16U cross country practice plans (ages 15 and 16)

Cross Country Warm-Up, Ages 14 and Up 5 min

1. Jog easy for 1 minute, then skip, side shuffle and backpedal for 1 minute.
2. Moving warm-up over 15 to 20 yards: high knees, heel flicks, carioca each way, walking knee hugs and walking quad pulls (one step in each, no long holds).
3. Leg swings, 10 each way each leg; walking lunges with a twist, 6 each leg; then 5 inchworms (walk your hands out to a plank and back).
4. Strength: plank 30 seconds, side plank 20 seconds each side, 8 slow squats, and 6 single-leg reaches each side (hinge forward on one leg with a flat back).
5. Single-leg hops: 3 small hops forward on one leg, holding the last landing for 2 seconds; each leg twice.
6. Cuts: run 5 yards, plant and cut at about 45 degrees off the outside foot, 4 each way at three-quarter speed, knee over the toes.
7. Build-up runs: three runs of about 20 yards at 60, 80 and 90 percent; walk back each time.
8. Sport moves: 3 relaxed strides of about 50 yards, building smoothly to a comfortable quick pace; walk back between each.

Coaching point: Quality over speed: quiet feet, knees over toes, hips level.

Safety: A flat, clear space with room to run. Stop if anything hurts: a warm-up should leave you ready, not tired. Growth spurts: many girls have theirs between about 10 and 14 and boys about two years later. While you grow fast, muscles can feel tight and landings clumsy for a while; that is normal and it passes. Keep the work light (your own body weight), stretch gently and never push into pain. Sore just below the kneecap or at the back of the heel after sport? Tell a parent or coach and rest it. If the pain keeps coming back, makes you limp, or is there even when resting, see a doctor.

Gentle Progression Run 12 min

1. Run the first 8 minutes very easy.
2. Run the next 8 minutes a little quicker.
3. Run the last 4 minutes steady, still in control.
4. Cool down with 3 minutes of walking.

Coaching point: Start slow, finish strong.

Safety: Drink water and eat a meal or snack before and after, run in the cool part of the day, and stop and tell an adult if you feel dizzy or sick. Thunder or lightning: go inside now and wait 30 minutes after the last one.

Watch-Free Pace Run 12 min

1. Pick a steady pace with your coach.
2. Run 4 laps without looking at any watch.
3. Your partner times each lap.
4. Compare and see how even you were.

Coaching point: Trust your feel.

Safety: Drink water and eat a meal or snack before and after, run in the cool part of the day, and stop and tell an adult if you feel dizzy or sick. Thunder or lightning: go inside now and wait 30 minutes after the last one.

Over the Top 12 min

1. Run steady up a hill.
2. At the top, keep your effort for 10 more steps.
3. Settle back to steady on the flat.
4. Do 5 reps with an easy jog back.

Coaching point: The top is not the end.

Safety: Pick a grassy or smooth hill with an adult nearby. Walk down the steep parts and stop if your knees hurt. If you fall and hit your head, stop and see a doctor before you run again.

Five-Ten-Five Technique Rehearsal 15 min

1. Set three cones in a line, 5 yards apart; start at the middle one.
2. Run 5 yards right, touch the line with your outside hand, turn low.
3. Run 10 yards to the far cone, touch, turn, run 5 back through the middle.
4. Do 3 walk-throughs, 3 at three-quarter speed, then 2 timed with full rest.

Coaching point: Low turn, push off the outside foot.

Safety: Use a clear, non-slip space and change direction only as fast as you can control. Stop if a knee or ankle hurts.

Cross Country Cool-Down Stretches, Ages 14 and Up 4 min

1. Walk easy for 1 minute and let your breathing slow down.
2. Front of the thigh: hold a fence, wall or partner and bring one heel toward your bottom, knees side by side. Hold 20 to 30 seconds, each side.
3. Back of the leg: sit with one leg straight and the other bent, and reach toward the straight leg’s ankle until you feel a gentle pull. Hold 20 to 30 seconds, each side.
4. Calf: hands on a wall, one foot back with the heel down and the back knee straight; then bend the back knee a little to move the stretch toward the heel. Hold 20 to 30 seconds, each side.
5. Front of the hip: kneel on one knee, tuck your hips under and shift forward gently until the front of the hip feels a stretch. Hold 20 to 30 seconds, each side.
6. Seat: lie on your back, cross one ankle over the other knee and pull the bottom leg gently toward you. Hold 20 to 30 seconds, each side.
7. Lying twist: on your back with knees bent, let both knees fall slowly to one side while your shoulders stay flat. Hold 20 to 30 seconds, each side.
8. Side bend: stand tall, reach one arm overhead and lean gently to the other side. Hold 20 to 30 seconds, each side.
9. Lie on your back with one hand on your belly: 5 slow breaths, breathing out longer than in.

Coaching point: A gentle pull, never pain, and no bouncing.

Safety: Stretch only to a gentle pull and stop if anything hurts. An injured muscle or joint is not stretched until a doctor or athletic trainer says it is OK. Growth spurts: many girls have theirs between about 10 and 14 and boys about two years later. While you grow fast, muscles can feel tight and landings clumsy for a while; that is normal and it passes. Keep the work light (your own body weight), stretch gently and never push into pain. Sore just below the kneecap or at the back of the heel after sport? Tell a parent or coach and rest it. If the pain keeps coming back, makes you limp, or is there even when resting, see a doctor.

