Athletes who excel at 10k road races are not necessarily the ones who dominate cross country running. According to Andre Kaokane at Cross Country Running Shoes 101, the two disciplines require different styles and techniques.
In cross country, the terrain is softer and often slippery, so first of all the stride length must be shorter. If you use the same style of foot strike as road running, with the heel hitting the ground placed well before the body, then you are very likely to skid. Using the correct cross country running shoes can provide additional traction as compared to track shoes.
In a similar vein, if your rear leg is placed too far back, you will have a less powerful push-off. A shorter strike requires a faster leg speed, which is harder due to the less elastic return provided by the softer terrain.
On the track, energy is stored in the ankle and knee joints by compression of the ligaments and tendons. However, on soft surfaces, much of the energy is lost due to the compression of the ground underneath. Less is stored in the joints, so this requires the runner to bend the legs more at the ankles and knees, and also use more energy straightening them. The runner also need to make a greater effort to pick up the thigh muscles, which forces more work from the muscles in the pelvic region. This in turn results in greater strain on the abdominal muscles, which hold the torso upright while all this work is happening.
An efficient road runner can harness the forces of bounce and balance to glide along and make the work easier. In contrast, the cross country runner must use the brute force of muscles. The uneven terrain requires constant muscular adjustment to maintain balance, using even more muscles. The cross country runner cannot be as economical in energy usage as the track runner.
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Tags: cross country running, cross country running shoes, fitness, running | 
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Many people have looked into buying a sportcraft exercise treadmill. Due to how cheap the machine is, you do have to ask if it is worth the discount price tag. However, sometimes you get what you pay for and if history is any indication, then the discount sportcraft treadmill is not even worth that price.
This conclusion is based on one very simple fact, or rather three of them – sportcraft has had to have three separate recalls on their treadmills in just the last couple of years. As the treadmill doctor says “three strikes and your out” in terms of ability to trust a company and continue to buy their products.
The main issue arises from the companies goals. They are trying to find a way to build dirt-cheap treadmills and mass market them through wal-mart and other online or discount retailers. It’s a good mission, but one that is very difficult in this particular market..and one that the company is obviously not doing a good job at.
Another problem is that by spending just a little more you can have a decent treadmill made by Icon under the brands Proform or Healthrider. These treadmills are much better suited for what you would want out of a treadmill, i.e. they actually work without breaking down and offer decent treadmill fitness training exercises. In addition, they are backed by a good company (although Icon’s customer service is not necessarily the best in class, they at least have the initial quality of the machine down pat).
Overall, if you are looking for a good, decent, and less-expensive treadmill, then you should probably just stay away from the Sportcraft treadmills. They may look like a good deal now, but when it comes down to it, a lemon is always a lemon and not worth the price.