve t-shirt, and/or sweat top and bottom.  All clothing should fit and/or be loose fitting so you are able to train comfortably.  We would like our runners to wear running shorts/shirts and watches.  The watch should be a stopwatch worn on their wrist.  This will help with training. 

For competition purposes, our runners should have all of the above, as well as issued uniforms and their team sweat top and bottom and team shirts.  The issued uniforms will be required for our runners to be able to participate in the meets.  It will be the responsibility of our runners to take care of and return all issued uniforms.  If a runner is unable to return all issued uniforms they will be responsible for the cost of replacing it. 

It will be mandatory to have our runners dress in our team clothing for team pictures, and to travel and for meets.  We will have our runners purchase team sweats and other clothing at the beginning of the season.  At times we will also need to designate appropriate clothing for a team function such as our banquet or team trip.

Shoes:

A good pair of running shoes is very important for our runners!  Any running shoe costing $70 or more, no matter who puts it together, should provide the primary features and protection needed.  A good pair of running shoes should last for 300 to 400 miles, or at least half of one cross country season. 

To understand running shoes, runners need to understand pronation.  The rotation of the foot downward and inward when you land on the ground is called pronation, and it’s a completely natural and normal process.  Everyone pronates to some degree.  In fact, pronation is a good thing in that it helps the foot absorb the shock of impact.  Some runners overpronate, their feet roll to far inward.  This is a common problem that can lead to injuries of the lower leg and knee.  Some runners underpronate; their feet roll inward only a little after contact.  These runners have rigid feet that do not absorb shock well; this can also lead to injury over time. 

You can figure out your foot type by doing a wet foot test, this can help in purchasing running shoes.  Wet the bottom of your bare foot and then make a footprint on a flat, dry surface - a piece of white paper.  This works well to show the shape of your foot. 

A flat foot with a low arch means you may have a tendency to overpronate.  You need a shoe that will prevent your foot from rolling in too far, a motion control shoe.  Motion control shoes have a straight shape that gives maximum support to your foot. 

A normal foot with a medium arch means you probably are a normal pronator.  You don’t need a shoe with special features, just a shoe that will provide stability.  These shoes have a slightly curved shape, and don’t control foot motion as strictly as motion control shoes. 

A high arched foot means you may be an underpronator.  Your feet don’t absorb shock very well, so you’ll need a cushioned shoe.  Cushioned shoes tend to be less supportive and work with the foot rather than try to control it.  These shoes are soft and have a curved or semi curved shape. 

Here are some tips when trying to buy running shoes, shop in the late afternoon when your feet are the largest, wear the socks you will run in, and make sure the salesperson measures both of your feet.  Most of us have one foot slightly larger than the other, and you should be fitted for the larger foot.  A running shoe should fit snug, but not tight.  One thing that will hurt is buying your running shoes too small! 

Adapted from The Complete Guide to Running, Runners World, 1997.

Spikes:

A spiked shoe can be purchased to help when racing and competing.  Most of the time we race on dirt and grass, a spiked shoe can help with traction and speed.  A spiked shoe is a shoe that will have 5 to 7 metal spikes inserted into small holes on the forward part of the shoe.

When buying spikes just make sure to purchase a distance running and/or cross country pair.  The shoe should be advertised as a cross country spiked shoe and should have a medium to thick cushioned heel.  Most spikes for cross-country cost between $30 to $60.

We will use the Big Peach Running Company to help our runners to purchase shoes and spikes.  We will have fitting days and they will offer discounts to all runners on our team.

Big Peach Running Co

1625 Ridenour Blvd

Kennesaw, GA 30152      

678-903-0022

COMING Mid-June!

Cross-Country meets:

Cross-country meets are scheduled on Saturday mornings and sometimes after school during the week.   Meets may last a few hours or all day, depending on the organization and number of schools.  Check our calendar on this website for our schedule of specific meet locations and times. 

Most meets will have four races, usually 20 to 30 minutes apart.  The races are divided by age group or divisions:  V Boys = Varsity boys, V Girls = Varsity girls, JV Boys = Junior varsity boys, and JV Girls = Junior varsity girls.  We will run in small dual or tri meets of 2 to 3 teams and we will run in invitational meets of 10 or more teams. All team members can and will participate in every meet. 

