If you have long been actively running road running races and marathons, you might have been wondering how you can challenge yourself more. The answer is Cross Country running. But it will challenge you in an extreme way, and you will need to work on yourself before even trying to start with cross country. One of the most important aspects of cross-country running is endurance, and for that, you will need to train your running speed.
These workouts are perfect for improving speed in cross-country running.
Ladder Workout
Ladder Workouts are perfect for building up your pace when running. This workout can be done when running marathons, tracks, trails, or even just on a treadmill. Start with a 10-minute warm-up run at a slow pace and slowly pick up your speed within one minute, followed by a jog. Repeat these steps and see how quickly your cross-country speed starts to pick up.
As an example, you can run for 2 minutes at a faster pace followed by a 1-minute jog and then move to a 3-minute fast pace run and a two-minute easy jog.
Practice Races
Taking part in 5 or 10 k road races in Northamptonshire can help you to get ready for cross-country sessions. During the summer, these races are constantly hosted by various clubs and will provide you with the best way possible of practising your speed and endurance, push yourself and make sure to focus on these races as a training method and not a race.
Frequently taking part in 5k road running marathons can keep your running skills sharp and ready for any hill or cross country event.
Fartleks
Fartleks have the same principles as ladder workouts with the added difference of slower time periods for slow-speed running. This is an intense workout which should only be tried by experienced cross-country runners who want to improve on speed or want to improve on their overall endurance.
By using Fartleks, you will run at a fast pace for up to 5 minutes and then slow down only for around 20 seconds and jog at and slowly increase speed to a fast pace again. This is a common practice method in many running clubs in Northamptonshire.
Cross County is big in Northamptonshire and provides the runner with a chance to explore a whole new world of fitness and adventure. Including these exercises in normal road running can greatly assist with better performance in cross-country running.