Cross Country Team Information

Grand Island Senior High Cross Country Team

Information and Handouts for Athletes and Parents

See Team Practice Schedule for Workout.  Know what you're doing in practice and WHY.

Warmup:
-1/2 or full campus jog
-Stretches (on your own); Stretches should be done slowly and should NOT BE PAINFUL; Hold 10-30 seconds and repeat 3-5 times (Ottawa Valley Physiotherapy):
1. Hip Flexor Stretch in Standing
From the standing position, take a step forward with your left leg while keeping the right leg straight. Now bend the knee of the left leg until you feel a stretch in the front area of the right hip. Make sure the left foot is beneath the left knee or slightly in front of it. Hold. Repeat with the other side.
2. Quadriceps Stretch
Stand with your left hand holding onto something stable for balance. Using your right hand, grab onto your right foot and pull your heel in towards your buttocks. Keep your knees close during this stretch. If you do not feel a stretch in the front of the right hip and thigh, pull your right knee further back behind the left knee. Hold. Repeat with the left side.
3. Hamstring Stretch
Place right leg flat on table while the left leg stays put on the floor. Keep the right knee straight during the stretch. Keep the arch in your back as you reach to touch your toes. Repeat with the other side.
4. Groin Stretch
Sit on the floor with the soles of your feet together. While holding your toes, lean your upper body forward, bending from the hips. If you do not feel a stretch in the groin, try to keep your knees further down towards the floor and bring your heels closer to your seat. Hold. To isolate one side of the groin more than the other, push one knee downwards with your hand while you lean forward.
5. Gluteus Maximus/Hip IR Stretch
Lie on floor or mat. Bend knees with feet on floor. Cross right leg over thigh of left leg. Grasp back of thigh of left leg with both hands. Pull leg toward torso. Repeat with opposite leg.
6. Calf Muscle Stretch
Stand a few feet from a wall and put both your hands on it at shoulder level. Step back with your right leg, keeping it straight, while the left knee bends. With both heels on the floor, lean forward by bending your left knee until you feel a stretch in your calf. Hold. Repeat on the other side.
7. Arm and Shoulder Stretch
Start from a standing position. Bend your right elbow, and put your arm behind your head. Use your left hand to pull the right elbow behind your head. You should feel the stretch in your right triceps. Hold. Repeat with the left arm.
8. Low Back Stretch
Lie on your back with your right arm extended out to your side. Using your left hand, slowly pull your right knee across your torso, while keeping your right shoulder on the ground. Hold. Repeat on the other side.
9. Chest Stretch
Interlace your fingers behind your back. Slowly turn your elbows inward while straightening your arms. Hold.
10. Triceps Stretch
With your arms overhead, use your left hand to pull the right elbow behind your head. You should feel the stretch in your right triceps. Hold. Repeat with the left arm.
11. Shoulder Rotations
Raise your arms out to your sides to shoulder level. Start with small clockwise circles. Work your way to bigger circles. Then reverse directions and progress from small to larger arm circles.
- Exercises (plyoʼs):
- Form walk, trunk rotations, form walk back
- woodchoppers, “A” skip, toe touches, “A” skip back
- burpees (squat thrusts), high knees, sit-ups, high knees
- push-ups, butt-kicks, cross over toe touches, butt-kicks
- lunges
- leg swings
Cool down:
- 1/2 or full campus
- 10X50 strides; work on form especially arm action (hip/nose)
- stretches (on your own)
- Abs (senior led)
Weight Training Program (two day program); Coach Swanson will have set workout for you:
Day 1: emphasis on lower body and torso
Day 2: emphasis on upper body

 
Cross Country Team Warmup, Cool Down, and Weights pdf

No Matter How Right You Are and How Wrong They Are, If a Vehicle Hits You, YOU LOOSE!

1.    When possible, RUN against traffic.  Better yet, run on a sidewalk or on grass.
2.    At intersections, LOOK ALL directions.  Even though you may have the “right-of-way”, don’t bet your welfare on it.
3.    Vehicles turning from YOUR LEFT (if you’re running against traffic) SELDOM look to their RIGHT (yes, that’s where you are).
4.    Run with OTHERS.  Stay with at least one teammate - there is usually safety in numbers.
5.    Stay on COURSE.  The route that a coach assigns you to run, STAY ON IT.  This is the easiest way for someone to find you.
6.    Tornado Warnings.  If the sirens go off while you’re running, go to the     nearest public building (school, library, etc) if POSSIBLE – call GISH to let them know where you are.  DO NOT TRY TO OUTRUN a tornado.
7.    Train Crossings.  If the gates go down, DON’T go around.  Do not try to go between stopped railroad cars.  Wait till crossing is clear (just jog in place).


