Frequently Asked Questions

The first official day of our practice will be on August 7th. Athletes who have obtained their "ticket to play" (now completed digitally) will be allowed to participate. New athletes typically trickle into the program during the first few weeks, but if the season has been ongoing for several weeks or it is summertime, feel free to send Coach an email. It's never too late or too early to start training for next season!

All athletes must complete a physical and submit confirmation from their physician at least one time per year before they are legally allowed to begin practicing with the team. This process used to just consist of submitting paperwork to the athletic office, but Poway has now decided to have all athletes register and submit information on athleticclearance.com in addition to turning in signed forms. Here is a link to a useful infographic, and more information can also be found on this page of the PHS website.

No prior experience is necessary to join our team. We welcome PHS athletes of all ages and ability levels, regardless if they have participated in past seasons. As long as an athlete has a good attitude and is willing to work hard, our coaches will find a place for them on the team. Many of our most improved athletes begin as freshmen with little to no background in running, and it can be really exciting and motivating to watch them improve throughout their time in high school.

Obviously a large portion of our training consists of running, but we also spend a significant amount of time doing strength work such as core and mobility exercises along with plyometrics, running-form-focused drills, and weight lifting. Our practices start with a 5-10 minute warmup run, followed by running drills. The Varsity and JV/Novice teams normally alternate workout and recovery days, so while one group will then go on an easier run ranging anywhere from 20-70 minutes, the other group will do an interval or tempo run at higher intensity. Practices end with stretching and core exercises. Beginning runners can expect to run about 15-20 miles per week while varsity runners can reach up to 50 or 60 miles per week at the peak of their summer training.

During the fall, cross country practice will take place every day after school from 4-6 pm. We meet at the northwestern corner of the track, next to the cross country shed and the bathrooms. Most weeks will typically consist of practices from Monday to Friday with a meet on Saturday morning. No organized practice takes place on Sunday, but athletes are encouraged to actively recover by stretching and going for a short run or doing some sort of physical activity.

Always communicate beforehand with Coach by text, email, or through remind. Whether you are sick, injured, or have some other activity/event, be sure to give Coach a heads-up so he knows where you are and why you aren't at practice. Practices are mandatory for all athletes - exceptions will only be made for those who communicate a legitimate reason with Coach before missing practice.

If it's summer and school is out, then our team will be having captain-led practices at Valle Verde Park from 8-10 am. New and returning runners will be there as this training is a major factor to our success during the season. These runners will have an additional two months of training under their belts that allows them to enter the season much more prepared and capable than the runners that show up after the first day of school. If the cross country season is over, many athletes choose to join the track team in the spring. Distance events (800m, 1600m, 3200m) and most of the training for track is very similar to cross country.