Cross Country Training Thread

KielyUnusual wrote: »

Ah yea, they're grand sure. A week and a bit of no running. Four or five days of painful running. A visit to Fontana Wellness (The wonders a dip in an Icelandic Lake followed by a soak in a hot springs can do ) And I'm cured. Not ideally prepared but still in good shape for the Novice.

Here is the Munich Mile for those interested. Gives a bit more bang for your buck as the saying goes

Crusaders for the win in the men's novice on Sunday?!

No pressure! But I think Liffey Valley, Raheny, and Donore (and possibly DSD too) will have more or less entirely new teams from last year, due to people losing their novice status. I don't know who else will be contending. Rathfarnham, maybe? There could be some teams with a couple of great juniors stepping up?

I'm not sure if I'll make the start line - my right calf managed one run-through the Munich in spikes on Wednesday before stiffening up and now my left ankle has decided it doesn't work in sympathy. I hope to at least start.

re: Munich Mile - there are a few versions. The first one I ever did followed the first half of the Garda BHAA one in the image above (i.e. from the fort, right down the hill and back up the other side, rather than through the dips, before going through the trees, down and around and back along the long flat straight). However, after going down the hill and back up the other side, this loop then went up to the path and did the standard loop in reverse from that point i.e. along the straight, back through the trees and then through the dips back to the magazine.

On top of the various mile loops, we've regularly done a 900/1k and a 750/800 interval section, as well as a 850 continuous hilly tempo loop over the past couple of years. There's a middle-distance 300m-ish hill sprint session too. And the longer 2k loop.

Last Saturday, I jumped in with another club's session on the Munich hills and found myself doing the most convoluted continuous hill session possible - it was insane. I haven't looked at it on garmin yet, but I'll try and dig it out.

Edited to add: The continuous hill session is actually a segment on Strava called the Civil Service "40 Hills Session" Lap:

https://www.strava.com/segments/2677910

Wear spikes. You can go for a short jog on grass to get used to them beforehand, but if you're used to flats you should be okay anyway
The weather might turn before Sunday and there will be juvenile and women's races on that course before you which could churn the ground up

FeenaM wrote: »

Just wondering what the thoughts are on whether to wear spikes or not in the Novice race this Sunday? Ive never done a cross country race before but would train regularly on the hills around the magazine fort in my usual runners. I did buy a pair of spikes last week but haven't had a chance to try them out yet and not feeling too confident about wearing them in a race situation for the first time. Given how dry it has been lately, would it be ok to wear racing flats instead?

I did a couple of laps of the Novices course today and it's bone dry, making the trail sections very hard underfoot (no give whatsoever). The grass is also quite long in places and the section from the Magazine Fort towards the trees is strewn with hay! If it's still like that on Sunday I'll be wearing trail shoes or my normal runners I think. No harm to bring the shoe collection and decide on the day.

RayCun wrote: »

Wear spikes. You can go for a short jog on grass to get used to them beforehand, but if you're used to flats you should be okay anyway
The weather might turn before Sunday and there will be juvenile and women's races on that course before you which could churn the ground up

Forecast seems to be dry until Monday. I'd love to wear spikes but I wonder about wearing them when conditions are like this >

FeenaM wrote: »

Dubgal, please pretend that you did not see above post...

Unlikely FeenaM Best hide, quick!

Myles Splitz wrote: »

Pretty much same team for us anyway as last year with a bit of fluctation in form but overall standard of team not much changed (a solid 4th scorer added)

Hope the ankle holds up E, little bit of plantar myself (for last 2 weeks) at moment I been managing but am getting a bit of light treatment tonight on it

I was almost in a Tallaght pincer/sandwich at the finish last year, but I'm in a lot worse shape coming into Sunday!

I'd say you'll all be looking at decent individual improvements this year, which could mean an outside chance of a team medal. I think around 8 of the top 10 from last year are now ineligible.

Dubgal72 wrote: »

FeenaM, who did you trick into letting you compete in this? Whoever has advised you, has badly advised you IMHO.

Cross country and marathon do not mix, end of. There is too much risk of injury. All it takes is a turned ankle, a strained achilles, a spike through your calf or a torn hamstring going up those hills....and all your marathon prep is for nought.

