XC Training System

I participated in both the XCTS and TTS and am so very glad I did.

The XCTS has been a game changer for my program.  It allows every athlete at any level to achieve their best and stay healthy. Our results are some of the best we have seen in our program in 20 years.  

The XC training system was great and actually brought our team to the next level. Having so much info at my fingertips allowed me to actually coach and communicate with my athletes and I would highly recommend becoming part of this XC family.

We won our first Regional title since 1989 and finished 4th at the state meet which was our best State Finish since 1979. No coincidence this was our first year training under the XCTS system. Consistency really is the key!!! Head Coach: Mike Louden West Liberty-Salem HS Ohio

I have found the XCTS worth the investment. I have coached for 9 years now and this program just fit with what we needed. Our kids have improved in so many different ways, and the flow of the workouts was great. We have come off two year with our girls finishing top in our classification in Arkansas. I love the transition and steps taken to keep kids injury free when following and trusting the process.

The XCTS paid off. Our boys' and girls' teams collectively set over 50 personal record times throughout the season. The boys' team's notable improvement is reflected in their 3rd place finish in the region and 6th place finish in the state, a significant improvement from last year's rankings of 5th in the region and 11th in the state. Additionally, the team celebrated the achievement of having three runners finish in the top 25 at regionals.

This was my 2nd year implementing the XCTS. Last year (2022) our team finished 9th in state. This year, after 2 full seasons of following your XCTS, our team finished 3rd with 5 girls running a pr at the state meet. 100% worth the investment! I was very intentional about the pre & post work routine this year. Our injuries this season were minimal compared to past seasons. Thank you for sharing your knowledge & passion. Corey Baird Salado, Texas

We were 4th in the state in 2022 and I was looking for something to get us to the next level and on top of the podium. The XCTS definitely helped not just with structured workout plans, both also post-run work, and some bonus videos (we incorporated a lot of Shannon Thompson's visualization techniques). Our runners gained confidence throughout the season and ended up as 2023 class AA Pennsylvania state champions! - Dean Longwell Hampton High School ESG_IMG_6097.jpg

After using the XCTS for only two seasons, the boys at Jackson High School win the first state title in program history. The XCTS meets the needs of runners of all ability levels. The warm up and post run activities improve mobility, strength, and flexibility and keep our athletes healthy. Our athletes have embraced the training plans and thoroughly enjoyed the workouts. Jay is always readily available to guide you through the training system. I am thrilled with the results of the XCTS. -Scott Akers

XCTS is 100% worth the investment! Our very small team (7 girls and 10 boys on average) has been using the system for the past 3 years. We had our best finishes at Sectionals 2023 in over 10 years! 3 young ladies in the top 14 of over 100 runners at Sectionals...our top girl missed a trip to state by a few seconds. Every young man ran some sort of PR at sectionals whether it was a course PR, a season PR, or a career PR. Athletes were healthy and fast. Runners consistently PR all season long which fuels their motivation and buy in with the training. If you are on the fence jump off it and click purchase!!

This was 100% worth it. I have been running for 17 years, middle school through D1 at the collegiate level, and I used a lot of my own previous training to train my high school XC kids. That being said, I decided to go all-in from day 1 of summer conditioning and just see what happens. Our team made LOTS of significant gains this season from implementing Jay's training, and I learned a lot from all of his videos explaining the why behind each workout and the timing of it all. They could tell even by the end of the summer how much stronger they were and confident in the training process. SO thankful I invested in this!!

We have a small program and our kids don't train year round. We also aren't a top contender. However, this program helped my athletes to improve more and more quickly than in years past. They were more competitive at the end of the season than we have been in several years. So even if you aren't a huge program that trains year round and is at State each year, this is a fabulous investment. The best part, other than the consistent PRs almost every single race, was my runners stayed healthy and injury free. I'm looking forward to continuing to use the system to help our runners meet their goals, get fast, and stay healthy!

I was a bit hesitant at first to invest in the XCTS, but in hindsight it was one of the best decisions I made as a new head coach. For anyone just starting out, it is truly a gift to you and your program that keeps giving. We went from many runners sidelined with shin splints and other injuries the year before to a season without a single injury-related DNS. Our boys team qualified for state for the first time in four years. The best thing about the XCTS is that it provided me with a community of coaches with similar goals led by Jay's wisdom and guidance. This was super helpful as I tried to plan training in the weeks leading up to our biggest races.

