The clocks in the UK have finally gone back. As well as marking the official start of the early darkness that engulfs us on our run home, it’s also a stark reminder that the cross country season is just around the corner. XC is to runners what Pat Sharp’s FunHouse was to kids. It’s basically a chance to go as mental as possible over terrain that doesn’t always make for comfortable running, for a relatively short period of time. Not to mention these are club events. This is our very own Game of Thrones where factions are facing off against one another proudly displaying their club colours.

Fun aside, there are a few things worth knowing to help you handle the cross country season.

Pick your shoes

There are actually shoes designed to handle the often muddy and uneven terrain. These even come equipped with spikes. Make the most of these – just don’t clip yourself with them.

Forget about pacing yourself – the race is on

A XC race is all about going hard early and letting yourself pay for it later. Those wise words you tell yourself about pacing the early stages of a marathon, go out the window and its all about trying to catch your breath as you hammer it across a field. Downhills are your only friend.

Make some friends

Club runners are awesome. Not just because some of them are well… awesome runners, but also because they are extremely friendly. Even though I’ve just banged on about heart busting lung bursting intense races they are actually just a chance for clubs to come together and enjoy a run that doesn’t involve traffic on the weekends.

The best way to train for the cross country season it going to be intervals. Short and extremely sharp intervals. Think about anything from 200m to 400m repeats with anything around one to one and a half minutes rest in-between.

If you’re really anxious to help build speed and leg strength then hill repeats work well. Make sure they are long and fast enough to keep your heart rate in the 170+ zone for a good 30-60 seconds.

So if you are interested in keeping yourself honest over the winter months when motivation can be hard to find, then do a quick search to find your local running club and ask them about their cross country races for the season. Usually starting in Nov and running through to Jan/Feb they are a great way to keep the training intensity when you’re otherwise feeling that a night in and a cheat meal are a better option. Look forward to seeing you out there.