Part of the discipline of training for a marathon is having a certain single-mindedness. You need to train your racing brain to ignore all non-marathon distractions.

However, you're a grown up and can weigh up the risks all by yourself

Edit: hope this didn't sound too blunt. You have yourself set up for a really impressive marathon debut, you've worked hard and I don't want anything to get in the way of this

I hadn't been planning on doing it but was told it would tune me up or something along the lines of that?? My plan was to do a 3 mile warm up, run the race and then a 3 mile cool down. A spike through my calf though :eek:, em I might go check out some videos on youtube of a cross country race though and give it some more thought. Not even sure what I signed up for, thought it was just a short run around the hills?? But if I did pull out that will leave the club short one for a team after another girl pulled out today....

FeenaM wrote: »

Just found a video there of the start back in 2009 and it's like horse-racing :eek:

Going to have a think about it.

Hey, don't want to scare the bejasus out of you :eek: The risk of injury could happen anywhere, if you have a weak achilles/calf/hamstring anything could set it off. I just think a cross country race at this stage is placing you closer towards that range of possibility.

From what I know of you, I know you'll be competitive and won't be lurking at the back of the pack, especially when there are team placings at stake. And I get the importance of team, it's why you're in a club

How does it fit in with your schedule? Have you done your last lsr yet or what's the plan? Is there any chance you could do a mlr instead if you decide to race?

pconn062 wrote: »

Or...you could just ditch the marathon!


Only joking Dubgal!

Oh yeah, why didn't I think of that?!....... :rolleyes:

Sacksian wrote: »

Crusaders for the win in the men's novice on Sunday?!

No pressure! But I think Liffey Valley, Raheny, and Donore (and possibly DSD too) will have more or less entirely new teams from last year, due to people losing their novice status. I don't know who else will be contending. Rathfarnham, maybe? There could be some teams with a couple of great juniors stepping up?

I'm not sure if I'll make the start line - my right calf managed one run-through the Munich in spikes on Wednesday before stiffening up and now my left ankle has decided it doesn't work in sympathy. I hope to at least start.

re: Munich Mile - there are a few versions. The first one I ever did followed the first half of the Garda BHAA one in the image above (i.e. from the fort, right down the hill and back up the other side, rather than through the dips, before going through the trees, down and around and back along the long flat straight). However, after going down the hill and back up the other side, this loop then went up to the path and did the standard loop in reverse from that point i.e. along the straight, back through the trees and then through the dips back to the magazine.

On top of the various mile loops, we've regularly done a 900/1k and a 750/800 interval section, as well as a 850 continuous hilly tempo loop over the past couple of years. There's a middle-distance 300m-ish hill sprint session too. And the longer 2k loop.

Last Saturday, I jumped in with another club's session on the Munich hills and found myself doing the most convoluted continuous hill session possible - it was insane. I haven't looked at it on garmin yet, but I'll try and dig it out.

Edited to add: The continuous hill session is actually a segment on Strava called the Civil Service "40 Hills Session" Lap:

https://www.strava.com/segments/2677910

We've a good team. No one of the calibre of JF, who won it last year but a few in or around my level that should have us a solid 4 scorers. One of the lads that ran 2.35 in Berlin last week just pulled out and he's a solid XC runner, so that's a big loss.

Really pity that you're iffy to make the line. You are due a break with all these injuries

career move wrote: »

I'm doing the Novice in Tipperary on Sunday. My first xc race. I've done a few good tempos on the grass but have a bit of a head cold today so could be a baptism of fire. Don't have spiked but the ground is very dry around here at the moment so I should be ok in my racing shoes. Might bring my trail shoes just in case.

Best of luck CM! Is the course hilly ? Dublin XC course very dry so still in two minds about what shoes to wear.

career move wrote: »

Thanks BG. Same to you. There is a hill that we go up twice but I don't think it's very steep. Do you need grip going up hills?

I wouldn't think so unless it's wet or mucky but I've never done XC that I can remember where it wasn't wet/cold/freezing/mucky/windy so Sunday could be a whole new experience!