The Fastest Cross Country Runners Know THIS

What I learned in high school cross country races that helped me improve and become a faster runner. Tips on controlling mindset, race day do's / dont's, and how to manage post-race mentality.
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[@-FrodoBaggins-]

29:31 min last year - 19:57 just the other day. Still got a year left. Hopefully I can do something great!

[@troller9006]

same, finally broke 20 after all the hard work, congrats mate

[@-FrodoBaggins-]

@@troller9006 summer trainer can do that to you!!! All those trails and hills really gets me!

[@bt0928]

I just went from 20:30 to 18:45

[@turtlep8582]

I went from 28:52 to 23:36 in three months.

[@sineto7412]

Went from 18:57 to 12:47 at the Mt Sac 2 mile course in a year lol

[@Miyanovich]

If Keith really isn't Spencer's biological father...based on Spencer's high school pics...the father has to be Mark Knopfler.

[@whatcamacallit1534]

Nah it’s napoleon dynamite

[@joshuachambers4789]

“Just compete” is one of the best advice you can give to an XC runner. We’ve all been there when we wanted to PR or beat a guy, but in the end, the point if races is just to compete to squeeze the very best out of you! Super cool to read all of your stories guys!

[@billybobjoethethird1679]

I remember around my sophomore year in high school, my team went up to a big invitational with around 20 teams competing, at the time this was easily the biggest meet I had been to ever, especially as my first year being on varsity, so I was so incredibly nervous. I ended up getting around 2 minutes slower than the other races I had been racing that season, which sucked. But just the next week, we had this puny duel meet that was so small I’m almost tempted to call it a time trial, since the tigers schools varsity wasn’t even in town then, and it was a brand new course, really hilly, but I was excited to run with my teammates, and I had a PR by about 35 seconds. Just goes to show.

[@peytonwillbanks3579]

I was sick for our time trial this year and ran 10:02 for 1.9 miles and finished 4th on my team. Now I’ve ran 15:23 twice and am competing for a state championship.

[@MaxumKornilov]

Fuckin oath!

[@jacegellhaus8628]

Just very recently, I had 2 really bad simple 2 mile races for my XC season, but for my championship race, I was able to gather everything back and pull myself together, and I maraculasly had an insanely good race, hitting a really PR on one of the hardest courses that we do. Always believe in yourself, cause when you do, that’s when you do your best.

[@lucastipton2186]

Thank you for this, I’m a junior in high school and I just had two terrible races back to back, my pr is 17:03 and I just ran 18:36 and 18:45, I was extremely unmotivated and I felt awful. This video really helped my confidence and hopefully I’ll have a good race this weekend.

[@frmug]

goodluck! you got this

[@JeremiahKlompien]

I just ran my worst race of the season this past weekend and a few days later stumbled on this video. This is what I needed. My next race is our conference race and our chance to qualify for nationals but this video will help me prepare the right way and not put too much pressure on myself.

[@masonnovak7258]

Did u do good

[@paigeraffaele1176]

2 years ago, my senior year in HS, at states I came in 17th, so close to that 12th spot to qualify for state opens and it was the worst race I had all season. All day I was stressed and overthinking, watching all the other races (I was in the last race of the day). The worst thing was I ran 45 seconds faster on the Wickham course 2 weeks before that in my conference champs and felt like I could have even run that race faster with more motivation. I still think about this state race that ended my season but I've given the same advice to people that you did in this video. It's nice to hear someone else say it's okay to have a bad race and truly know I should get over this bad race. Thanks for sharing!

[@johnnelson5929]

Thanks for this! My daughter had a good conference champs, but didn't perform better than the prior year in time or place, and melted down afterwards. Gonna watch this with her to help her get perspective. BTW, she's a big fan of you, Allie, and Ari! (Plus your supporting crew!) Keep grinding and having fun!!!

