Cross country season is here. It is time to get very, very excited. No more long summer runs by yourself. No more summer jobs to wear you down (not that homework won’t be a drag once classes start up). No more itching to race and practice with your friends. It is finally time to run and race over hill and dale with your teammates.

Not that everything is perfectly under control. While you hopefully put in the miles and are well prepared for the season, there always seems to be something that couldn’t fit your schedule.

With that in mind, here are a few 11th hour things that you may not have thought of as cross country commences. Pick and choose a few to focus on if you haven’t already now that it’s finally go time:

The Last-Minute To-Do List: Cross Country Edition



[ ] Make sure your training shoes and spikes are ready to go:

For all your shoe worries, look no further than your local running store or the latest Running Times shoe guide. Can’t get running shoes before the first meet or practice? No worries, back in 2009, Chad Hampton wore Air Jordan basketball shoes to win the South Carolina state meet. Shoes are important, but running fast is even more so.

[ ] Get rid of your swimsuit tan:

Been at the beach instead of out training? The issue here is short shorts. Luckily for the girls, their swimsuits are often smaller than their running outfits. World champs silver medalist Jenny Simpson had the opposite issue: a running shorts tan line because she likely doesn’t have much time to get to the beach. But the quads of many a boy could be blinding come race day if they didn’t run in the team issued short shorts all summer. One solution is going with half tights, but the summer heat of the early season may be a little too much for that.

[ ] Work on your cross country picture face:

Let’s be honest, cross country hurts. It hurts a lot. This usually means that the pictures of us don’t catch our good side. That doesn’t mean we can’t practice. Take a few minutes to glance in the mirror to perfect the face between hurting and running with ease. Or find the kid in the bottom right corner of this picture from last fall’s Run in the Mud in Huntsville, Ala., and ask him for advice. Check Facebook for any Zoolanders who run.

[ ] Enjoy your last Doritos® Locos Taco:

Simply put, it is time to start watching what you eat. Can’t have tempo tummy on race day.

[ ] Don’t Panic!

The cross country season is long, there is plenty of time to get in shape and have the season of your dreams. Plus, it’s going to be a ton of fun. Enjoy it and run your butt off!

This upcoming cross country season at Running Times, we are not only going to give rankings and cover the sport, but we’re also going to have some fun with the wonderful world of high school cross country. Look out for lists, trends, and unusual posts all fall. Make sure to follow us on Twitter (@RunningTimesHS) as well.

I’m Liam Boylan-Pett, the 315American to break 4 minutes in the mile, a professional runner for the New Jersey-New York Track Club, and writer for the Running Times High School section. Contact me on Twitter @Liam_BP

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