Hydration/Dehydration

Fluid intake is essential for optimal performance.  There are lots of different factors that will affect how hydrated an athlete is.  Two very simple methods of estimating adequate hydration are:

1.    Monitoring urine color and output. Lightly colored, diluted, or clear urine probably means you are hydrated. Dark colored, concentrated urine probably means you’re dehydrated and need to take in fluid.
2.    Weighing yourself before and after exercise. Weight lost during exercise generally is fluid; replenish what you lost.

What type and when you take in fluid will affect performance.  The best fluid to take is WATER if you have a good diet.  For ACTIVE people, sports drinks with carbohydrate polymers, electrolytes, and protein ingested appropriately can be beneficial.
1.    Hydration prior to running:  
a.    Drink 15-20 oz, 1 ½ - 3 hours before exercise.
b.    Drink 8-10 oz, 10-15 minutes before exercise (water ONLY).
2.    Hydration POST running:
a.    Replace what fluid you lost during exercise (20-24 oz per pound lost).
b.    Drink fluids that have a 4:1 ratio of carbohydrate to protein within 1-½ hours of running to help replenish glycogen.
3.    Avoid CARBONATED and/or CAFFINATED fluids; these will DEHYDRATE you.
4.    Fluids during practice – as needed.  If you’re “thirsty” you’re already dehydrated.
5.    Fluids during a Cross Country RACE (4k-5k).  If you’re well hydrated PRIOR to the race, you DO NOT NEED any fluid intake DURING the race.  If WATER is available, and you’re “thirsty”, take some.

Diet

From Hal Higdon, American runner and author:

The recommendations for a healthy diet suggest 15 to 20 percent proteins, 30 percent fat and 50 to 55 percent carbohydrates. But all carbohydrates aren't created alike. There are simple and complex carbohydrates. Simple carbohydrates include sugar, honey, jam, and any food such as sweets and soft drinks that get most of its calories from sugar. Nutritionists recommend that these simple carbohydrates make up only 10 percent of your diet. It's complex carbohydrates you should concentrate on--the starch in plant foods--which include fruits, vegetables, bread, pasta, and legumes.

Many runners’ eat only carbs and totally avoid protein-rich foods the days before their event. Bad idea. Your body needs protein on a daily basis. Hence, you can and should eat a small serving of low-fat protein-such as poached eggs, yogurt, turkey, or chicken-as the accompaniment to most meals (not the main focus), or plant proteins such as beans and lentils (as tolerated).

Endurance athletes in particular benefit from fuel-efficient complex carbohydrates because of the extra calories burned each day. You need to aim for even more total carbohydrates than the suggested 50 percent. You can eat (in fact, may need to eat) more total calories without worrying about weight gain. The average runner training for a half marathon and running 20 to 25 miles a week probably needs a daily caloric intake near 2,500 to maintain muscle glycogen stores. As your mileage climbs beyond that, you need to eat more and more food, not less. In all honesty, this is why a lot of runners run, and why they train for marathons. Their common motto is, "I love to eat."

Carbohydrates are particularly important the night before your race, and even before your long runs or walks leading up to your race. That's one reason why a lot of endurance races offer "pasta parties" the night before. Be sure to drink plenty of fluids the day before the race, but stay away from diuretics that contain alcohol or caffeine.  It's also a good idea to top off your fuel tank with a light carbo snack before going to bed.

Clothing

Always bring an extra pair of socks to practice and to meets.  If your shoes get wet (soaked) and your socks start to “roll up” you’ll want to change them ASAP.  Since weather conditions can change very quickly, always have extra FOUL WEATHER clothing at school and at meets.  Bring extra clothes to change into and to keep warm and dry (socks, sweats, gloves/mittens, long sleeve T-shirt, stocking hat, etc).  It’s better to have it and not need it then to wish you had brought it along!

Running Safely pdf