Purchased the XCTS to help with training an individual and I must say it was a great investment. You get lifetime access to this program for what I feel is a really great price. My athlete stayed injury-free for the season, took almost 50 seconds off his previous year's PR and medaled at the state championship meet. The best thing about the XCTS is all of Jay's videos explaining his philosophy, each of the workouts, and how the plans are laid out for athletes based on their previous running experience. Whether they are new to running or a senior in high school running 65 miles a week this system will work well for your team or individual athlete. Coach B

I really liked the training system Jay has put together something that works for all types of runners. I feel it was a good change to how we were doing things as well.  Almost all my runners ran PRs and many came at the end of the season.  Our Girls won the 5A State Championship, and we had the individual male winner overall. And we had no real injuries.  I do feel it was a great value, I work with both boys and girls plus 7th-12 grade and it made it all so much simpler to prepare each week.  If you need to change things up and want to take your kids to a different level because maybe they need something different give this a thought. I like the simple but complete workouts and progressions.

Jay is one of those rare coaches that is truly invested in the long term development of athletes. It shows through his thoughtful training philosophy and clear training progressions and season plans. The sheer quantity of high-level high school and collegiate coaches that have contributed to his training system, from Jeff Boehle to John O'Malley to Shannon Thompson, speaks volumes to Jay's dedication to providing you with the best possible resources to take your team to a new level. If you're looking for an all-encompassing system to help you learn how to coach distance runners, how to refine your practice, or how to make sure your kids stay injury free and get faster, look no further that the XCTS. It's worth the investment and more.

We have been using the XCTS for the past year now at Seneca East and have implemented it step by step with our athletes. The system is 100% worth the investment I compare the investment of XCTS to an Athletic Department purchasing one baseball bat or one football helmet (something they do each year and multiple times). It's not that expensive when you look at it that way and it is yours for a lifetime! I encourage coaches to ask their schools to assist them with this one time fee and help ALL kids improve by implementing the XCTS. It is a simple and easy to use program that meets the student athletes at their level! So far we have had no injuries and we have had exceptional growth amongst both our boy and girl athletes with nearly everyone reaching new PR's and some individuals who have improved by minutes! The best thing about XCTS is the fact that it is simple and easy to understand through the use of the videos and sheets and it is not something that feels overwhelming to someone who has never seen it before. Thank you! Matt

After purchasing the TTS in the spring for my track student-athletes, I was very excited when Jay announced that he would also be coming out with the XCTS. His XCTS was just what I (and my program) needed.  The running workouts were arranged in a way that made perfect sense, and the post-run workouts made a huge difference in my runner's performances this season. The number of career PR's that the runners in my program achieved this season was incredible!  After not making it to State as a team last season, my girl's team earned a trip back to State and 3 of my 7 runners had their season PR's at State, with 2 of them achieving career PR's (including my only senior on my varsity squad).  I wish I would've had something like this 7 years ago when I started coaching, as Jay's XCTS (and TTS) is a game changer.  I also purchased the Mental Skills program, and although I have not gotten through the whole program, what I have watched and shared with my team made a huge difference, especially in our postseason meets.  I am excited to see what changes Jay has made to the TTS and I look forward to more of my runners achieving PR's this spring!

I love how Jay helps my athletes move throughout the year, from XC to off-season track, in-season, then summer XC training. The rationale and workouts are very structured and applicable across many different levels, i.e. new to running all the way up to an all-state runner. Using Jay's pre and post-work has markedly improved the number of girls that are injury-free. Many parents and athletes have mentioned to me this year, that compared to what we had previously done, there are many fewer lower leg injuries, i.e. the dreaded shin splints. When joining XCTS, you are getting A LOT. I have been using it for almost 3 years now and am still learning and finding ways to better implement the system across my girls' XC and track programs. Jay has made a very concerted effort to update the systems as he sees areas for improvement and to enhance the program, all at no additional cost and benefit to the coach/athletes. We had the most successful year in our school's history in XC (5th at D1 state) with an outstanding track season as well, indoor conference champs, regional champs (first time in over 15 years, mostly points from distance crew), runner-up D1 4x8 (+ a school record), school record 800m, + multiple state qualifiers from 800-3200m.