[@MudphlapMudphlap]

In my sophomore year of high school (I was an open runner at the time so I was just watching my teammates) we absolutely bombed the regional meet. Our fifth guy had a pretty mediocre day, and everyone else did horribly. We were the favorite to win the race, and just barely edged out the seventh place team to come in sixth. This qualified us to run the state meet (top 6 move on) so we got another chance. Everyone had a great day and we placed fourth. My team was sixth in the region and fourth in the state.

[@dfassafdfdsafdsa]

In my last 3 races of last XC season I was very sick. At my most recent race, I was able to pull through at the same course where I did awful from sickness at NXR, and cut down my time from that day by almost 3 minutes. Although you can be nervous about certain issues happening during a race, just race to race and see what you can do.

[@GagePruittXC]

This year we went to a meet that I got injured at last year with about 30 teams. Going into the race I had a 16:58 pr and I was only thinking about beating that. When I got on the line the nerves starting to come in about getting hurt again and not performing like I want to. I ended up running 17:21. My coach told me to just shake it off and then the next 2 meets I won by 10-15 seconds. Now I have region in a couple days and I feel some doubt. This video helped shake it off and now I feel confident to try to push for a top 3 finish. Im in the weird spot where im 30 seconds ahead of 5th and 30 seconds behind of 3rd. Im gonna give it everything ive got

[@ibukimioda8844]

This isn’t really about me, but I have a teammate in my cross country team who didn’t have their greatest race at an invitational, she was incredibly down about it, but at our next meet, she ran a really good time on a hilly course and set a good PR, what was different? Her mindset going into the race. It’s shows that one race doesn’t define YOU as a runner, so don’t let it pull you down, every runner here in the comment section is a great runner, regardless of your speed. Always be proud of yourself, no matter how good or bad your performance is.

[@TOMas12408]

Tomorrow I run FCIAC’s against Wilton. Nice to see someone from Fairfield County! I’m from Darien. Also my brother knew Alex Ostberg, and there’s banners of his name in our school 3:45 Edit: Got 9th place 🎉

[@david14431]

My bounce back starts last cross season. Started it off with a 18:51 33 second improvement on the previous years pr but then was only able to get it down to 18:20 in the next 3 months. And I only ran 18:45 at states. Track I then broke the school record in the 800 and got close to the 400. Back to cross though I ran 18:20 2 times in our first 4 meets before breaking through to 18:05. Finally on September 27th I broke 18 running 17:50 at a conference meet then 3 days later ran 17:25 taking 7th at a big invitational in the d3/4 section. It takes time but it will be rewarding when it finally comes. Can’t wait to train for track and that 400m school record now

[@phinhowe]

Was racing on the flattest, fastest course of the season, my PH was 18:08, and I should have run under 18, but my nerves got the best of me, and i ran 18 flat. Luckily, though, the final meet of the season went really well, and propelled me into a great track season.

[@Joeysub4]

This video really spoke to me. As a runner in high school, my practices i would often perfom better in than on race day. On race day I would get trapped in anciety and fear of not doing well, and then i would absolutely tank the race. About 90% of my races in high school went bad. I was in an endless loop of self blame and yet i still loved the sport. Looking back i really wish i wasnt so hard on myself. The only year where i finally broke out of that pattern was my senior year of high school. In my final year, my time went from 20:30 to 18:55 for a 5k. Because my last year i finally looked back and realized that you just gotta sit back and enjoy the ride.

[@david14431]

Just gotta have fun, but also something I see a lot is people getting mad at times then burning themselves out in practice not just doing what the coaches ask for times.

[@monstereugene]

I hit my slowest race and didn't make states this year as a soph even tho I made it last year as a fresh. I just really have tapped into that mistake to motivate me. That I should be able to run a qualifying time in my sleep by next year

[@filizaktan7909]

I am a runner, but I am not a professional runner. Spencer, I appreciate your advising subscribers to put failures into perspective and stop self-beating. That applies to anything we do! Thank you.

[@mawilliams777]

Absolutely Spencer, cross country is all about the experience of the day

[@nathankoroush7918]

I will be sharing this video with my xc team tomorrow, this was great thanks.

