Why do I slow down so much more on grass or other soft surfaces than other runners? Any suggestions to fix this?

Instead of just training with the 3xmile, you should also implement plyometrics to your training as well. Examples: frog jumps (go for height not distance), quick feet (keep your feet close to the ground but with fast turnover, but stay on the balls of your feet), box jumps (a box that is sturdy and one that is not too high that you can't reach it with 10 repetitions in a row), and the ones that you should already know how to do such as, high knee, butt-kicks.

Personally, plyometrics are what really allowed me to improve. The plateau effect sucks, but this should help.

Run your 3x1mile session/ any other faster runs cross country. Focus on short, quick strides, trying to maintain the tempo as the course changes and pick up the pace quickly after any obstacle/ hill. You also need more legs strength for cross country, and a different foot plant. As suggested above, plyometrics are good, but the most important thing is to train on the same sort of terrain that you'll race on. Some people are just more suited to running on the roads, but just as with any area of running, doing a lot or something tends to make you good at it.

To race well on grass, you need to train on grass. Do most of your running on grass and uneven surfaces and it will strengthen your legs for racing on grass. Especially do your hard workouts on the same type of surface you will be training on. I see a lot of high school runners doing most of their running on the roads and workouts on the track and then they wonder why they don't do as well in cross country.

My guess is that you are a taller runner with a lower stride frequency, but lots of power. These types of runners have lots of trouble on grass because the grass makes them fatigue quicker. You need to work on improving your stride frequency to at least 180 strides per minute, and you need to eliminate any excessive vertical oscillation in your stride.

Because you are thinking that you are a slower runner on grass. Get your mind right.

I'm the opposite. I'm way better on cross country than track or road. I think it's because I've got a very light stride and don't generate much power.

I'm the opposite. I'm way better on cross country than track or road. I think it's because I've got a very light stride and don't generate much power.

Irishboy wrote:

I'm the opposite. I'm way better on cross country than track or road. I think it's because I've got a very light stride and don't generate much power.

I don't generate a lot of power and have a light quick stride, but unlike you, I think that's the reason I think I'm very bad on very soft surfaces, even though most of my training is on trails.

Most grass isn't soft enough to hinder me, but I do a lot of fun races with sections that run often run through swamps, thick mud, freshly cut trails with spongy hydro-axed (finely chopped up) brush surface, spongy ground on forest floors, etc. As soon as we get to a swamp, guys I would be a 1 or 2 minutes faster than in a road or xc (on smoother trails) 5K catch up and blow by me. I can distinctly feel my leg muscles activating at maximum effort, but I'm still going as slow as half the speed of a stronger, slower dude through a swamp.

Same thing happens non-head-to-head in orienteering competitions through the woods - I just can't blast through soft, uneven, off trail surfaces as fast as guys who are much slower than me in more traditional running races. I think it's partly because I'm racing guys who are very strong (typically xc skiers), but don't have the background in track or other faster running.

Lydiard talked about "pullers" and "drivers". I'm a "driver" and I'm similarly disadvantaged on soft surfaces but really good in windy conditions. Maybe improved posture and midsection strength would allow us to both become more "puller"-like?