I love how Jay helps my athletes at Wauwatosa East move throughout the year, from XC to off-season track, in-season, then to summer XC training. The rationale and workouts are very structured and applicable across many levels, i.e. new to running all the way up to all-state runners. Using Jay's pre and post-work has markedly improved the number of girls who are injury-free. Many parents and athletes have mentioned to me this year, that compared to what we had previously done, there are fewer lower leg injuries, i.e. the dreaded shin splints. When joining XCTS, you are getting A LOT, I have been using it for almost 3 years now and am still learning and finding ways to better implement the system across my girls' XC and track programs. Jay has made a concerted effort to update the systems as he sees areas for improvement and to enhance the program, all at no additional cost and benefit to the coach/athletes. We had the most successful year (2022) in our school's history in Girls XC (5th at D1 state) with an outstanding track season (2023) as well, indoor conference champs, regional champs (first time in over 15 years, mostly points from distance crew), runner-up D1 4x8 (+ a school record), school record 800m, + multiple state qualifiers from 800-3200m. Glen Gardiner Wauwatosa East Head Girls XC & Track Coach

I have coached for 25 years, and have tried to stay current on training and coaching methodology throughout my career.  I can confidently say the XCTS is the best value and input I've received in my coaching career and was effective both as far as results and injury prevention.    My 25 runner freshman program was 100% on the "no prior training" XCTS and for the first time in my coaching career no athlete was injured during the entire season!!!  The top runner set the school record for the 3K and 5K and the team overall did well by historical standards. The training system for my varsity was greatly influenced by the XCTS. The 16:09 team average at our Divisional meet was the fastest in school history and every member of our team had a PR at Divisional or States. Injuries were much less frequent.    Though we did have three ankle injuries, I think this is due to me NOT following elements of the XCTS-where I failed to progress the post run work and add in do heel walks and other ankle strength work and I also failed to follow the instructions of having guys spike up for strides in advance of some density of racing.    Overall, the team was in the trainer's room less and was highly competitive in the most competitive division in the state of MA. Part of this was actually backing off of some of the intensity in my program and more importantly progressing ALL ELEMENTS of the training stimulus.

This was a great year for our program, our entire team actually managed to stay healthy. All our runners said they felt stronger and more confident this season.  During our 3rd race of the season, the entire team hit PRs. Both our Boys and Girls team advanced to Regionals.  Unfortunately the flu hit the majority of our team around the end of our season so we only had a few individuals advance to State. Sometimes that's just the way things go. I tell my kids "It's all part of the show" They know the show is Life.  I can't say enough about how valuable the program is. Not only does it give you actual day to day workouts for kids of all experience levels, but you will also come away with great coaching philosophy as well. I felt like I was learning things that one would only learn through years and years of experience in coaching.  Coach Johnson made himself available to all the coaches. He's an email away from helping you with great advice and suggestions.  If you're considering trying the program out, I would say don't hesitate or wait until the last minute. Get it as soon as you can so that you have enough time to process the information and begin working with your kids before the summer begins!  I also highly recommend you read Consistency is Key before diving into the program. It makes understanding the goals of the program a lot easier. Change can be difficult for kids, but if you take the time to explain the Why, then they'll come around and begin buying in.  I'm already looking forward to Track!

The value of Jay Johnson’s XC Training was completely worth the money.    I loved the Pre-Warm up routine, workouts, and post run. The 3 Phases, videos, calendar, emails, and the daily plan were so easy to follow, perfectly laid out. Plus, Jay Johnson would answer my questions and help in any way I needed it.  The XC Training system kept my runners injury free. My team doesn't have depth, so this was important. In the past, my teams could not get as far in the Postseason due to injuries. The Post Race Progression was a key to prevention for the team and also helped get my runners overall physically fit.  Jay Johnson’s XC Training was a game changer for me. I have been coaching for a while and always struggled with injuries and the Post-Season workouts(too much, too little etc.). Post-Season Workouts and emails were the best parts of the program for me.  I had a young team, and we had a very successful year especially in the Postseason. I had 6 Runners All-League, Boys SOC 2 champs, 2 All District Honors, both my Boys and Girls teams made it to Regionals, and my senior boy made it for the 4th year to the State Meet. This was the best he had ever done earning All-Ohio honors and All Academic Honors.    This is what he said to the newspaper about the season and State Meet: “ I just finally ran my race this year. I went out slowly, like 5:05. Then I just kept on passing people over and over. That was the big thing–just running my race. It was a great feeling to finally go out as the best I could be. It is my greatest season. I feel stronger this year.”  This in a nutshell is Jay Johnson’s XC Training.

