Is track a necessity for cross country?

[Mr. Powers]

I keep getting told i need the speed and race experience.(yes i quit track). i figure with an extra 1 1/2 months of base i'd be fine.I plan on gettin up to 90. So any help?

[merun4fun]

you can do track, and still get up to 90 over the summer

[Mr. Powers]

you can do track, and still get up to 90 over the summer
i know that

[PreLikedBeer]

no u dont need to do track, but damn u better kick ass this xc season.

I dunno if 1 month 1/2 extra base is gonna do u any good. A base can be too long, you know?

Maybe take a week or two off and come back. play some frisbee, go swimming, thats just my suggestion.

[robcuxc]

Track is a major benefit when it comes time for cross country. By doing track, your legs stay healthy and in shape. It also helps you by making your body ready to adjust to the higher mileages that you want during the summer. And it always help to keep yourself used to racing. If you haven't raced for a while, then jump right back into it...it may take you a race or two to get used to it again. So I think, and can claim from personal experience, that track is a big help.

[gesser]

The mental toughness you earn from track will only help you as a runner. XC and the 3200/2Mile are totally different events, but you still have to stay focused and tough throughout both races, and I would think that could only help you in the long run.

[Gyro]

Is track a necessity for cross? No. Is cross a necessity for track? Yes. I love the XC season but when it boils down, track's THE sport that more people care about. Most people (I could be wrong) get track scholarships with the intention that they'll most likely run XC, not vice-versa. With that said, no matter how many miles you put in, nothing can replace real racing experience, which in my opinion is far more valuable.
As with what Gesser was saying, if you can stay focused for 8 laps around the track (boring as hell), then you'll be a lot more likely to stay focused when the terrain is varried and theres more things going on.

Viva the XC season!

[Mr. Powers]

Is track a necessity for cross? No. Is cross a necessity for track? Yes. I love the XC season but when it boils down, track's THE sport that more people care about. Most people (I could be wrong) get track scholarships with the intention that they'll most likely run XC, not vice-versa. With that said, no matter how many miles you put in, nothing can replace real racing experience, which in my opinion is far more valuable.
As with what Gesser was saying, if you can stay focused for 8 laps around the track (boring as hell), then you'll be a lot more likely to stay focused when the terrain is varried and theres more things going on.

Viva the XC season!
sooo i'm alright w/o track as long as i stay focused. I'll also be running a 5k in july just to get prepped

[Sully 800]

I think you can have a successful xc season without track, so therefore its not a necessity. However, in almost all cases I think that running track will be a great asset to your xc season. Also, I agree with the notion that a base can be too long, and probably not entirely beneficial for you if you start prepping for xc right now. Instead, I would try to find a schedule of local road races, even ones that might be within an hours drive or so, and try to do one road race a week until mid may or june. Then start getting prepped for xc by concentrating solely on base work. This would give you an oppurtunity to get more race experience in a setting that is very similar to xc, and it would also break up you training schedule for now which would help you to maintain your focus. Also, if you have success and see improvement during those road races it would build your confidence and reassure you that all the training you are doing is worth while, and once you see those benefits you will most likely be driven to train even harder and smarter over the summer.

[Gyro]

sooo i'm alright w/o track as long as i stay focused. I'll also be running a 5k in july just to get prepped
Yes...but I think most people take stock in track over XC (ie. more people would take the times more serious, ie. recruitment, etc.) In replacement to track races, I'd throw in a local 5k or so everyother week for the race experience until the summer starts, then i'd do a race in june/july/ august so that you can monitor your progression and see how you're reacting to the base/workouts, etc.

[Mr. Powers]

Yes...but I think most people take stock in track over XC (ie. more people would take the times more serious, ie. recruitment, etc.) In replacement to track races, I'd throw in a local 5k or so everyother week for the race experience until the summer starts, then i'd do a race in june/july/ august so that you can monitor your progression and see how you're reacting to the base/workouts, etc.
i'm only a sophomore

[Gyro]

i'm only a sophomore
All the more reason to keep running track.

[amani4.5]

Mr. Powers,
All of your posts have made it clear that you're not really open to suggestions, that you are mearly looking for other Dyestatters to tell you that what you plan to do is the right thing, to give you some support. However, if you're so certain of what you want to do, why even ask? Whenever somebody gives you a well, thoughtout reply (Gesser, Gyro), you say something in response that clearly shows you didn't really care to hear what they were going to say unless it went along with your "plan."

Maybe I'm wrong, but others, back me up on this if you see this too.

Good luck with your XC season...

[ARAGON FroBoy]

Is track a necessity for cross? No. Is cross a necessity for track? Yes. I love the XC season but when it boils down, track's THE sport that more people care about. Most people (I could be wrong) get track scholarships with the intention that they'll most likely run XC, not vice-versa. With that said, no matter how many miles you put in, nothing can replace real racing experience, which in my opinion is far more valuable.
As with what Gesser was saying, if you can stay focused for 8 laps around the track (boring as hell), then you'll be a lot more likely to stay focused when the terrain is varried and theres more things going on.

Viva the XC season!

BINGO.

[Mr. Powers]

Mr. Powers,
All of your posts have made it clear that you're not really open to suggestions, that you are mearly looking for other Dyestatters to tell you that what you plan to do is the right thing, to give you some support. However, if you're so certain of what you want to do, why even ask? Whenever somebody gives you a well, thoughtout reply (Gesser, Gyro), you say something in response that clearly shows you didn't really care to hear what they were going to say unless it went along with your "plan."

Maybe I'm wrong, but others, back me up on this if you see this too.

Good luck with your XC season...
i care what they say. I just want a definite answer.

[Filipe]

i care what they say. I just want a definite answer.

Then you are going to be seriously disappointed. There is no definite answer. Run track or don't. The decision can only be made by you. Once you make it, stick with it and see what happens.

[Biscuit_AQ]

I'll say this, colleges probably won't take you as seriously if you don't run track. The ability to stay commited to the competition aspect of the sport year round is important. That said, I hated track until my senior year, because my mediocrity showed quite a bit more during 8 laps than on a nice big 5k course. I know lots of other people feel or have felt the same way, though not always openly. My advice is to stick with track, as there are lessons you'll learn about tactics, focus and all types of other things that are at least as valuable as whatever benefit you'll get from a little extra base training.

Also for the record, planning on doing 90 is easier than doing it week in and week out, without track to break the training monotony. You'll lose more than you'll gain by quitting.

[laxcrunner]

i think track builds speed which is important for xc and it also can teach you a lot about focus, but more than anything speed helps, it's hard to ever be able to run 5:20's for 5k if you can't break 5 in the mile, and you won't do that if you don't do track

[ditka3001]

Are you planning on not doing track again or just for this season? My advice would be to take advantage of the extra time and build up mileage slowly. A solid distance base will be invalueable come cross season, so make sure you stay healthy and work hard if you are really serious about cross.

[Mr. Powers]

Are you planning on not doing track again or just for this season? My advice would be to take advantage of the extra time and build up mileage slowly. A solid distance base will be invalueable come cross season, so make sure you stay healthy and work hard if you are really serious about cross.
just not gonna do it this season

[Beanfontaine]

just do whatever you want..just make sure to take a break every now and then.

[ccc111989]

Run Track! It's Good For You!