Bus transportation to and from meets should always be provided.  We will require our runners to travel to and from meets with the team and coaching staff. 

Level of Competition/Participation:

Allatoona High School is a member of Region 7-AAAA of the Georgia High School Athletic Association.  Region 7-AAAA schools are:  Allatoona, Cass, Dalton, Murray County, NW Whitfield, Rome, Sequoyah, Woodland, Hillgrove, Hiram, North Paulding, Osborne, Paulding County, South Paulding and Sprayberry.

Meet or Race Information:

We will provide meet information 2 to 3 days before each race.  The information will be outlined in the meet info and directions section of this website.  Our coaches will also discuss the meet information with our runners before each race.

Meet details will include: date of meet, departure time and location, travel directions, race schedule, transportation, course information, awards, entries, competition, return time (approximate) and emergency contact information if necessary.

Meet Preparation:

We will always try to prepare our runners as best we can for all meets and races.  Our coaches will discuss details with the runners, give our thoughts on what to do and what to expect.  We will sometimes set team goals for a meet or race, and we will sometimes have our runners set individual goals for a meet or race. 

Pre Race: Our runners should make sure they rest and eat properly prior to race day.  Once at the meet, runners should take time to prepare mentally and physically with the team. Our runners should know the course and know when they are scheduled to run. 

We will always warm up correctly as a team.  To warm up our team will jog (1 mile), and stretch 10 to 15 minutes and do running drills.  They should start their warm up 45 to 60 minutes before the race begins, and be dressed in race uniform and spikes 10 minutes before the race begins.  Then they should go with the team and coach to starting line 5 minutes before the race.  After starting the race, they should try to race as well as they can! 

This is a list of what to have in your bag to go to a meet: shoes, spikes, team uniform (shirt and shorts), socks, towel, extra pair of shoe laces, extra pair of socks, water bottle, sweats, dry team t-shirt for after the race, goal cards, safety pins for race number, poncho or garbage bag for wet weather, and extra, extra, extra of everything!

Two rules to remember for race qualifications - everyone must wear the exact same uniform (top and bottom) and absolutely no jewelry of any kind can be worn.

During the Race:  Our runners should race as well as they can.  We will train in practice to finish fast and strong in a race.  We will pride ourselves on mental toughness.  Winning or losing is out of our control, but we can control our mental toughness.  Racing is 10% physical and 90% mental.  If we believe it we can achieve it!

Post Race:  The runners have exerted a lot of energy and should be prepared to walk after the finish.  Our runners should walk through the finish line chute or area to the end.  At the end of the chute or finish area they will be given a finish card.  Our runners should take and keep their finish card, and give the card to the coach checking results.  Our runners should stay in the finish area until the team is finished.  Next, the runners should drink water to rehydrate and the coaches will attend to any medical needs. 

About 10 to 15 minutes after the race, runners should change into dry clothes (team shirt, shorts or sweats) and cool down correctly (as a team).  Runners should jog (1 to 2 miles) and stretch for 10 minutes.  All groups should complete the same routine after their race.  All groups should encourage and support other runners during other races.  At the end of the meet our team will gather for a coaches meeting, go to the awards ceremony and depart together on our bus.

Results and Awards:  We will make sure to get results after each race or meet.  It does take time, but our results are important to knowing how we did as a team and as individuals.  We will also expect to earn plenty of awards.  The award ceremony can take place at different times or after the last race at the end of the meet.  We will know when awards will take place and try to attend as a team.

Parents - Watching Your First XC Meet:

When you arrive to a meet site, locate the course and check to know where the start and finish line are located.  Try to find a central location point, so you can see as much of the race as possible.  The race will cover 2 to 3 miles, so it can be spread out over a lot of space.  Many schools share the same uniform colors, check out the different teams at the start, so you’ll be able to recognize our runners.  Know what time your runner is to race.  Most of our meets have four races starting at different times.

