Saucony RBR Summer Mileage Program, Week Eleven, the early season , from RunBlogRun.com

The high school season is upon us. 500,000 high school cross country runners are training, racing and wondering, why am I doing this?

Good question.

However, well trained cross country runner, you are, ready to roll.

You are a harrier, a true cross country aficionado. You love the hills, the bigger the better. You love to sprint when your lungs are burning and your eyes sting from the dust!

You have followed the Saucony RBR Summer Mileage program, now Saucony RBR Fall Cross Country program and you are fit. Now is time to get your racing shoes, so consider the Carrera XC and the Shay XC as well! Most of all, find the right shoes for you!

Shay XC, photo by Saucony Running

Saucony RBR Fall Cross Country Program, Week 11, Day One, from RunBlogRun.com

Week 11: The Early Season

High school cross country starts quickly with a couple of races a week, so use those early races to get into shape. Continue to build speed.

College cross country is also starting. If you are a college runner, consider adding three mornings a week, on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, a 35-45 minute run.

Monday: Warm up; 45-50 minutes easy running; 8×150 yards relaxed strideouts on grass, jogging back to the start after each, no rest between; cool down.

Tuesday: 1-mile warm up, 20-minute tempo run, 1-mile cool down.
To determine your tempo run pace, add a half-minute to your present mile pace for a 5K. So if you can run 18:30 for a 5K now, that means a 6:00 pace. Add 30 seconds and your tempo run pace is 6:30-per-mile.

Wednesday: Warm up; 45-50 minutes easy running; 8×150 yards relaxed strideouts on grass, jogging back to the start after each, no rest between; cool down

Thursday: 1-mile warm up, 8 hill repeats (run 200 yds uphill, turn, jog downhill to start. Repeat seven more times, no rests); on the flat at the bottom of the hill, try for 8×150 yards as easy strikeouts, jogging back to start, no rest between; 1-mile easy cool down.

How the Kinney National High School Cross-Country National Championships Began (1979), by Walt Murphy from This Day in Track & Field

2025 Fall Cross Country & Racing Season, December 13, 2025, Week 15, Day 6, Saturday is the final race of the 2025 season!

2025 Fall Cross Country & Racing Season, December 12, 2025, Week 15, Day 5, Friday is an easy day!

Or, if a race happens on Thursday and Saturday, finish up with the 10×150 yards and then do your 1-mile easy cool down.

Friday: Warm up; 45-50 minutes easy running; 8×150 yards relaxed strideouts on grass, jogging back to the start after each, no rest between; cool down.

Saturday: Easy 30-minute run, or a race of 5K for high schools, 8K for college.

Sunday: Long, easy run, 65Â-70 minutes, on grass or dirt with friends.

#findyourstrong, #crosscountry,#SauconyRBRFallCrossCountryProgram

Author

Larry Eder

Larry Eder has had a 52-year involvement in the sport of athletics. Larry has experienced the sport as an athlete, coach, magazine publisher, and now, journalist and blogger. His first article, on Don Bowden, America's first sub-4 minute miler, was published in RW in 1983. Larry has published several magazines on athletics, from American Athletics to the U.S. version of Spikes magazine. He currently manages the content and marketing development of the RunningNetwork, The Shoe Addicts, and RunBlogRun. Of RunBlogRun, his daily pilgrimage with the sport, Larry says: "I have to admit, I love traveling to far away meets, writing about the sport I love, and the athletes I respect, for my readers at runblogrun.com, the most of anything I have ever done, except, maybe running itself." Also does some updates for BBC Sports at key events, which he truly enjoys.

Theme song: Greg Allman, " I'm no Angel."

View all posts