[@Klian159]

I shoot this is a GOOD one. So no long ago, in my first league race, I had a MASSIVE SIDE STICH and got 51TH place with the slowest 5k in my life of 30:31. BUT the next league race I was REDEMPTIONING and got 9TH PLACE out of 6 high schools and with massic improvement of 20:28 just a few seconds off pr.

[@ChasinMason88]

Former late 90s WHS track athlete. Great video. Thanks for repping Wilton.

[@tylerbrubaker_7]

This season for me, I had a migraine at a meet and had to drop out, 2 weeks later I had to drop out cos of issues w my plantar, this last Friday was the 1st race I completed this year and I had a career PR by a minute exactly. Just gotta have a short memory and move on

[@maggie-7-]

I remember a few weeks ago, my cross country team was going to a meet that was crazy flat (only 2 feet of elevation gain) and everyone was putting a bunch of pressure on themselves to pr. Eventually, I did not pr, but one of my teammates did (one that had never beaten me before that day). I felt absolutely defeated. But, on the next race, it was the opposite. The course was hilly and sandy and I knew that the teammate that beat me was very weak with hills. I went into the race confident and finished eighth, beating my teammate by almost a minute 😊

[@masonnovak7258]

No need to race your teammate

[@bentprogamingyt]

This is a true story In my year 5 district cross country a few years ago i went out to fast and started panicking and feeling dizzy on my 2nd out of 3 km i got shoved towards a big hole in the ground and tripped over since i hadn't been awake "mentally" scraping myself so badly it hurt to walk.

[@zachm1313]

I been doing xc since 7th grade but schools i've been at havent trained very hard but this year (grade 9) i started at a new school and they're taking it way more seriously which im loving. the 3rd meet this year I DNF'd cause I had an ongoing injury but the next meet I bounced back and pr'd.

[@lex.fc9535]

watching this video made me cry…there is SO much pressure on highschool athletes, and milesplit and podiums and coach lectures after a bad race never help. running is hard. thank you for this.

[@karolina.321]

Holy shit Ari in 2nd place in that race. Please tell that man that hes far too humble 😋😉 Love the videos, really appreciate the content. Thanks for putting it all out there for us Spencer.

[@emersonoberle9780]

I know what you mean because this season my best meet was the first 5k at twilight (I ran a 27:25 and the last meet of my season (I was on jv) at Rimrock (a really hard course with terrible hills and KUs course) I ran almost a minute slower running a 27:55 my goal was to beat my time from twilight and I ran the worst I ran all season

[@averyerickson7687]

Spencers dad looks like a tall tale in those photos 3:30

[@360-vv9]

needed this

[@joey_kool]

I just finished my season and yes, this does happen. We traveled two hours away for a meet and I ran horrible. As he said, I couldn’t yell you what went wrong. I ended up letting some teammates beat me who shouldn’t have. Next race was a home meet, and I ended running up my season best. It’s all about that positive mindset!

[@danieljones8658]

All my best times in high school and college were when I least expected it. Edit: I'd also strongly recommend against going D1 for anyone to whom it matters. D3 gives you the best taste of running and you'll have more freedom to get a meaningful degree. imo.

[@courtkeeler8501]

What about D2?

[@danieljones8658]

@@courtkeeler8501tbh I know so little about D2 there were no colleges near where I grew up. But if it ends up being a middle ground from D1 and D3 then go for it.

[@courtkeeler8501]

Yeah it wasn't common in NC where I am from, but I ended up going D2 in Alabama and it was awesome

[@panther5170]

I saw you running at green lake like a week ago, it was crazy to me because I used to watch your videos back when I did xc in highschool

[@azerkie]

love this type of video!

[@gregoryluna535]

Only remember one bad race in my junior year at a dual-meet with Walnut. Otterbein had hills but it was a fast course. I ran 16:02 and only beat 1 kid and didn’t contribute to the scoring of a neck and neck race. We went 1st and 3rd but lost by a point. Definitely, the worst feeling of the year.

