Salina South

Salina South

Cross Country Cougars!

Meet Pointers

The material in this section will become very important as the season progresses and meets arrive. Read it now and reread it then. You may be able to pick up some pointers. It's the little things that make the difference between the CHAMPION and the also-ran.

The Day Before Any Meet

Check all of your equipment after practice, expecially your shoelaces and spikes.

Review your race plan. Regardless of how important you view the meet, have a plan to follow and stick to it.

Don't take any part in any activity that keeps you on your feet for a long period of time.

Stay away from greasy foods and don't overeat.

Go to bed at your regular bedtime, getting at least eight hours rest.

The Day Of The Meet

1. Eat at least four hours prior to the meet if at all possible. if it is not, eat very lightly. Foods high in carbohydrates at this

meal are the best. In general, best efforts are made on an empty stomach. No one has ever died of starvation during a race.

2. If is is a morning meet, get up early and walk and jog for 15 to 20 minutes. This wakes the body systems and gets

them functioning.

3. Use the same type of warm-up for a meet that you have used in practice. Just because it is a meet, don't blow the

warm-up. You can not compte on a cold motor. Try to complete your warm-up at least 15 minutes before race time,

but stay warm and loose during this time. The pulse should stay at, or near, 120 beats per minute during this time.

4. Always cool-out after the race. Jog at least one mile at an easy pace to stretch out and bring the heart beat down

gradually.

On A Very Cold Day

		1. Put an analgesic pack on the small of your back.
		2. Wear an extra t-shirt under your meet jersey.
		3. Wear tights.
		4. Wear gloves (mittens are best) and a stocking cap if you wish.
		5. Take longer to warm-up, and Be Sure To Stay Warm After You Warm Up.

On a Very Windy Day

		1. Mental toughness is the key. Everyone runs the same course into the same wind.
		2. Take advantage and run close behind your opponent. Be careful that he or she isn't running too slow and

that no one iss using you as a wind break.

General Meet Pointers

1. In the last third of the any race, NEVER ALLOW ANYONE TO PASS YOU WITHOUT A FIGHT. Pick

up the pace and fight him/her off.

2. Do not let yourself be taken out at the start at too fast of a pace. you should know your pace and

3. Don't project too far ahead. Take each opponent as he/she comes up. If you are in 6th position in a race,

your next job is to move into 5th, then 4th, etc.

4. Realize your potential. Live up to it first and then improve, if possible. Do not run one half of the race in

first place and then wind up in last place.

5. Do not start your race too slow. The race is set up pretty much by the half-way mark. Run toward the

front pack if you can and let them pull you along.

6. In extremely windy weather, take advantage of the drafting effect another runner can provide. Run a step

or two behind the athlete and let him/her break the wind. Don't pass unless the competitor shows signs of fatigue (The arms are up or the stride is shorter and lower to the ground. Another sign is the athlete is leaning forward). When you do pass this runner, Get Rid Of That Person Quickly and Thoroughly!

7. Always be prepared to sprint through the finish line. Do not take anything for granted even if you can't

hear or see an opponent.

8. Always run THROUGH the finish line. Do not pull up prior to it. Many runners have been nipped at the

finish line by an accelerating runner and lost a meet by one point. This has happened to SOUTH at regionals in 1987 and the girls did not qualify for state. All because one runner walked the last three feet of the race and got passed.

9. Keep thinking while running. Think about the race strategy and what the opponents are doing. Personal

duels too early in the race, unless they are planned, may hinder the TEAM effort.

10. Always make sure you are properly warmed-up before the race.

11. Conserve energy by running as effiently as possible.

12. Excessive mental stress can cause physical fatigue. Remember, the race is a product of training; do not

try to perform it in a different way. Relax and BE POSITIVE.

13. Run the best terrain of the course possible, while maintaining the shortest route.

14. You should always know where you are in the race at all times.

15. Don't begin a finishing kick too early. teach yourself to acquire self-knowledge of your distribution of

energy.

16. If an opponent shows signs of tiring, it may be a good time to pass him as this may finish him psycho-

logically. Whenever you pass anyone, give the impression that you are fresh -- go quickly and keep the new pace for awhile. You mentally whip your opponent at this point. This is one of the biggest mistakes inexperienced runners make. When you are passing someone, pass him and GET RID OF HIM FOREVER.

17. If a teammate is tiring, another runner may help him. Talk to him, set the pace, or run with him temporar-

ily. However, do not spend too much time that it jeopardizes your own position, thus hurting you and the team.

18. Each runner should possess some individual goal or objective for each race. It may be a faster time, a

win, a higher place, a record, or defeating a certain runner from a certain school. this should not take away from team competition, but should contribute to the TEAM EFFORT. Often the individual goal is planned by coach and athlete together.

19. When running behind someone, never watch their feet. Keep your head up and your eyes on the lead run-

ner's shoulder blades. The head weighs about fifteen pounds. When the head goes down, your shoulders and neck have to compensate. When they get tired, your arms tighten up as well as the chest and you start to lean forward. This forces the abdominal muscles to work harder to keep from falling forward. you start to get cramps and since you're leaning forward, your stride is shorter and you slow down. Keep your head up and concentrate on the runner ahead of you.

20. Run with your hips. Many runners race with their eyes. This means they tend to lean forward when they

get tired. The Native Americans teach that the center of their soul is passed from mother to child through the belly button -- the imbilical cord. Imagine that there is a belt with a line and hook on it around your waist. When you want to catch up with someone, imagine throwing out a hook to him and reel him/her in with your line attached to your belt. Hips forward, not head forward. Follow and lead with your soul.

21. If your leg muscles tire, change your form or quicken the pace for ten to twelve strides. This will bring a

different muscle group into play and give the tired muscles a different length of contraction. this tends to refreshen them. This should be your number one aid in fighting fatigue. We call this "checking out." You'll also get a mental boost, as you find yourself picking up the pace even though you are tired. Cowards give in to fatigue -- CHAMPIONS conquer it.

22. VERY IMPORTANT!!! Before a race, always be positive. Never say anything negative out loud, espec-

at the starting line. You don't help yourself or your teammates by being negative, even in joking. I know as an athlete nothing picked me up more than to hear my competition complaining about the weather or the course or having to run. I knew they were half beat before the gun went off. When I heard one of my own teammates complain, it irritated me because I knew I had to rely on his/her scoring to help the team. I know some teammates figure that if someone else is complaining and is not going to run their best, why should they give 100%. Being negative spreads like wildfire. Being negative is for losers. Act "as if" you are a champion.

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