No, we’re not talking about the one with the motorbike.
Nor the one with the bike.
Thecross-country we mean is the so-called‘cross-country’, the one that will almost certainly send your mind back to your middle school days. That often annoying discipline that forced you to get covered in mud up to your hair, to the delight of your mothers.
Cross-country running, or cross-country (literally ‘off-road’) or cross for short, is instead a discipline that enjoys high regard within winter race calendars. From the end of November to March, it is common to come across cross-country races that go from the various provincial to national stages, even carving out space for international events, with European and even World Championships.
They generally take place on grass, dirt and mud (hence the risk of getting covered up to your hair) and often have undulations in the terrain, ups and downs, dry bends and various obstacles to deal with: they therefore represent a very training, muscular and tiring type of activity, which is why race distances rarely exceed 10 km.
Among its most indisputable advantages are therefore theincrease in specific strength, with the consequent toning of the muscles, and aerobic power. Hence, the usefulness of cross-country running in strengthening periods.
Equipment, in this case, almost compulsorily includes spiked cross-country shoes, which are ideal for gripping on terrain that is often bordering on swampy or at any rate extremely slippery, but it is not uncommon to find oneself running in sub-zero temperatures and therefore on icy and very cold ground. In the latter case, it is better to opt for normal running shoes, perhaps with a fairly well-equipped sole.
The beauty of XC probably lies in the most primitive and primordial form of running practised by man, that in the meadows, in the open air and sheltered from traffic and smog, almost a return to the origins and purity of nature. No matter how much you risk getting dirty, XC is hard work, sacrifice, getting up early in the morning and bags that on return weigh even several kilos more than when we started. But it also represents, at the same time, freedom, fun and satisfaction.
Running in the cold, mud, rain or snow makes our sport even more heroic and exhilarating. And it is also one of the healthiest and safest ways to do sports and running in the winter months, since, in addition to avoiding the risk of disrespectful cars for us runners, who are often forced to wade through traffic and city smog, running on soft ground is also less traumatic and repetitive than on asphalt.
In Italy, we are fortunate to host two historic cross-country races of international standing, the Campaccio and the Cinque Mulini, both in the province of Milan, which can boast the beauty of 60 and even 85 editions respectively, with the characteristic and evocative passage through mills in the oldest and most important cross-country race in the world.
So don’t be fooled and frightened by a bit of miserable dirt: XC is fascinating and if you start practising it, you will find it hard not to love it!
Happy racing to all!