[@stephendenney7349]

I at least once made the mistake of going to bed the night before our league finals a few hours early, thinking I would get more sleep, but instead stayed awake all night. I learned also not to worry too much about important races.

[@user-wi9fu3fc2l]

Well said..

[@T1MB05L1C3]

Recently I’ve been able to go into race day (I run stuff half marathon or longer, so very few race days) and know that there’s absolutely nothing I can do the day of. I trust my training to go and kick ass. I’m 28 btw so well out of HS and collegiate running but still do races.

[@xuchenglin6256]

It's really interesting to see the race experience of someone who is very good at running but "less pro" (you know the internet, it's either general public beginner stuff or international elites...). One thing strikes me most is there seems to be so much "variations" in your race performance in comparison to the "pros" or "elites". One day you run a "15:xx" then the other day you run a "17:xx", for me it seems to be almost unbelievable. There's several levels at least 3 or 4 levels between a 15 something 5K and a 17 something 5K. However the elites seems to be very consistent. For those 13-something guys in Olympics and world championships, it seems like they can run it any time any day... There's very little variation between their results. For these guys it seems not possible for them to be at 13-something one day and 15-something the other day, most of the time the variation is just seconds. What do you think of this? Is this the difference between the elites and non-elites? Or it's you pacing strategy or experience? room to improvement? How about now?

[@apineappleguy5855]

Bro Im watching the footage of you racing at wickham today, which is the day I raced at wickham to get my all time pr for my last ever xc meet. I didn't know you were from CT!

[@Tyty61279]

Thanks for this I really needed that today

[@eastonogilvie3428]

In grade 7 got really nervous for the city meet and placed 13th. The next week I had our zone meet, I was able to relax a little more and placed 5th only 5 seconds behind the winner.

[@BigTennty]

I ran horribly at Jesse Owens which was a huge race down south that was supposed to do really good at, it was a super fast course and I sold the bag, fast forward one week and I get a 57 sec pr at our county meet when the course is nowhere near as fast (ps I’m on the bus going to regionals rights now, wish me luck)

[@cubinginatree-3040]

In 230 person race these year I really wanted a medal. Which to 50 got. Sadly I got 52 because I didn’t push myself hard enough in the kick because I thought top 50 was certain. That ruined my day. The next invitational I bounced back and pulled off a win. :)

[@lindseyfive686]

I’m a sophomore in high school and I pretty much have run 17:20 or below the whole season depending on how tough the course was but at our regional meet I don’t know what happened I just felt terrible and ran 18:08 my slowest race of the season and what really sucked was my pr was also on that course 😭 but bad races just happen and you have to bounce back

[@GamersWorld5]

I had a race in California that I did really bad in and the next 3 races I felt like I had to run sub 18(my pr was 18:11) but was far off and then finally I managed to pr and run 18:09. Not sub 18 but still improvement

[@attackingthirdfootballchan5609]

Bro pulled out that performance out of his ahh 💀💀💀🔥🔥🔥

[@mattmitchel1877]

I had a really good race first race if the season. I didn’t pr the rest of the season. We’ll try again next time.

[@jackruns07]

Last year I had a race where I went like 19:50 and the next week I went 20:40. But after that week I hit a or of about 15 seconds. But I really learned that not all races will go perfect or well and that bad days happen. Btw went 17:23 the other week

[@homemanasathira501]

I have fciacs in an hour so this rlly helped!

[@th0rsrag326]

That me right now I ran 17:24 and the next meet I ran 18:40 and I haven’t got much faster but tomorrow is your state qualifying and need to do good to go to state

[@th0rsrag326]

We did it

[@kovykchandler]

Relatable

[@yoboisam5803]

Love da vids

[@juanjimenez7430]

Hey I'm new in xc it's my first year, my first race I hit 18:53 5k and I really think the mind works hand in hand with the performances so could you tell me more tips please 🙏

[@maddoxmalloy_08]

The left midfielder was oddly specific 😂

[@jessecollins5490]

I’ve had a race last week that wasent what I planned. I sort of got a little bit over welmed because my race has a huge huge hill that you run up and it’s been a hard task trying to race good. But it was just that my back calves and hamstrings where just sort of giveing up. And I kind of new that I was sort of warn out for the season since it was kind of my last race. But tbh race wasn’t bad really was just sort of my body sort of over tired.

