The end of the summer marks the start of something dear to my heart: cross country season! Though I began running track races in elementary and junior high school, I consider my life as a “serious runner” to have begun with cross country in high school. And while I have run cross county races sparingly since finishing my collegiate eligibility, I still feel as though I am in “cross country mode” when running between Labor Day and Thanksgiving.

I was very privileged to be on great cross country teams both in high school and in college. And when I say great, I don’t just mean in the traditional term of the fastest team with the lowest point score. I also mean in terms of being on these teams as an enriching experience that I will look back on fondly for decades to come. I won’t lie, part of these enriching experiences included being the top team at certain meets, but I think to have a truly great team you must have equal parts success and fun.

This article will be the first in a three part series in which I will describe how you can help make your cross country team great this season. The series will align with the critical parts of the season, with advice on what kind of training should be implemented during that portion of the season, as well as what a coach (and athlete) can do to make being a part of their cross country team a fun, memorable experience that will make the team great now and in years to come.

Continue Reading the Article here: https://www.mcmillanrunning.com/mcmillans-guide-to-high-school-cross-country/