Workout for Tuesday, September 8, 2026, Fall XC Season, Week 1, Day 2
We are now in the first week of your fall cross-country season (we will go 16 weeks)!
In the fall of 2026, over 587,000 high school boys and girls will race cross country!
This is Week 1, Day 2, of the 2026 RunBlogRun Fall XC Training & Racing Program
RunBlogRun has provided Fall XC training Programs since 2006, the year we started the blog, RunBlogRun. Truth is, we have offered online training programs since 1996, when we launched them on AmericanTrackandField on Runningnetwork.com. Any questions?
Please send to [email protected], ATT: Fall XC training.
Our programs were developed by coaches- actual coaches who coached high school, college, and club. We focus on the long run, a couple of hill days, and a tempo day. We encourage coaches to share workouts with their teams. All athletes should have physicals each year, ages 13-19, prior to the cross-country and track season.
We recommend one new pair of training shoes (go to a local running store, try the shoes on, and please support local running stores), and clean socks. Hydration is key; easy days are key. Please follow the program after sharing it with your coach.
Week 1, Day 2, Tuesday, September 8, 2026
- Tuesday is a tempo day. Warm up for 20 minutes, get on a track or flat surface, no traffic, and run 20 minutes at 25 seconds SLOWER than your current mile average pace for 5 K racing now. So, if you race at 5:20 mile pace, Tempo is 5;45 pace, not faster, not slower. Focus for 20 minutes, get it done, then 6 times 300-meter hill, 3 times 200m hill, and then cool down very slowly.
Hydration is a state of mind. Hydration is not about drinking lots of sugary drinks; it is about getting down water, 8-12 glasses of 8- 12 oz a day, carrying a water bottle, and managing caffeine intake and carbonated sugary drinks, which are absolute crap for a real athlete. Proper Hydration addresses most daily workout problems.
Also, stay away from the so-called sports energy drinks and do not combine them with alcohol. Why train your butt off, only to mess it up by putting some junk in your mortal engine?
Think before you drink.
Do you need new shoes for Fall cross-country training?
We have been busy testing about a dozen training shoes. Watch for our reviews on IG, X, and FB, starting this week!
For high school cross-country runners training over the summer, we really like the NIKE Pegasus 42, Brooks Ghost 17, Saucony Hurricane 25, and New Balance Rebel V 5 Fuel Cell.
A new one to check out is the NIKE LDV 1000 ACG. A good mileage shoe, fun look, and retro (we ran in an earlier version in 1978!)
The key is this: Go to your local running store, bring a pair of clean socks, and try on at least 6 different shoes from at least 3 brands. Find what is best for you. Run around the store, if they let you, around the block in them.
We suggest two pairs of training shoes: one for faster runs and one for easy, long days.
Do you want to be a better Cross-Country runner? Focus and follow our training. It is all about consistency. Daily workouts build up.
For Fall reading, please check these out!
Self-Made Olympian by Ron Daws, A Clean Pair of Heels by Murray Halberg, Pre! by Tom Jordan, Quicksilver, The Mercurial Emil Zatopek, by Pat Butcher, The Destiny of Alain Mimoun, by Pat Butcher (a monograph)
A new suggestion: Once A Runner, by John Parker. It is one of my favorite books on running, about a miler who wants to see just how good he can be. This book is a cult favorite.
Remember, one day at a time!!!! #crosscountryrunning, #summermileage, #preseasontraining, #crosscountry, #buildingendurance,
