3 Things That SHOCKED Me About My First Cross Country Race

3 Things That SHOCKED Me About My First XC Race - welcome back to another video and today I am sharing my race vlog of my first ever cross country race! It was an incredible but brutal experience and what came from it was me wanting to share the 3 things that shocked me the about my first cross country race. I went into it knowing it was going to be tough but it blew all expectations out of the water!

Do you remember your first cross country race? what tips would you share with other runners embarking on their first ever cross country race?

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#crosscountry #xcrace #fodrunner

00:00 - Intro
01:18 - Race Details & Plans
02:17 - Race Footage
05:17 - Race Debrief
07:40 - 3 Things That Shocked Me

[shawfield]

In my first XC league race in the 80's, I asked an experienced runner whether I should wear spikes or not. He said "Before every XC, walk/jog the course to determine if spikes or off-road shoes are best. THEN WEAR SPIKES! . 😊

[crayontom]

Great video Andy, glad you enjoyed it. XC is a staple of the club running scene so glad you’re promoting it. A couple of additional practical tips:
1) buy a few different lengths of spike. 6, 9, 12 and 15mm are a good range for all the conditions you’re likely to face over the winter
2) clean your shoes after every match, makes putting your shoes on before the next match much nicer!
3) use Vaseline or WD40 to grease the inside of the spike well before each race and when changing spikes. I had a pair a couple of years ago where my 6mm spikes got welded into the shoes because I left them and they got rusty!

[johnauld]

Cross country is pure racing for position. Most go out had. Generally you won’t loose any positions after half way… if you’re strong at the end, you don’t really pass many people. It’s best to use that energy in the first half and hang on for the second half.

[greenwood]

Great video Andy! I also took part in this race as my first XC outing for my club and lost a shoe in the bog on the first lap! So my top tip is to make sure your spikes are laced up as tight as possible.

[mikebonsall]

I raced my first xc season last winter. Yes absolutely brutal but loved it! Was a dry winter last year and I ran each race in my Saucony Peregrines without any issues (no mud). I'm sure I won't be quite so lucky this year! I have no idea where to start with xc spikes so if you could do a video documenting your spike buying experience that would be great!

[Daviesherr]

Been running for over a year and a half. Did my first cross country a year ago and it's an eye opener. Muscles I didn't even know I had were hurting but overall will only make me stronger. I moan about doing it but feel amazing once it's completed. XC is another beast all together.

[jasonbarry]

Well done Andy on your XC debut, Glad you're in our dirty little secret.

I enjoyed it Saturday and hung on to you until the first run through the mud at the bottom. Done that course in February before and the bottom was flooded and frozen!!.

XC is hard work on the heart, lungs and body. But if it doesn't kill you...
One thing it teaches you is to deal with changes in rhythm (from the hills or surface) that you don't always get in road races when you can churn out a consistent effort and mile splits.

If you buy spikes, do a few short runs or strides on grass to get used to them on calves. Save the dragonflies for track as you will trash them doing XC and there is minimal benefit in the mud over XC spikes

[OpenDoorYogaSLC]

I remember my first cross country race as a high schooler. I had always run track, but I decided to try XC. I just remember how amazing it was standing on the line with so many more people and always exploring new places and terrain.

[alandigweed]

Amazing Andy. XC is like a different sport altogether. Love XC for getting my head out the watch and actually racing by feel. Paces just go out the window.

[danielgreenwell]

Well done on your first cross country race, they are great fun! It takes the pressure off trying to run a specific time as you would on the road. It is like a proper race where you are trying to beat other runners for the team classification which is different from the road where you usually race for a time. A lot of the greats such as Paula Radcliffe, Mo Farah and Bekele all ran cross country which they considered an important part of their season. It should make you a better and stronger runner.

[brokenfreddy]

Good to hear you enjoyed XC..for me it is real racing by effort not by a watch..it also will show gaps in your training/fitness..in some ways it's easier cos the pace and undulating terrain is constantly changing how your muscles are working..I especially like that it is constantly changing as well as the racers are always changing..as you saw, many runners don't know how to pace and often completely blow up..my strategy is to get a good start then settle in at a tempo/heartrate/effort level that I know I can sustain..ignore other people until you know how much gas you have left and then go for broke..as the guy at the end of your race did..excellent kick and finish..it's quite easy to get into the game and it will definitely improve your fitness for road racing..

[MrRennieFrumpkin]

X-talons are pretty good for XC if you’re not fancying spikes. Good work out there!

[hedleytoogood]

Perfectly timed video. I joined a local running club in the summer. At the time had no thought of doing XC, I'm running my first one this Sunday... This has got me really excited for it and will definitely remember to go out slow. I was on the fence whether to use my Torrent 2s or to invest in some spikes, after speaking to my clubmates I decided to get some spikes. Picked up some Nike Zoom Rival XC 5 spikes for £50 on pro direct. Hoping they are a good fit as will be wearing them for the first time at the meet.

[TravelRunner]

That was epic! Great race and I’m jealous there are no XC races around me as now I have the itch to do some xc races. This was a fun video, thanks for sharing!

[Leeroy]

I took part in my first xc race this year as well. I guess it's good to try something new with whatever you're already doing from time to time. Keeps it fresh and gets you new input.

[waterfallstudios]

I did my first XC 4 man relay a month back, Goodwood XC, like you said brutal, the 3 in the team with me are super quick, I was number 3 in a 4k loop and went off like a scolded cat, the hardest thing I have done and I was absolutely done by time I handed over to runner 4, who made up for my slower run and we won gold in our v50 category, I have got spikes but terrain was gravel and grass so trail shoes worked but looking forward to using spikes soon.

[scott]

Yes Andy! That was a proper XC course as well! Love it! Did my last X season only managed 2 races and thought that will do me, but here were are again for the second league race of the season, it’s properly got me, so brutal but so good and gets you strong for sure!

[thatrunnermatt]

We had out first XC Round the day after yours, it was so flat and not muddy (I wouldn't say dry!) I actually wore Alphaflys! It really can depend where you're going, and I believe our next round is where you just ran, so will need to find some spikes soon!

[dprid]

Spikes don't work for everyone - I'm a heel striker so they're useless. Also there can be races where spikes are not suitable - my league has races that include stretches of tarmac and some very stony ground that would kill spikes. However, there are plenty of aggressively soled shoes (often sold as fell running shoes) that offer good traction for muddy XC (Inov-8 & Walsh are popular), or you can send an old pair of your running shoes to Cheshire Shoe and they will resole them with a studded sole for £41. My last pair of resoled shoes lasted 8 seasons, and it was the shoes that fell apart in the end, not the soles.

[frauhorn]

I did the National at Parliament Hill last year wearing trail shoes. It was ridiculously muddy and the trail shoes were not fit for purpose at all. Still I had fun which was the main thing, and the mass start up the hill was absolutely epic and great to be part of.