Cross country running began in England in the early 19th Century with a game called Hares and Hounds. In this game, a runner or group of runners (the hares) would lay a ‘scent’ by scattering pieces of paper while following a random course, and a second set of runners (the hounds) would then set out in pursuit, trying to follow the paper trail. Cross country runners are often referred to as ‘harriers,’ referring to the breed of dog belonging to the hound class.
To train as a harrier, below are ten cross country workouts. Precede each workout with an adequate warm-up and follow it with a cool-down, with the warm-up starting slowly and getting progressively faster until your pace matches the pace that you’ll run in the workout.
“For the cross country runner, pure happiness is not found in satisfying comfort; it is found in dealing with discomfort.”
Workout 1 Acidosis Threshold (AT) Run
On a measured and preferably flat cross country course or grass field, run 5 to 8 kilometres (20 to 30 minutes) at AT pace (the fastest speed you can sustain aerobically). To prepare for longer races, run longer 30 minutes but run a bit slower than AT pace, which comes with it the psychological demand of holding a comfortably hard pace for an extended time.
Workout 2 1,000-Metre Repeats
Run 5 to 6 x 1,000 metres at your VO2max pace (about 3K race pace or slightly faster), with a 1:?1 work-to-rest ratio. For example, a runner who can run 3K in 11 minutes should run each 1,000-metre repeat in 3 minutes and 40 seconds with 2½ to 3 minutes jog recovery.
Workout 3 Anaerobic Capacity Pyramid
Run 1 to 2 sets of 300, 400, 600, 800, 600, 400, and 300 meters at 1,500-metre race pace, with a 1:1½ work-to-rest ratio. For example, a runner who can run one 1,500 metres in 5 minutes should run 60 seconds, 80 seconds, 2 minutes, and 2:40 for the 300, 400, 600, and 800 meters, respectively, with 1½ to 4 minutes jog recovery (with the upper end of the recovery range following longer work periods) and 5 minutes recovery between sets.
Workout 4 Long Hill Repeats
Run 5 to 6 x 1 kilometer uphill at 5K race pace effort with jog back down as recovery. The slope of the hill should be 5 to 8 percent.
