Skip to main content

HOW TO IMPROVE TRAIL RUNNING WITH CROSS-COUNTRY RUNNING

Written by Cristina Tasselli on . Posted in Training.

Share this post

Cross Country Running is an Olympic discipline with distances between 4 and 12km, in many ways similar to mountain running or short trail running races. With the cross-country running training you get the same benefits of short-distance road running sessions and you develop useful skills to manage pace changes, slopes and balance. In addition, there is the possibility of continuing to run “off-road”.

What are the main benefits for the Trail Runner who decides to run Cross-Country races? With cross-country running the ultra trail runners, used to running long distances at low intensity and pace, will get a significant improvement in aerobic power, intramuscular coordination and greater proprioceptive sensitivity. At the end of the Winter Season, you will be ready to face short trail running races in your best physical shape. Furthermore, you will also have carried out an important injury prevention plan that will be very useful for your ultra trails.

How to train for a cross-country race? The type of specific training involves sprints and uphill resp at high-intensity, fartlek sessions (i.e. 1 ‘/ 1′, 1’/2’), long slow distance sessions (8km-20Km at 10”-25” less than your 10Km race pace), long runs on undulated path (12km-15km at 10”-25” less than your 10Km race pace) possibly on grassy or hilly terrain, as for the first short trail running races at the beginning of the competitive season.

In conclusion, thanks to the participation in Cross-Country competition every 2 or 3 weeks, for 4 months, you will be able to improve in those aspects that you necessarily had to overlook during the ultra trail racing season. You will find yourself stronger, reactive and psychologically motivated to compete.

Do you want to test yourself and improve quicker than your competitors?

CHOOSE among our training plans, the TRM Training Plan that suits you, just here YOUR TRAINING PLAN

Related posts:

FILIPPO, FROM FOOTBALL TO TRAIL RUNNING, DREAMING ABOUT RUNNING TOR DES GEANTS 10 MISTAKES YOU SHOULD AVOID DURING TRAIL RUNNING PREPARATION HOW TO TRAIN DOWNHILL RUNNING TECHNIQUE IN TRAIL RUNNING

aerobic power, injury prevention, proprioceptive sensitivity, running coaches, trail running, TRAIL RUNNING COACHES, trail running programs, Trail Running Training

Cristina Tasselli

Digital Strategic Marketing Director - certified Innovation Manager - in multinational companies, she is still today the only Italian female athlete to have ran 900 km and 55,000m D+ in the mountains in a single stage race (Transpyrenea 2016, 3rd women overall). She counts numerous Podiums and international Victories on races over 100k. She holds a SNaQ CONI certification as a Trail Running Coach, Athletic Trainer and in Nutrition and Sports Supplementation. Since 2014 she is President and sports executive of innovative technology startups and companies, including Trail Running Movement and Digital Sport 360. She trains elite trail running athletes and she teaches in trail running coach certification courses. She is an author of sports articles on training, nutrition and supplementation in trail running and running, both in Italian and in English and Spanish. She manages relationships and collaborations with Federations and Race Organizers.
Menu
Contacts