Before the Seasons Begins
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We try to provide a good training program for our runners throughout the year. Running is a year round sport in order to excel. There will be times during the year when the athlete will need to workout on his or her own. Summer training is critical to cross country athletes so that they may be prepared for the first meet of the season which for Perham XC is 2 weeks from when practice starts and about one week before school starts.
Parents often ask, is there anything they can do to help? What can we expect? How can we help prepare our child for training, competition, and the everyday challenges that come with cross country?
To begin, every athlete must have a current physical on file at the activities department before they can begin practicing with the team. A physical is required every 3 years. The rule of thumb for participating in sports activities in Perham is that if you are entering the 7th or 10th grade you probably need a new physical on file. If it is your first time competing please make sure you have had a physical in the last 3 years and that it is on file in the activities department.
After getting a physical athletes need to feel out the appropriate forms and pay an activity fee. The forms required are MSHSL Eligibility and PHS Eligibility. Both the athletes and parents or guardians signature are required after forms are completely filled out. Finally an activity fee based on family income is required. The required forms and activity fee guidelines are available for download:
Do not change their normal daily routine. Everything should remain the same in terms of their responsibilities, eating appropriately, getting enough sleep, and social habits.
Be aware that a common result of training (especially early on) is muscle soreness. For beginner runners this muscle soreness may last as long as a couple weeks when they first start their training. Let the coaching staff know about any unusually soreness or health issues that may affect training so adjustments can be made to his or her workout to get a faster recovery. As with any other sport, there is the risk of a sports related injury. All concerns should be directed to the coach and/or your child’s physician.
A well balanced diet is going to help any athlete performance. If you want to make dietary changes it should be gradual and you may want to consult a Nutrition expert. On competition days such items as high fat, fried foods, sodas, and highly acidic drinks should be avoided. Distance runners should be drinking about 8 glasses of water during each day and even more on hot and humid days. Not only is water consumption important for hydration, but consuming fluids with electrolytes. A ratio of 3:1 of water to an electrolyte like Gatorade twice a day is suggested on a daily basis during training and competing. It is recommend eating a diet that is high in carbohydrates, which is excellent fuel for a cross country runner. We understand that everybody’s dietary needs are different, but it is usually better to go into a race on the hungry side than to over eat which can cause cramping or feeling of being nauseas.
Parents often ask, is there anything they can do to help? What can we expect? How can we help prepare our child for training, competition, and the everyday challenges that come with cross country?
To begin, every athlete must have a current physical on file at the activities department before they can begin practicing with the team. A physical is required every 3 years. The rule of thumb for participating in sports activities in Perham is that if you are entering the 7th or 10th grade you probably need a new physical on file. If it is your first time competing please make sure you have had a physical in the last 3 years and that it is on file in the activities department.
After getting a physical athletes need to feel out the appropriate forms and pay an activity fee. The forms required are MSHSL Eligibility and PHS Eligibility. Both the athletes and parents or guardians signature are required after forms are completely filled out. Finally an activity fee based on family income is required. The required forms and activity fee guidelines are available for download:
Do not change their normal daily routine. Everything should remain the same in terms of their responsibilities, eating appropriately, getting enough sleep, and social habits.
Be aware that a common result of training (especially early on) is muscle soreness. For beginner runners this muscle soreness may last as long as a couple weeks when they first start their training. Let the coaching staff know about any unusually soreness or health issues that may affect training so adjustments can be made to his or her workout to get a faster recovery. As with any other sport, there is the risk of a sports related injury. All concerns should be directed to the coach and/or your child’s physician.
A well balanced diet is going to help any athlete performance. If you want to make dietary changes it should be gradual and you may want to consult a Nutrition expert. On competition days such items as high fat, fried foods, sodas, and highly acidic drinks should be avoided. Distance runners should be drinking about 8 glasses of water during each day and even more on hot and humid days. Not only is water consumption important for hydration, but consuming fluids with electrolytes. A ratio of 3:1 of water to an electrolyte like Gatorade twice a day is suggested on a daily basis during training and competing. It is recommend eating a diet that is high in carbohydrates, which is excellent fuel for a cross country runner. We understand that everybody’s dietary needs are different, but it is usually better to go into a race on the hungry side than to over eat which can cause cramping or feeling of being nauseas.