"To a runner, a side ache is like a car alarm. It signifies something is wrong, but you ignore it until it goes away." ~Unknown
A little insight to the world of cross country:
Each race is one or a few laps that add up to be anywhere from 3 miles to 3.1 miles (5km), but this year a change is being made to a new distance of about 3.3 miles. Most courses are located on soft grass surfaces at parks and golf courses. They can vary from the basic flat course to a hilly run that pushes the runners beyond their limits. All envrironmental aspects affect running. Having wet ground that absorbs your feet slows the race because it takes more energy to run, but to much dry heat makes the runners tire quickly. Some prefer to run right at the start of a rainstorm and some on a cool sunny day, but the middle range temperatures are the prime running conditions.
