I've just started a training cycle for xc, which starts in late September over here in the UK. I'm 17, don't race track, but moving up to the full distance this upcoming season for cross - which is around 10k. Peaking, I can run 17:45 road 5k, around 37:15 road 10k.
I want to improve as much as possible long term, and I've got just over 3 months until xc races start, I'd like to peak late November. I've started with a week structured roughly like this:
M: Off/short easy run
T: 60-75 easy + strides
W: Hill reps (30s-90s)/fartlek e.g. 6-7×3 mins or 4-5×1k around 8-10k effort w/ long WU and CD plus strides
T: 60 easy
F: 75-90 undulating w/ 1 hr moderate, ran to feel (5k pace + 60-90s/mile) whatever feels good
S: 60 easy + Sprints (starting with hill sprints, gradually phasing increasing volume and some flat sprints)
S: Tempo workout 20-40 mins continuous or broken down into intervals
I'm doing as much as possible on grass/dirt paths currently. The wednesday workout might look sub-par but I don't want to peak too soon and burn out. I also generally race better than I train. I'd like to work on my tempos as I have often got these wrong in the past and struggled with longer tempos much over 30 mins. Perhaps do some on the flat roads/asphalt where I can get into good rhythm and some on grass and hillier terrain to replicate cross country, where effort will need to be adjusted and rhythm will be broken up. If I throw maybe a couple of races in before xc season starts, is this a weekly structure a can continue to work off effectively or should I change it up for better results? Any advice on things I'm missing or need to develop?