The XCTS added an element of "armor" to our team. While all of the post-run work took additional time and our average practice time increased, the athletes were more engaged and we had no injuries (except for what a couple boys got on their summer vacations and lasted into our xc season).  Every single one of our athletes ran PRs, our top boy won at region and ran his race fast, faster, fastest just like we practiced.  The XCTS helped the teams build confidence in their abilities as well as speed, strength and mobility.  I coach at a smaller school and at first I felt the cost for the XCTS was higher than we could afford. Our budget is small and we fundraise for most of what we spend on our program. I have always believed the money was best spent directly on the kids.  If you're a new coach this could save you hundreds of hours of stressing over whether you're implementing the right program for your runners.  If you're experienced, you can see the value in having a professional coach who has spent years coaching coaches and runners and organizing the Boulder clinics putting together a program specifically for multiple levels of high school athletes and you can integrate the best of what you do into this program to make your practices the best possible.    The program is well laid-out with easy to follow printable schedules. Once I learned the program, it was easy to implement some of our favorite routes/games/activities into the scheduled runs so we could make the best of XCTS and the 10 years experience of coaching. (HINT: invest in late spring/early summer!! You'll want the time to watch all the videos and begin learning and implementing the new routines.) We trained our captains on how to do the post-run work and gave them the handouts with QR codes provided in the XCTS and had them lead the new routines and demonstrate how to do the exercises that were new to the team.    If you're on the fence, just do it! Don't wait until summer's mostly over, start your summer training off right away and build those runners you have into their best selves. Use the "down time" you have during summer training to teach new routines and think how this program can integrate into the best of what you already do as a coach. This program can stand as it is, you don't need anything additional, but if you've got team favorite practices there's room in the program for you to adapt them to fit.  XCTS is a winning program for coaches who want the best for their athletes.

When I took over both the men's and women's Varsity XC programs at my school, the team was in a desperate need of a cultural reset. After years of injuries, negative coaching practices, and a nonexistent team culture, morale was extremely low. Case in point, the women's team won the small school state championships in 2021, and then all but one quit. With a dire need to rebuild confidence, culture, and community, I needed a training program I could rely on so that I could focus my attention fully on reestablishing what distance running could be like at my school. Enter Jay Johnson. I was exposed to the XCTS and his programs through my high school cross country coach, and I immediately connected with Jay's low-volume approach and philosophy on going fast every day. The kids really bought in to this newer way of training, and having a vetted plan at my disposal allowed me to not stress too hard about giving the kids the right training while simultaneously exerting a lot of effort in building a new cultural foundation for the program. We finished the season with NO INJURIES, a first in four years, and almost all of the kids PRed or got close to PRs that they had set earlier in their careers prior to injuries. With Jay's training programs, and our cultural reset, we had a record number of kids come out for the team for next season and they're actually EXCITED to train over the summer to get ready for next fall! I couldn't have accomplished everything I had to tackle this season without him and the XCTS. What's more is that the kids ENJOYED the training! Granted, not every workout was "fun," but they understood the purpose of each workout and that made it fun for them. They were able to see why they were doing what they were doing, and how the workouts would have direct impacts on their performance in the 5K. Jay's explanations for each type of workout are excellent, and allowed me to relay purpose to the kids so that they could run their best in each workout. The post-run work was very new to them, but it was something that they looked forward to as an alternative to simply "running more," which lent to very focused work. All of the resources Jay provides for coaches in the XCTS are high quality, informative, and served to improve my understanding of not just coaching cross country runners, but just on being a better coach in general. This is an invaluable resource, and any coach regardless of their experience will benefit from what he has to share. What are you waiting for? LET'S GO!

