Perhaps in 2020, LetsRun will have far less off-off-off topic threads posted on non-running issues. One can only hope.
This is an actual running thread with a couple of questions related to X-Country.
[By way of background, as a track sprinter I ran four years of X-Country in high school and one year in college because my track coaches thought it was a good idea. I did not enjoy any of it.]
#1: Marc Bloom has just written a new book: “Amazing Racers” (Pegasus Books, 2019). It covers the boys/girls Fayetteville-Manlius High School (NY), coach Bill Aires, and their success at the Nike Cross Nationals from 2004-2018 (the girls team winning from 2006-2017 (except for 2013 when they were 2nd) and seven top five finishes by the boys team). Technically, these were club victories. Has anyone else read this book?
#2: Training. In August 2007 (page 168) Aris and his son John meet the eight top F-M girls at 5:30 AM. They run for 20 minutes, then drive for two hours to find some sand hills. They then ran for another 45 minutes of flat running. They then ran for 80 minutes over variable terrain including sandhills. Then then ran for another 40 minutes (a combined over 20 miles). The results speak for themselves, but is this the typical X-Country workout these days for girls high school teams?
#3. Nike Cross Nationals. Beginning in 2004 (although since moved), the 5K Nike Cross Nationals was held in Portland, OR, generally the second weekend in December on a three-hole golfcourse on the infield of Portland Meadows, a horse racing track, and generally a mud pit at that time of year in the Northwest. What was Nike thinking? Anyone actually attended or ran in this race?
In sum, “Amazing Racers” is a somewhat disturbing read for the level of pain, suffering, injuries, and team pressure at the high school level.