So, as someone who has had to run it probably over 20 times in total, I thought that I'd share a few of my tips with you on how to survive it, if you hate it anywhere near as much as I do!
1. Don't take it too seriously. If you come first, if you come last, who cares? If you're like me, then you know that you're not going to win it, and you probably never will (no offence!). It used to upset me when I came right at the back, but it doesn't anymore because I've accepted it, and I no that I'm not good at running, but I do have other skills, and so it doesn't matter. You don't have to tell anybody what time or place you came, it's none of their business, but at the same time, don't obsess over it. Get a few friends and make it a social event where you can chat and catch up rather than a gruelling torture experience.
2. Never be ashamed of yourself. No matter what time you came, even if you came last, don't let it become a bad thing or something that you're embarrassed about. If people ask you what you got, you don't have to tell them, but if you do, do it with your head held high. Use your time as something to improve on, not as a comparison with other people. If you improve on your time, even by a few seconds, that's great! If you don't, never mind, there is probably a reason for it, like the weather or your mood. Never ever ever put yourself down because of cross country, it is bad enough without you adding to it.
3. Don't compare yourself to others. Yes, it is a race, but the only person you should race against is yourself. Some people find that if they have someone else to try and beat, it spurs them on, but that never helps me, it just depresses me. Like I just said, try to get better every time for yourself. Don't do it for anybody else, do it for you (and also do it because you have no choice and you have to).
4. Bare legs are easier to clean then trousers. For my first few cross countries, I wore my tracksuit bottoms which would come home caked in mud and incredibly smelly. And I had to get all of the mud off. So, since then I have learnt that it is much easier (though a little colder) to go with bare legs because all you need is some wet wipes. In my school, we have long socks, and so I normally wear them with bare legs, just to give me a little extra warmth.
5. Don't run with other people. If you get a few friends together and decide to walk it and just have fun, that's ok, but in the past I have found that I have always done so much better when I don't run with a friend. If you run with someone and you're slightly slower, you feel bad for holding them back, and if they do go off on their own, you then feel hurt. If you're slightly faster, then you feel slightly frustrated, but you don't want to leave them alone. You both end up feeling bad or sad or annoyed and you're both slower because of it. It isn't really worth it. Last year when I ran on my own I was 6 minutes quicker, and that is quite a bit!
6. Pack a survival kit and be ready for anything. You are going to have to run whatever the weather, and in our school the showers don't work and so you need to be prepared. In my cross country survival kit, I have a few things that will always be useful. The first is wet wipes, which I use for wiping my hands and legs and occasionally my face. I think that the worst bit is when you have managed to keep relatively clean and then you have to take off your shoes and all of that muck and mud on your laces goes all over your hands and fingers. Something else that I always have with me is a towel because it is useful to wipe your hair and body if it's been raining but also for a little bit of comfort if you're cold.
7. Football boots are your friend. When it is muddy and you're running through some pretty tough things, it is so much easier to do it all in football boots than in trainers. Football boots are kind of designed to be trashed, where as trainers can look very pretty. I have a friend who almost destroyed her beautiful rainbow memory foam sketchers by running cross country in them.
8. Run downhill. When you come to a steep decline, run down it full pelt (as long as it is safe to do so). You use more energy trying to slow down when you are going down a hill, so I think that it is much better to have a few moments of near flying where the wind is in your hair, and you feel free and then to have slightly more energy for the rest of it.
9. Take your mind off of it. When you're running, think of something else. I always sing songs in my head (I'm always far too short of puff to sing them out loud!). I know that some people like to visualise things. My friend Greta says that she pictures herself running from a dragon or something and at the end her handsome prince will be waiting for her. Another thing that I like to do, is give myself a treat or an incentive for when I finish.
So, I hope this helps you, even if it is only a little bit. If you are currently experiencing or will in the near future be experiencing cross country, I wish you all the best (you'll need it!).
See you soon!
7. Football boots are your friend. When it is muddy and you're running through some pretty tough things, it is so much easier to do it all in football boots than in trainers. Football boots are kind of designed to be trashed, where as trainers can look very pretty. I have a friend who almost destroyed her beautiful rainbow memory foam sketchers by running cross country in them.
8. Run downhill. When you come to a steep decline, run down it full pelt (as long as it is safe to do so). You use more energy trying to slow down when you are going down a hill, so I think that it is much better to have a few moments of near flying where the wind is in your hair, and you feel free and then to have slightly more energy for the rest of it.
9. Take your mind off of it. When you're running, think of something else. I always sing songs in my head (I'm always far too short of puff to sing them out loud!). I know that some people like to visualise things. My friend Greta says that she pictures herself running from a dragon or something and at the end her handsome prince will be waiting for her. Another thing that I like to do, is give myself a treat or an incentive for when I finish. So, I hope this helps you, even if it is only a little bit. If you are currently experiencing or will in the near future be experiencing cross country, I wish you all the best (you'll need it!).
See you soon!
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