I participated in both the XCTS and TTS and am so very glad I did.

The XCTS has been a game changer for my program.  It allows every athlete at any level to achieve their best and stay healthy. Our results are some of the best we have seen in our program in 20 years.  

The XC training system was great and actually brought our team to the next level. Having so much info at my fingertips allowed me to actually coach and communicate with my athletes and I would highly recommend becoming part of this XC family.

We won our first Regional title since 1989 and finished 4th at the state meet which was our best State Finish since 1979. No coincidence this was our first year training under the XCTS system. Consistency really is the key!!! Head Coach: Mike Louden West Liberty-Salem HS Ohio

I have found the XCTS worth the investment. I have coached for 9 years now and this program just fit with what we needed. Our kids have improved in so many different ways, and the flow of the workouts was great. We have come off two year with our girls finishing top in our classification in Arkansas. I love the transition and steps taken to keep kids injury free when following and trusting the process.

The XCTS paid off. Our boys' and girls' teams collectively set over 50 personal record times throughout the season. The boys' team's notable improvement is reflected in their 3rd place finish in the region and 6th place finish in the state, a significant improvement from last year's rankings of 5th in the region and 11th in the state. Additionally, the team celebrated the achievement of having three runners finish in the top 25 at regionals.

This was my 2nd year implementing the XCTS. Last year (2022) our team finished 9th in state. This year, after 2 full seasons of following your XCTS, our team finished 3rd with 5 girls running a pr at the state meet. 100% worth the investment! I was very intentional about the pre & post work routine this year. Our injuries this season were minimal compared to past seasons. Thank you for sharing your knowledge & passion. Corey Baird Salado, Texas

We were 4th in the state in 2022 and I was looking for something to get us to the next level and on top of the podium. The XCTS definitely helped not just with structured workout plans, both also post-run work, and some bonus videos (we incorporated a lot of Shannon Thompson's visualization techniques). Our runners gained confidence throughout the season and ended up as 2023 class AA Pennsylvania state champions! - Dean Longwell Hampton High School ESG_IMG_6097.jpg

After using the XCTS for only two seasons, the boys at Jackson High School win the first state title in program history. The XCTS meets the needs of runners of all ability levels. The warm up and post run activities improve mobility, strength, and flexibility and keep our athletes healthy. Our athletes have embraced the training plans and thoroughly enjoyed the workouts. Jay is always readily available to guide you through the training system. I am thrilled with the results of the XCTS. -Scott Akers

XCTS is 100% worth the investment! Our very small team (7 girls and 10 boys on average) has been using the system for the past 3 years. We had our best finishes at Sectionals 2023 in over 10 years! 3 young ladies in the top 14 of over 100 runners at Sectionals...our top girl missed a trip to state by a few seconds. Every young man ran some sort of PR at sectionals whether it was a course PR, a season PR, or a career PR. Athletes were healthy and fast. Runners consistently PR all season long which fuels their motivation and buy in with the training. If you are on the fence jump off it and click purchase!!

This was 100% worth it. I have been running for 17 years, middle school through D1 at the collegiate level, and I used a lot of my own previous training to train my high school XC kids. That being said, I decided to go all-in from day 1 of summer conditioning and just see what happens. Our team made LOTS of significant gains this season from implementing Jay's training, and I learned a lot from all of his videos explaining the why behind each workout and the timing of it all. They could tell even by the end of the summer how much stronger they were and confident in the training process. SO thankful I invested in this!!

We have a small program and our kids don't train year round. We also aren't a top contender. However, this program helped my athletes to improve more and more quickly than in years past. They were more competitive at the end of the season than we have been in several years. So even if you aren't a huge program that trains year round and is at State each year, this is a fabulous investment. The best part, other than the consistent PRs almost every single race, was my runners stayed healthy and injury free. I'm looking forward to continuing to use the system to help our runners meet their goals, get fast, and stay healthy!

I was a bit hesitant at first to invest in the XCTS, but in hindsight it was one of the best decisions I made as a new head coach. For anyone just starting out, it is truly a gift to you and your program that keeps giving. We went from many runners sidelined with shin splints and other injuries the year before to a season without a single injury-related DNS. Our boys team qualified for state for the first time in four years. The best thing about the XCTS is that it provided me with a community of coaches with similar goals led by Jay's wisdom and guidance. This was super helpful as I tried to plan training in the weeks leading up to our biggest races.

