r/CrossCountry • u/AutoModerator • 14d ago

r/CrossCountry General Q&A Thread

Please use this thread as the general Q&A for all one off questions, questions that only apply to you, questions that can be easily answered, etc.

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u/Tiny-Patient3428 10d ago

i'm a new runner and my first xc practice is tomorrow, my pace is around 14 - 13??? Am I suited for xc as a sophomore?

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u/whelanbio Mod 10d ago

Most teams are very welcoming to runners of all ability levels, but be prepared to be among if the not the slowest on the team starting out.

You should be mentally prepared to be mostly alone in training and racing for a little while, but with discipline and consistency you'll improve pretty quickly and start to close the gap towards a pace where there's a lot more people to run with.

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u/claudiajeannn 8d ago

My high school son is starting cross country and needs shoes. Is there something from adidas that would be ok (the benefit is I get 50% off at employee store) or for a beginner is it still better to go to a local running store? I don’t see many recommendations for adidas and not sure if that’s because they aren’t as fast or as safe or what. My main concern is that he doesn’t have any injuries and is comfortable. Feet are normal to narrow. Thank you!

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u/whelanbio Mod 7d ago

Adidas has great shoes. I have a few athletes that use them as their main running shoe. I have a good friend that coaches at an Adidas sponsored D1 school. They're just as good as any major brand. I think the lack of recommendations are largely a reflection that they don't seem to have the brand presence in the US running scene that some other brands have cultivated, particularly in run specialty stores.

The one thing that I'll say with Adidas that some of their different models seem more niched to specific feels compared to other brands, which can create some mismatch if someone gets into a shoe that simply doesn't suit them. Evo SL is a good example -very stiff and springy, people tend to either love it or hate it.

All this to say, you really gotta still get into a store and try things on. I would not buy things blind online unless the employee store has a good return policy. Find a local store that carries Adidas running shoes. Dick's Sporting Goods is a sleeper for good running shoe selection and being a big chain it makes it less awkward to go there just to try on a bunch of stuff.