Cross Country Warm-Up, Ages 14 and Up 7 min

1. Jog easy for 1 minute, then skip, side shuffle and backpedal for 1 minute.
2. Moving warm-up over 15 to 20 yards: high knees, heel flicks, carioca each way, walking knee hugs and walking quad pulls (one step in each, no long holds).
3. Leg swings, 10 each way each leg; walking lunges with a twist, 6 each leg; then 5 inchworms (walk your hands out to a plank and back).
4. Strength: plank 30 seconds, side plank 20 seconds each side, 8 slow squats, and 6 single-leg reaches each side (hinge forward on one leg with a flat back).
5. Single-leg hops: 3 small hops forward on one leg, holding the last landing for 2 seconds; each leg twice.
6. Cuts: run 5 yards, plant and cut at about 45 degrees off the outside foot, 4 each way at three-quarter speed, knee over the toes.
7. Build-up runs: three runs of about 20 yards at 60, 80 and 90 percent; walk back each time.
8. Sport moves: 3 relaxed strides of about 50 yards, building smoothly to a comfortable quick pace; walk back between each.

Coaching point: Quality over speed: quiet feet, knees over toes, hips level.

Safety: A flat, clear space with room to run. Stop if anything hurts: a warm-up should leave you ready, not tired. Growth spurts: many girls have theirs between about 10 and 14 and boys about two years later. While you grow fast, muscles can feel tight and landings clumsy for a while; that is normal and it passes. Keep the work light (your own body weight), stretch gently and never push into pain. Sore just below the kneecap or at the back of the heel after sport? Tell a parent or coach and rest it. If the pain keeps coming back, makes you limp, or is there even when resting, see a doctor.

Mid-Race Reset 16 min

1. Run steady for 4 minutes.
2. Surge 30 seconds to feel tired.
3. Use three reset steps: breathe out long, relax shoulders, pick a runner or post ahead.
4. Settle back to steady; do 3 rounds.

Coaching point: Breathe, relax, refocus.

Safety: Drink water and eat a meal or snack before and after, run in the cool part of the day, and stop and tell an adult if you feel dizzy or sick. Thunder or lightning: go inside now and wait 30 minutes after the last one.

Quick-Step Strides 16 min

1. After an easy run, mark 80 yards on flat grass.
2. Build to a quick pace with short, fast steps.
3. Keep shoulders loose and hands soft.
4. Do 6 strides with a walk back.

Coaching point: Quick feet, soft hands.

Safety: Warm up first. Stop if a muscle feels tight or something hurts. Pain in one spot that gets worse each run, or a limp: stop and see a doctor.

Answer the Surge 16 min

1. Run steady side by side.
2. Your partner surges for 15 seconds without warning.
3. Stay on their shoulder, then both settle.
4. Do 6 surges, 3 each.

Coaching point: Stay with it, then settle.

Safety: Drink water and eat a meal or snack before and after, run in the cool part of the day, and stop and tell an adult if you feel dizzy or sick. Thunder or lightning: go inside now and wait 30 minutes after the last one.

Cross Country Cool-Down Stretches, Ages 14 and Up 5 min

1. Walk easy for 1 minute and let your breathing slow down.
2. Front of the thigh: hold a fence, wall or partner and bring one heel toward your bottom, knees side by side. Hold 20 to 30 seconds, each side.
3. Back of the leg: sit with one leg straight and the other bent, and reach toward the straight leg’s ankle until you feel a gentle pull. Hold 20 to 30 seconds, each side.
4. Calf: hands on a wall, one foot back with the heel down and the back knee straight; then bend the back knee a little to move the stretch toward the heel. Hold 20 to 30 seconds, each side.
5. Front of the hip: kneel on one knee, tuck your hips under and shift forward gently until the front of the hip feels a stretch. Hold 20 to 30 seconds, each side.
6. Seat: lie on your back, cross one ankle over the other knee and pull the bottom leg gently toward you. Hold 20 to 30 seconds, each side.
7. Lying twist: on your back with knees bent, let both knees fall slowly to one side while your shoulders stay flat. Hold 20 to 30 seconds, each side.
8. Side bend: stand tall, reach one arm overhead and lean gently to the other side. Hold 20 to 30 seconds, each side.
9. Lie on your back with one hand on your belly: 5 slow breaths, breathing out longer than in.

Coaching point: A gentle pull, never pain, and no bouncing.

Safety: Stretch only to a gentle pull and stop if anything hurts. An injured muscle or joint is not stretched until a doctor or athletic trainer says it is OK. Growth spurts: many girls have theirs between about 10 and 14 and boys about two years later. While you grow fast, muscles can feel tight and landings clumsy for a while; that is normal and it passes. Keep the work light (your own body weight), stretch gently and never push into pain. Sore just below the kneecap or at the back of the heel after sport? Tell a parent or coach and rest it. If the pain keeps coming back, makes you limp, or is there even when resting, see a doctor.