Purchased the XCTS to help with training an individual and I must say it was a great investment. You get lifetime access to this program for what I feel is a really great price. My athlete stayed injury-free for the season, took almost 50 seconds off his previous year's PR and medaled at the state championship meet. The best thing about the XCTS is all of Jay's videos explaining his philosophy, each of the workouts, and how the plans are laid out for athletes based on their previous running experience. Whether they are new to running or a senior in high school running 65 miles a week this system will work well for your team or individual athlete. Coach B

I really liked the training system Jay has put together something that works for all types of runners. I feel it was a good change to how we were doing things as well.  Almost all my runners ran PRs and many came at the end of the season.  Our Girls won the 5A State Championship, and we had the individual male winner overall. And we had no real injuries.  I do feel it was a great value, I work with both boys and girls plus 7th-12 grade and it made it all so much simpler to prepare each week.  If you need to change things up and want to take your kids to a different level because maybe they need something different give this a thought. I like the simple but complete workouts and progressions.

Jay is one of those rare coaches that is truly invested in the long term development of athletes. It shows through his thoughtful training philosophy and clear training progressions and season plans. The sheer quantity of high-level high school and collegiate coaches that have contributed to his training system, from Jeff Boehle to John O'Malley to Shannon Thompson, speaks volumes to Jay's dedication to providing you with the best possible resources to take your team to a new level. If you're looking for an all-encompassing system to help you learn how to coach distance runners, how to refine your practice, or how to make sure your kids stay injury free and get faster, look no further that the XCTS. It's worth the investment and more.

We have been using the XCTS for the past year now at Seneca East and have implemented it step by step with our athletes. The system is 100% worth the investment I compare the investment of XCTS to an Athletic Department purchasing one baseball bat or one football helmet (something they do each year and multiple times). It's not that expensive when you look at it that way and it is yours for a lifetime! I encourage coaches to ask their schools to assist them with this one time fee and help ALL kids improve by implementing the XCTS. It is a simple and easy to use program that meets the student athletes at their level! So far we have had no injuries and we have had exceptional growth amongst both our boy and girl athletes with nearly everyone reaching new PR's and some individuals who have improved by minutes! The best thing about XCTS is the fact that it is simple and easy to understand through the use of the videos and sheets and it is not something that feels overwhelming to someone who has never seen it before. Thank you! Matt

After purchasing the TTS in the spring for my track student-athletes, I was very excited when Jay announced that he would also be coming out with the XCTS. His XCTS was just what I (and my program) needed.  The running workouts were arranged in a way that made perfect sense, and the post-run workouts made a huge difference in my runner's performances this season. The number of career PR's that the runners in my program achieved this season was incredible!  After not making it to State as a team last season, my girl's team earned a trip back to State and 3 of my 7 runners had their season PR's at State, with 2 of them achieving career PR's (including my only senior on my varsity squad).  I wish I would've had something like this 7 years ago when I started coaching, as Jay's XCTS (and TTS) is a game changer.  I also purchased the Mental Skills program, and although I have not gotten through the whole program, what I have watched and shared with my team made a huge difference, especially in our postseason meets.  I am excited to see what changes Jay has made to the TTS and I look forward to more of my runners achieving PR's this spring!

I love how Jay helps my athletes move throughout the year, from XC to off-season track, in-season, then summer XC training. The rationale and workouts are very structured and applicable across many different levels, i.e. new to running all the way up to an all-state runner. Using Jay's pre and post-work has markedly improved the number of girls that are injury-free. Many parents and athletes have mentioned to me this year, that compared to what we had previously done, there are many fewer lower leg injuries, i.e. the dreaded shin splints. When joining XCTS, you are getting A LOT. I have been using it for almost 3 years now and am still learning and finding ways to better implement the system across my girls' XC and track programs. Jay has made a very concerted effort to update the systems as he sees areas for improvement and to enhance the program, all at no additional cost and benefit to the coach/athletes. We had the most successful year in our school's history in XC (5th at D1 state) with an outstanding track season as well, indoor conference champs, regional champs (first time in over 15 years, mostly points from distance crew), runner-up D1 4x8 (+ a school record), school record 800m, + multiple state qualifiers from 800-3200m.