Do not expect the attention of your runner once we get to the meet.  The runners need time to warm up on the course, be briefed by their coaches and prepare for the race with their teammates.  You may be surprised of the seriousness of your runner prior to the race. 

During the race, cheer and cheer loudly!  You can move along the course, just be careful to stay off the runners’ path and out of their way.  Rules also forbid running alongside a competitor to pace or encourage him or her.

At the finish of the race, the runners file through finish chute.  It’s OK to greet them then, but they may have to turn a place card into their coach ASAP so scores can be tabulated.  Our runners do have responsibilities after a race.  We expect them to jog and cool down as a team and actively support their teammates who have yet to race.  Some runners are more tired than others after a race.  Typical symptoms of their effort and fatigue are breathlessness, general weakness, rubbery legs, glassy eyes, salivating, and sometimes nausea.  Please do not take the runners off by themselves to take care of them.  Help them, allow the coaches to help them and keep them close to our team area.  Our coaches are experienced in dealing with these symptoms, trained in first aid, and responsible for their care.  To aid recovery, water is the best thing to drink immediately after a race.

Sometimes you can expect the possibility of some disappointment by your runner after a race if the team did not win/succeed, and/or if they failed to achieve all goals.  The runners may need some emotional space afterward from both you and their coaches.  Later on they will need verbal support from everyone rather than criticism.

Once an away meet is over, if your runner came on our bus, we want them to go home on our bus.  Only in family emergencies will we allow the runners to travel home with parents.   Please check with the coaches before the meet and at the meet to do this.  We are legally bound for the runners’ safe transport to and from the meet.  The runners are not allowed to transport themselves to a meet, and if necessary we can only release them to you, parents (family).  We should and will try to transport by school bus to and from all meets.

XC Vocabulary:

Dual meet…a meet between 2 teams.

Triangular meet…a meet between 3 teams.

Invitational meet…a multi-team meet.

Top 7…the scoring members of a cross-country team.

Course…the marked and measured route of the race.

Starting box…designated area to which a team is assigned on the starting line.

False start…leaving the starting line before the gun sounds.

Finish chute…a rope bordered funnel past the finish line that moves runners into their single file          order of finish.

Finish card…card given to the runner at the end of the finish chute that designates their finish place.  Always keep and give to coach.

Pace…running speed over a particular distance.

Surge…a tactical increase in pace during race.

Kick…a burst of speed at the finish of a race.

Pack…a group of runners in close proximity.

Personal record…best-ever performance on a given course (PR).

Spikes…special, lightweight shoes with metal spikes designed for XC racing.

Racing flats…special, lightweight shoes designed for racing, rather than training.

Training flats…running shoes designed for long wear in daily training.(called “flats” because they have no spiked bottoms)

Warm up…a running and stretching routine that gradually warms the body up for intense running.

Cool down…a jogging/walking routine that allows the muscles to  purge themselves of lactates and     

the body to gradually lower its temperature to normal. 

Workout…a daily training session, usually at a faster pace.

Running Camp: 

We will decide on a running camp for our team.  Going to a running camp will be optional and it is up to each individual runner if they would like to attend.  We will try to attend in July.  Any runner wanting to attend will check with Coach Holmgren during the spring.

Parent Support:

We want to earn our parent’s support from the start of their runner’s experience with Allatoona cross-country.  We want to have our parents support our coaching staff, our decisions, our school and our program.  Please take the time to know our guidelines and expectations.  Try to stay informed by checking our website and communicating with our coaching staff as often as necessary.

Ways to help:

Booster Club – executive board, volunteer committees, paying dues

Fundraising

Helping with meets and at meets – timing and results

Banquet

Transportation

Planning and chaperoning team trips

Host team meals

Recruiting volunteers for meets

Recruiting runners for the team

Team clothing/Spirit wear – sell, order, distribute

Facilities

Pictures/Video

Parent Spirit Wear:

We will order spirit wear for parents at the beginning of the season.  We will have a parent representative help to take and place the orders.  We want everyone to look and feel like we are one big family!  We will place the order after the start up banquet, just in time for our first invitational or race.