Platte County’s Cross Country Course is known to be one of the hardest courses in Missouri, which poses some advantages and disadvantages. The advantages are that the cross country team trains on the course, so they are ready and prepared for their home meets. The disadvantage is that there are a lot of hills, it is only flat for about 15% of the time. 

The advantages that the cross country team has against everyone else is that they know what is coming and they are prepared. Another big factor is that they train on it almost once every week. They do speed workouts, hills (which is a workout where you run up hills as fast as you can), and long runs.

“To get ready for the meet they do hard workouts such as repeat 300’s [meters] also some hill intervals with some temp runs slower [than goal pace],” said senior Andrew Johnson.

To get his body ready for the meet, Johnson makes sure to have balanced meals.

 “Normally for breakfast I have oatmeal with banana. Lunch is some sort of pasta with rice. Then right before the race I’ll have a cliff bar and another banana .”  

Keeping your body healthy is not the only thing you have to worry about on this course. You have to worry about your mentality which is a big part of this race. 

“I have noticed our kids get really excited to race our own course.  I think they take a sense of pride in the course where they train, often,” said Cross Country Coach Courtland Ingram “Temperatures, total elevation change going up and down hills is what makes this course so difficult.” 

Coach Ingram also thinks that another thing that makes this course so difficult is someone’s mindset. 

“I think the biggest thing about our course is someone’s mindset into [the race] . If you have thoughts of fear and hesitation, you won’t compete to the same level as if you had excitement and confidence. I think it does help our kids if they take that mindset into it.”