I love how Jay helps my athletes at Wauwatosa East move throughout the year, from XC to off-season track, in-season, then to summer XC training. The rationale and workouts are very structured and applicable across many levels, i.e. new to running all the way up to all-state runners. Using Jay's pre and post-work has markedly improved the number of girls who are injury-free. Many parents and athletes have mentioned to me this year, that compared to what we had previously done, there are fewer lower leg injuries, i.e. the dreaded shin splints. When joining XCTS, you are getting A LOT, I have been using it for almost 3 years now and am still learning and finding ways to better implement the system across my girls' XC and track programs. Jay has made a concerted effort to update the systems as he sees areas for improvement and to enhance the program, all at no additional cost and benefit to the coach/athletes. We had the most successful year (2022) in our school's history in Girls XC (5th at D1 state) with an outstanding track season (2023) as well, indoor conference champs, regional champs (first time in over 15 years, mostly points from distance crew), runner-up D1 4x8 (+ a school record), school record 800m, + multiple state qualifiers from 800-3200m. Glen Gardiner Wauwatosa East Head Girls XC & Track Coach

I have coached for 25 years, and have tried to stay current on training and coaching methodology throughout my career.  I can confidently say the XCTS is the best value and input I've received in my coaching career and was effective both as far as results and injury prevention.    My 25 runner freshman program was 100% on the "no prior training" XCTS and for the first time in my coaching career no athlete was injured during the entire season!!!  The top runner set the school record for the 3K and 5K and the team overall did well by historical standards. The training system for my varsity was greatly influenced by the XCTS. The 16:09 team average at our Divisional meet was the fastest in school history and every member of our team had a PR at Divisional or States. Injuries were much less frequent.    Though we did have three ankle injuries, I think this is due to me NOT following elements of the XCTS-where I failed to progress the post run work and add in do heel walks and other ankle strength work and I also failed to follow the instructions of having guys spike up for strides in advance of some density of racing.    Overall, the team was in the trainer's room less and was highly competitive in the most competitive division in the state of MA. Part of this was actually backing off of some of the intensity in my program and more importantly progressing ALL ELEMENTS of the training stimulus.

This was a great year for our program, our entire team actually managed to stay healthy. All our runners said they felt stronger and more confident this season.  During our 3rd race of the season, the entire team hit PRs. Both our Boys and Girls team advanced to Regionals.  Unfortunately the flu hit the majority of our team around the end of our season so we only had a few individuals advance to State. Sometimes that's just the way things go. I tell my kids "It's all part of the show" They know the show is Life.  I can't say enough about how valuable the program is. Not only does it give you actual day to day workouts for kids of all experience levels, but you will also come away with great coaching philosophy as well. I felt like I was learning things that one would only learn through years and years of experience in coaching.  Coach Johnson made himself available to all the coaches. He's an email away from helping you with great advice and suggestions.  If you're considering trying the program out, I would say don't hesitate or wait until the last minute. Get it as soon as you can so that you have enough time to process the information and begin working with your kids before the summer begins!  I also highly recommend you read Consistency is Key before diving into the program. It makes understanding the goals of the program a lot easier. Change can be difficult for kids, but if you take the time to explain the Why, then they'll come around and begin buying in.  I'm already looking forward to Track!

The value of Jay Johnson’s XC Training was completely worth the money.    I loved the Pre-Warm up routine, workouts, and post run. The 3 Phases, videos, calendar, emails, and the daily plan were so easy to follow, perfectly laid out. Plus, Jay Johnson would answer my questions and help in any way I needed it.  The XC Training system kept my runners injury free. My team doesn't have depth, so this was important. In the past, my teams could not get as far in the Postseason due to injuries. The Post Race Progression was a key to prevention for the team and also helped get my runners overall physically fit.  Jay Johnson’s XC Training was a game changer for me. I have been coaching for a while and always struggled with injuries and the Post-Season workouts(too much, too little etc.). Post-Season Workouts and emails were the best parts of the program for me.  I had a young team, and we had a very successful year especially in the Postseason. I had 6 Runners All-League, Boys SOC 2 champs, 2 All District Honors, both my Boys and Girls teams made it to Regionals, and my senior boy made it for the 4th year to the State Meet. This was the best he had ever done earning All-Ohio honors and All Academic Honors.    This is what he said to the newspaper about the season and State Meet: “ I just finally ran my race this year. I went out slowly, like 5:05. Then I just kept on passing people over and over. That was the big thing–just running my race. It was a great feeling to finally go out as the best I could be. It is my greatest season. I feel stronger this year.”  This in a nutshell is Jay Johnson’s XC Training.

