Make Cross Country running the Challenge in 2018
The Cross-Country seasons is almost upon us and why not make it your Challenge for 2018.
The Cross-Country season is a relatively short one for the majority of Club athletes as it will start in October 7th and last until late November.
Now that there is a decline in the number of local road races, why not switch your attention to running on the grass, which is Cross Country. Why not try and participate in a Cross Country race this year, You will be competing along with the majority of people that you have met over the summer months at the local races be it in Ballingarry, Thurles, Ballynonty, Dundrum, Clonmel or Carrick-on-Suir. The image that most people have of Cross Country is of wet fields, too tough for the average Club runner to participate in.
However it is worth considering what benefits Cross Country can have for one’s running, such as
In Cross Country the distances are shorter, so anyone who competed over 10k in the Summer will be able to participate over the Novice Cross Country distances where it is 3K for Ladies and 6K for Men, this would be an ideal opportunity for those with no previous experience of the Cross-Country scene. In Tipperary the Cross-Country season gets underway on October 7th at the Turnpike. Then on October 14th the County Intermediate Ladies race over 4k (just under 2 laps) whiles the Men race over 8k in Moyglass. So why not, over the next couple of weeks try and get in a few training runs on grass. It will be hard at first adjusting to running on grass but persevere and soon you will develop a more economical running style that will benefit you. For the first few training session, run for 20 to 30 minutes and if possible, try and train close to a hill as this will add variety to your training. Definitely Cross Country will benefit you in the long run!!