What is Cross Country?

Cross country (XC) races at the high school level are five kilometers (or 3.1 miles) in length. They are contested on varying terrain such as grass, asphalt, dirt, rocks and creeks. The sport traditionally takes place in the late summer, fall and early winter.  This means the temperature we train and race in can be between 85F down to snowing. There can be up to 30 teams at the meets we attend, meaning hundred of athletes competing against each other. There are often multiple races at meets, from varsity to junior varsity to freshman/sophomore to open levels of racing. The racers all start from the same starting line, but each team has a specific section of the starting line that they start from. Every athlete, regardless of division, all race the same course. They are scored and classified into different divisions (boys varsity, girls junior varsity, etc.), but all athletes get to compete and race for Cherry Creek.

Scoring:

While cross country is contested at an individual level, where the ultimate goal is to do better than your best and beat your personal record (PR), cross country is one of the truest team sports at the high school level. In other sports, if an athlete has a bad day, the team can still win. In XC, if one of your teammates has a bad race, then the team's chances of winning are significantly decreased. Every athlete matters, no matter what their place in the race is. Because of this, we train as a team, and we race as a team. At the end of the race, the top seven scores are added up for each team. Low score wins. For example, if the Bruins get second place, 5th, 7th, 12th and 19th place in a race, we score (2+5+7+12+19) 45 points.  If there is a tie, the officials go to the sixth place runner for that team. A varsity team races seven athletes, and any of these seven athletes can be the top five scorers for a team. Now, that does not mean the 6th and 7th paces runners are irrelevant. In fact, they are arguably as important as your top runner. Because those sixth and seventh team runners can beat other teams top five runners, knocking them down the standings, and making them score more overall points.  In essence, every athlete is equally important in a cross country race.

Equipment:

Cross country running equipment is rather minimal. The most important thing is the right pair of training shoes (trainers). Be wary of buying shoes at department stores, as they are usually have weaker materials and will wear out sooner. The best bet is to go to Boulder Running Company or Runners Roost and have a gait analysis completed in the store.  Then they can put you in a training shoe that fits your needs the best. Expect to spend 80-120 on a pair of good training shoes. Make sure to mention to the person helping you that you are on the Cherry Creek XC team, they will give you a discount! Besides this, a comfortable pair of running shorts, a non-cotton T-shirt and a water bottle are really all that you need. When the weather gets colder, sweatshirts, tights and hats/gloves come in handy.

 On race day, athletes will compete in their school uniform (shorts and a tank top) and either their trainers, or a pair of racing shoes. Racing shoes can include spikes or other shoes with benefits for speed.

Injuries: 

Injuries can definitely occur when running cross country. They can range from muscle fatigue and tiredness/soreness to bone fractures and ligament tears. The most important thing to do with an injury is to communicate with a coach or a trainer about it. Some injuries come with the territory.  Athletes will be sore after hard workouts, but the means the muscle now has the opportunity to grow back stronger. Stretching, icing, and hydration are the keys to alleviating these types of “acceptable” injuries.  Some injuries, through repetitive motion or trauma, are much more serious. Stress fractures, sore hip flexors, rolled ankles; these require the athlete talking to the coach and/or athletic trainer her at Cherry Creek as soon as possible. The best way to heal injuries as soon as possible is to let us know about them as soon as possible. We have a top notch training staff here at Cherry Creek, and they are here to help us get athletes back running as soon as possible.

Hydration/Nutrition/Relaxation:

At practices, we stress to the athletes, “What you do in the two hours at practice is not as important as what you do with the other 22 hours.” What this means, is when the athlete gets home, the recovery is just as, if not more, important than the training. While ice baths, massage, foam rollers are great, they are irrelevant if the athlete does not stay hydrated, eat a lot of good foods, and get plenty of rest and sleep.

Hydration: Drinking a bottle of water ten minutes before practice does not constitute “hydrated’. Athletes need to be drinking water all day, every day. Every time they pass a water fountain in school, take a drink. Carry a water bottle with them to their classes. Right before bed, drink a big glass of water. And, athletes only need water. Gatorade is full of sugar, it is not needed. And of course, soda should be off the training table of any athlete running cross country. Not only is it full of sugar, the acids in sodas are very detrimental to training at the highest levels.  It’s simple.  Drink water, drink lots of water. Drink lots of water every day.

Nutrition: We burn a lot of calories at cross country practice. Athletes need to have good fuel in them to be able to complete the training to the best of their ability.  Two simple rules are: 1) Try not to eat anything with ingredients you cannot pronounce. 2) Eat lots of it.  Eating lots of good, nutritionally rich whole foods from the perimeter of the supermarket is great.  You can eat too many Cheetos. You can’t eat too many apples. Have a balanced level of carbohydrates, protein and fats in your diet. Splurge every once in a while, of course, but make sure to eat well and eat often.  You will need that fuel every day for training.  

Relaxation: Jay Johnson once told the team, when he was recruiting and coaching for the Univ. of Colorado, “Everything being equal, I would rather have a kid who ate at McDonalds every day and got a solid 8 hours of sleep every night, than one who only ate at Whole Foods, but never gets a good night's sleep” (We know, we just said, eat good whole foods, but trust us on this!) 

Sleep: is the key to recovery and growth. It’s when your food builds your muscles stronger. It’s when your brain recharges and your mental toughness increases.  It’s when your injuries are healed.  Sometimes it’s hard to get a good night's sleep due to other commitments. But, if you can prioritize sleep, and make sure to go to bed early enough to get a good night’s sleep, the benefits are noticeable. So, put that phone down, turn it off, and close your eyes.  Sleep is important!

What is means to run at Creek:

With over 3600 students attending Cherry Creek HS, we have the largest XC team in the state of Colorado and potentially the country. We are all part of one team. Whether you are on “A”, “B”, or “C” team, we are all a team. We hold pride in our numbers and care about each and every one of out athletes.  Cross country is more than just a sport (or a gym waiver), it is a team experience in which the team becomes part of the Cherry Creek family.  It is a lifestyle, that everyone in your family can adopt and become part of this great team.  It is something that brings us all together, when we cheer for each other, celebrate together and push each other beyond our perceived limits.  Be proud to be a Bruin and be proud to run for Cherry Creek High School. You are now part of a proud tradition, and carry that legacy with honor and pride.