The XCTS added an element of "armor" to our team. While all of the post-run work took additional time and our average practice time increased, the athletes were more engaged and we had no injuries (except for what a couple boys got on their summer vacations and lasted into our xc season).  Every single one of our athletes ran PRs, our top boy won at region and ran his race fast, faster, fastest just like we practiced.  The XCTS helped the teams build confidence in their abilities as well as speed, strength and mobility.  I coach at a smaller school and at first I felt the cost for the XCTS was higher than we could afford. Our budget is small and we fundraise for most of what we spend on our program. I have always believed the money was best spent directly on the kids.  If you're a new coach this could save you hundreds of hours of stressing over whether you're implementing the right program for your runners.  If you're experienced, you can see the value in having a professional coach who has spent years coaching coaches and runners and organizing the Boulder clinics putting together a program specifically for multiple levels of high school athletes and you can integrate the best of what you do into this program to make your practices the best possible.    The program is well laid-out with easy to follow printable schedules. Once I learned the program, it was easy to implement some of our favorite routes/games/activities into the scheduled runs so we could make the best of XCTS and the 10 years experience of coaching. (HINT: invest in late spring/early summer!! You'll want the time to watch all the videos and begin learning and implementing the new routines.) We trained our captains on how to do the post-run work and gave them the handouts with QR codes provided in the XCTS and had them lead the new routines and demonstrate how to do the exercises that were new to the team.    If you're on the fence, just do it! Don't wait until summer's mostly over, start your summer training off right away and build those runners you have into their best selves. Use the "down time" you have during summer training to teach new routines and think how this program can integrate into the best of what you already do as a coach. This program can stand as it is, you don't need anything additional, but if you've got team favorite practices there's room in the program for you to adapt them to fit.  XCTS is a winning program for coaches who want the best for their athletes.

When I took over both the men's and women's Varsity XC programs at my school, the team was in a desperate need of a cultural reset. After years of injuries, negative coaching practices, and a nonexistent team culture, morale was extremely low. Case in point, the women's team won the small school state championships in 2021, and then all but one quit. With a dire need to rebuild confidence, culture, and community, I needed a training program I could rely on so that I could focus my attention fully on reestablishing what distance running could be like at my school. Enter Jay Johnson. I was exposed to the XCTS and his programs through my high school cross country coach, and I immediately connected with Jay's low-volume approach and philosophy on going fast every day. The kids really bought in to this newer way of training, and having a vetted plan at my disposal allowed me to not stress too hard about giving the kids the right training while simultaneously exerting a lot of effort in building a new cultural foundation for the program. We finished the season with NO INJURIES, a first in four years, and almost all of the kids PRed or got close to PRs that they had set earlier in their careers prior to injuries. With Jay's training programs, and our cultural reset, we had a record number of kids come out for the team for next season and they're actually EXCITED to train over the summer to get ready for next fall! I couldn't have accomplished everything I had to tackle this season without him and the XCTS. What's more is that the kids ENJOYED the training! Granted, not every workout was "fun," but they understood the purpose of each workout and that made it fun for them. They were able to see why they were doing what they were doing, and how the workouts would have direct impacts on their performance in the 5K. Jay's explanations for each type of workout are excellent, and allowed me to relay purpose to the kids so that they could run their best in each workout. The post-run work was very new to them, but it was something that they looked forward to as an alternative to simply "running more," which lent to very focused work. All of the resources Jay provides for coaches in the XCTS are high quality, informative, and served to improve my understanding of not just coaching cross country runners, but just on being a better coach in general. This is an invaluable resource, and any coach regardless of their experience will benefit from what he has to share. What are you waiting for? LET'S GO!