CROSS COUNTRY
PERFORMANCE PROGRAMME
Fitness for Life.
Picture this: You’re 85 years old, hiking up a windswept hill with a mischievous grin, whilst your grandkids struggle to keep up. Sounds impossible? Not if you embrace sport, fitness, and health as a lifelong adventure, something we love doing here at LWC.
Exercise isn’t just about chiselled abs or running marathons. It’s about resilience, mental sharpness, and longevity. Just look at the Blue Zones - those rare places on Earth where people routinely live past 100, and live well. Their secret? Daily movement, strong communities and an unshakeable zest for life. They don’t grind out deadlifts in fluorescent-lit gyms. Tthey walk, swim, stretch, and lift things because life demands it.
At LWC, we champion this philosophy. Sport isn’t a phase. It’s a lifelong pursuit of challenge, camaraderie, and self-discovery. Whether you’re smashing a rugby tackle, perfecting a tennis serve, or finding peace in a morning run, you’re investing in a future where your body serves you well, not the other way around.
So, take the stairs, chase a ball, climb a mountain, bowl away swingers, try Yoga. Because when sport and fitness become your adventure, life doesn’t just last longer. It gets richer, wilder, and infinitely more fun. So tighten those laces, take a breath and step up and out into a world of infinite possibilities, a world that begins within our idyllic 1200 acre campus and culture.
ADAM WILLIAMS HEADMASTER
Welcome to the Team.
LWC Performance Cross Country Programme
Congratulations on your selection as part of The LWC Performance Cross Country Programme.
This programme acknowledges your exceptional achievements in cross country running and your significant potential for future success. As cross country continues to thrive at LWC, you will play an integral role in its development, and we are excited to support your journey as an athlete.
This two-year programme is designed to:
• Enhance your technical, physical, and mental capabilities specific to cross country running.
• Develop a lifelong passion for the sport.
• Prepare you for competitive races at local, regional, national, and international levels.
The programme requires you to:
• Commit to all sports scholarship expectations at LWC.
• Attend all scholarship talks and workshops.
• Represent LWC in cross country events and other sports.
• Mentor and coach younger athletes in cross country.
• Engage fully with your cross country mentor.
• Participate in annual cross country camps and tours.
• Help raise the profile of cross country within LWC and beyond.
Programme
Overview
This programme is tailored to optimise your performance as a cross country runner while balancing academic and extracurricular commitments. It focuses on enhancing endurance, strength, speed, mental toughness, and race strategy.
Key Areas of Focus
1. Technical Skills
Refine running form to maximise efficiency and reduce injury risk. Focus on pacing, stride length, and cadence.
Improve hill running techniques and cornering.
2. Physical Fitness
Build endurance, speed, and strength through structured training plans. Focus on recovery and injury prevention strategies.
3. Mental Skills
Develop resilience, focus, and confidence under race conditions. Practice performance psychology techniques such as visualisation and goal setting.
4. Tactical Skills
Enhance race strategy, including pacing and competitor analysis. Learn how to adapt to varying terrain and weather conditions.
5. Competition Preparation
Structure training around peak performance for races.
Simulate race conditions during practice.
Conduct post-race reviews to identify areas for improvement.
6. Academic Balance
Balance cross country commitments with academic and extracurricular priorities.
Work with your mentor to develop effective time management strategies.
7. Leadership
Mentor and coach younger runners (Years 7-9).
Represent LWC cross country at ambassadorial events.
8. Career Opportunities
Explore pathways in coaching, sports science, event management, or athletics administration.
Leverage LWC’s network for connections in the athletics industry.
Components of the Programme
1. Technical Training
• Endurance Runs
Focus on building aerobic capacity through long runs and tempo runs.
• Interval Training
Develop speed and stamina with interval and fartlek sessions.
• Hill Training
Improve strength and power with uphill and downhill running drills.
2. Physical Conditioning
• Strength Training
2-3 sessions per week focusing on core stability, lower body strength, and explosive power.
Key exercises: Squats, lunges, plyometric drills, and resistance band work.
• Flexibility and Mobility
Include yoga, dynamic stretches, and foam rolling to improve range of motion.
• Recovery and Injury Prevention
Emphasise proper recovery practices, including rest days and ice baths as needed.
3. Mental Skills Development
• Performance Psychology
Practice pre-race routines, focus exercises, and mindfulness techniques.
• Logbook
Track training sessions, mental state, and race reflections.
4. Tactical Awareness and Race Prep
• Race Strategy
Develop pacing strategies, manage surges, and learn to handle group dynamics.
• Course Analysis
Study race routes, identify key challenges, and plan race strategies.
• Post-Race Review
Assess race performance with coaches to refine tactics.
5. Academic Integration
• Plan training schedules around academic deadlines and exams.
• Prioritise rest and recovery during busy periods.
Seasonal Plan
Pre-Season (June - September)
Focus: Build aerobic base, refine running form, and set goals.
Activities:
• Long endurance runs and form drills.
• Hill running and core strength sessions
Competition Season (October - March)
Focus: Peak performance and race readiness.
Activities:
• Interval sessions and race simulations.
• Tactical training for specific courses and conditions.
Post-Season (April - May)
Focus: Recovery, reflection, and goal setting.
Activities:
• Review race performances and technical development.