XC for non-athletic kid
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Anonymous
| I have a rising freshmen who would like to participate in a HS sport. They're not particularly sporty but are in acceptable shape. Is that enough for a large public? Should they prepare this summer or is showing up enough? What pace should they aim for? |
Anonymous
| On a no cut team, they'll be fine. Plenty of kids walk during the runs. |
Anonymous
| At our school there are team-organized runs throughout the summer, without coaches. If there is something like this she would benefit in joining to start meeting other kids and get an idea of what runs are like. |
Anonymous
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Great choice for your kid. In my experience (both my own and my daughter) if people put in the effort, they are:
1. Going to get better. Maybe never great, but able to run the races and contribute to team 2. Will be welcomed and supported by their teammates. Check with the school... many start practice for fall sports in August. In June and July, not a bad idea to get some practice runs to build endurance, but especially for freshman don't need to figure out some super-rigorous workout regime. |
Anonymous
Totally agree! Sometimes, informal practices actually start very soon after school gets out. That's a great way to get to know kids and build a base. If practices don't start until August, I'd have your kid get comfortable running two miles a few times a week in June. In July, keep two days at 2 miles, and kick it up to 4 a couple of days, too. You could do more, but this is a gentle start. Good luck ... it's the best! |
Anonymous
| If practice starts in August, your kid has PLENTY of time for Couch to 5k. Start now. They’ll be fine. |
Anonymous
| How fast should their mile pace be? |
Anonymous
| Great way to meet a broad group of kids. Cross Country and Track & Field both draw kids who are on other sports teams, at other times of the year, and are there to stay in good shape. Both are an easy way to participate in a group sport setting without too much pressure. |
Anonymous
| and there's often kids who at first don't seem athletic, or look very athletic, but turn out to have some unique super-power for the individual field events. |
Anonymous
Don't worry about that AT ALL. In fact, the training runs should be at a comfortable pace ... they just want to get used to covering the distance. The coach will introduce speed workouts, which will help them get faster over time. The team's times will depend a lot depending on the strength of the program and the talent and experience of the kids who show up. As a beginner, your kid might race the JV distance, which is just under 2 miles. That's a great way to get used to racing. The varsity distance is 3.1 miles. Boys can sometimes get in the 15  xs, but the winners are usually in the 16xs, going all the way to 22x. Girls winners are usually in the 18xs, with most coming in under 24x, but there are still some newer runners who take more time. The joy is in watching yourself improve over the course of the season.
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Anonymous
| Oh lord, sorry about the angry faces. I was trying to use "x"s to mean seconds on the clock. |
Anonymous
Thanks for explaining. I was confused |
Anonymous
| I think it could work if your child winds up liking running. My son was somewhat athletic (played soccer), but didn't find XC all that enjoyable. He liked the social aspect, but not the actual running. His time was around a 7 minute mile to begin with, and he worked to get it a bit under 6 mins, which is average-ish for a guy, I think, but just wasn't having much fun. |
Anonymous
Yeah, sorry. So, 18:01 to 18:59, etc. 
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Anonymous
Our rising freshman is planning to try XC. The coach's communication indicates girls should come in able to maintain a 9min/mi pace for 2 miles. Coach also said he would be sending out a summer training plan so that kids can use that to prep for practices starting in August. |