[@BennyMKW]

shoutout the CT XC scene

[@ckbhighlights1882]

Bruh I go from having the worst race of my life to running the best workout of my life to running one of the most painful race I’ve ever ran were I ran okay and then I just had a shitty workout. I do everything to try to stay consistent but sometimes it is your day and sometimes it isnt

[@FilenameBliz]

My story starts in the late part of the season right before conference meet, my last race before conference race i wanted an 18:30 to get a varsity letter, i ended up getting 19:15, which sucked, but so did the course. I still kinda beat myself up over it, which i shouldnt have. Conference meet rolled sround the following Saturday, and i didnt just break 18:30, i broke 18. With a 17:54. Making me the fastest freshman on the team during the 2023 season, as well as being a 42 second PR and being able to go to Nike Regionals in Terra Haude, IN. Back at the start of the season, i was actually the slowest freshman with a 26:20 as my best 5k, but i quickly bounced up the times and finally got to where i am today. If you have a slow time, dont fret, you can bounce back. I went from being the slowest to the fastest freshman on the team during one season.

[@donshields2379]

17:54 was the first time I broke 18:00 as a freshman. It happened to be our district meet. Finished 11th overall. Top 10 went to state. It turned out our team qualified for state.

[@FilenameBliz]

@@donshields2379 That's awesome! Being the fastest freshman on a good team is no easy feat, my team is a 2022 state champion and going for a back to back title. Unfortunately I didn't make it to District meet but at least I broke 18.

[@peasone7573]

My state meets are at the same place that yours were shout of CT

[@yo-lo3il]

30:01 5k to 23:44 5k

[@TheCrayon-oe9no]

Love the videos. Do you have any tips for breaking 5:00 in the mile. Im at 5:27 and I'm a freshman.

[@yvngchvp8695]

Mileage on the offseason, work on speed, and put yourself up there in races.

[@abevanduinen5892]

Consistency above all else

[@ezramarkos4957]

i would go for some 800 repeats or even 400 repeats if your struggling with speed or if you have more of a sprinting background focus more on mileage

[@Dez_Evans]

I ran 12:00 for my first 2 mile race (Junior high) and then came back two weeks later and ran 10:40

[@nro337]

🔥

[@Masterguy127]

My son runs XC varsity and he sometimes feels like he’s going to throw up once he gets close to the finish line. Anyone have any tips that can help him from feeling like this. Or prevent cramping at the end to where it slows him down at the end of the race.

[@mrman1636]

Any tips for first second and third mile for races

[@terraflow__bryanburdo4547]

Pace better. Take care the first mile, take up slack on the second, take scalps the third.

[@etax8992]

Pace better. Take care the first mile, take up slack on the second, take scalps the third.

[@etax8992]

Pace better. Take care the first mile, take up slack on the second, take scalps the third.

[@prettyhemi_lou8161]

I went from 20:38 to 19:13

[@bigmax69]

I love trolling people.

[@michaelchalfant__7872]

This is crazy in Indiana I can run 16:00 and still not even be top 50 in the state meet

[@gizzykat]

Dude, you must have been REALLY stressed out, because in a couple of those pics from high school, you looked like you were 26 yrs. old!

[@travisyoutube456]

i’m 15 and ran 4 miles at 5:12 (5:19,5:12,5:08,5:04) what should my 5k be

[@getplayed7272]

Looking at these videos is always so weird for cross country. Tips like "focus on place" never mattered to me, I never even sniffed varsity even though I trained super hard relative to my teammates. But I did enjoy grinding for something, gave me something to do and unforgettable memories with some great people for the rest of my life