If you decide to take a break from the bustle of the city and at the same time go in for sports, then cross country running or cross country is what you need. The fact is that cross-country runs involves long runs, but not along a specially prepared track located at the stadium. The runner's trail runs through forest, hilly terrain, etc., without leveling off the trail or clearing rocks and fallen trees.
Cross specificity
The length of distances in this discipline is set 4 km, 8 km, 12 km.
The cross-man's running technique is similar to the middle and long-distance runner, but there are some nuances.
Unlike an athlete who is engaged in "smooth" running at the stadium, the crossrunner is in more difficult conditions, since when passing the track he must run up and down slopes, overcome natural obstacles.
In addition, the surface of a cross-country track is different from a treadmill located in a stadium. The cross is designed to be driven on soft surfaces such as grass, sand, soil, clay or gravel. However, there may also be areas of stone or asphalt pavement. The position of the runner's feet depends on the type of coverage.
Benefits of trail running
- since cross is a combined running, almost all muscle groups of the runner are involved in overcoming the distance;
- the endurance, flexibility and agility of the athlete develops;
- since the track most often passes in a park or forest zone, the cross-man is psychologically relieved;
- the skills of quick analysis, adequate solution of constantly arising situations and overcoming various obstacles are practiced;
- the athlete's resistance to stress increases;
- running, especially if the track passes through the forest, will strengthen the cardiovascular system, increase the speed of blood circulation, remove congestion in the body, and strengthen the muscles of the body.
Cross-country running technique
Before starting a workout, it is imperative to perform warm-up exercises aimed at warming up and stretching the muscles.
When cross-country, the main task of the athlete, while maintaining a high running speed, is not to get injured when overcoming the distance.
To overcome all sorts of obstacles, he adheres to a certain technique:
- When driving on a steep incline or downhill, the athlete is allowed to use trees and bushes in order to facilitate his movement, as well as to maintain balance.
- When climbing a mountain, the athlete should not lean forward too much, and when descending, his body should be placed vertically or slightly tilted back. When driving on a flat area, the body position is vertical or slightly inclined forward, but not more than 3 °.
- When running, the arms are bent at the elbows.
- Horizontal obstacles in the form of pits or ditches that are encountered on the path of movement, the crossman jumps over.
- The runner overcomes fallen trees, large stones or other vertical obstacles using the support on his hand or using the “hurdle running” techniques.
- To overcome an area with soft or slippery ground, use shorter steps than when driving on a hard surface.
- After overcoming the obstacle, the main task of the crossman is to restore breathing.
- When driving on rocky areas, sandy or grassy ground, the athlete needs to be very careful, since there is no good adhesion of the sole of the sneaker to the road and an athlete's mistake can lead to injury.
- When moving on soft ground, the running speed should decrease, since the load on the body in these areas is much higher than the load on a hard surface.
Off-road running gear
You don't need any special equipment for cross-country training. The crossman's outfit consists of a tracksuit and sneakers.
It is desirable to have two types of sneakers: for hard surface (asphalt) and soft (trail). For soft coverage, shoes with thick soles and aggressive tread are used, as well as a more durable upper. The main task of asphalt sneakers is to absorb the impact of the foot on a hard surface. Their outsole has shock absorbers, which are in the heel area in conventional models, and in the toe area in more expensive ones.
If you intend to run through the forest, then it is advisable to use a long-sleeved T-shirt.
Cycling gloves are available to protect your hands if you fall. Also, a hat, which is selected depending on the season, will not be superfluous.
How to avoid injury
According to a study by the Harvard Gazette, between 30% and 80% of athletes in various types of running are injured.
Most often, while running, cross-athletes receive the following types of injuries: bruises, sprains, knee injuries, a split shin (pain that occurs in the lower leg after excessive stress), tendering (inflammation of the Achilles tendon), stress fracture (miniature cracks in the bones that occur with constant excessive load).
To prevent injury, you must:
- use the correct footwear, which must be selected taking into account the coverage of the track;
- be sure to warm up before running and after running to do muscle stretching exercises, especially the calf;
- to restore the body after running in the training cycle, you need days of rest;
- it is necessary to alternate running training and strength training, which will allow the athlete to build muscle tissue, since weak muscles are one of the main causes of injuries in runners;
- after a run, you need to perform a set of relaxing exercises to prevent muscle hardening;
- the length of the distance should not be increased by more than 10% per week. This will avoid stress overload;
Knee disease occurs with constant increased stress on the knee joint. This can cause running on the paved path, downhill, and weak hip muscles. To reduce pain, bandaging the knee with an elastic bandage helps, as well as shortening the length of the distance. To avoid such problems, you can choose tracks with a soft surface.
Also, in order to avoid injuries and comprehensive training of a cross-country athlete, you need to alternate tracks with different surfaces:
- Asphalt pavement is the hardest. Ideal for fast running, but most traumatic for joints and bones. Strong kicks on the sidewalk should be avoided.
- Ground - Suitable for fast running like asphalt, but more shock absorbing.
- Grass is the most gentle coating in terms of affecting joints or bones.
- Sandy surface - allows you to train strength and endurance.
Cross Country Sports
In our country, the main cross-country competitions are held, such as the Russian Championship, the Russian Cup and the Russian Championship for juniors. Competitions of a lower level are also held, these are city, district, regional, etc.
Since 1973, the World Cross Country Championship has been held. In March 2015, it was held in China. The 1st place in the team classification was won by the Ethiopian team, the 2nd place was taken by the Kenya team and the 3rd place - by the Bahrain team.
Cross-country running is a sport that will bring you health, strength, endurance and peace of mind. The only condition is that the classes should be regular and with a gradual increase in the load. And most importantly, listen to your body during exercise. And cross country jogging will bring you joy.
