The cross country team is out to prove something this season.

Both the men’s and women’s training regimens are more rigorous than past years, with the women’s team averaging about 50 miles of running per week and the men’s team averaging between 75-80 miles per week.

Head coach Jon Bell said there are two primary factors contributing to the increase in training.

“First of all, the talent level has increased greatly on our team, so we are able to do more,” Bell said. “Training and successful running stems from God-given talent and drive. More talented kids can push themselves harder.

“Second, the new athletic director, Chris May, wants all sports to do their best this year, so there is a lot of pressure. We need to be good. We owe it to the university.”

Brian Holdmeyer, a sophomore on the men’s team, averages about 65 miles per week and ran 85 miles per week on one occasion. Bell said Holdmeyer is the future of the men’s program. Freshman year was a triumph for Holdmeyer, remaining in the top three runners on the team throughout the year. He also qualified for the USA Junior Championships the same year.

“Intense training prepares me because I can know I’ve been through more extreme running than what I do in my races,” Holdmeyer said. “My biggest obstacle is just staying healthy and putting in the miles each week.”

Both the women’s and men’s teams practice five days a week, in addition to races on Saturdays. The athletes have one day off per week only because of NCAA regulations. The men’s team takes Sunday off and the women’s team generally rests on Thursdays.

“This year is turning out to be a difficult year in sports across the board at SLU,” Bell said. “We all have a swell of pride with our new weight room and training room, along with a swell of pride from the completion of Chaifetz Arena.”

Runners have to be careful, though. By putting in so many miles a week, the athletes run a higher risk of injuries.

“That’s why our younger runners are more careful,” said Bell, in response to the possibility of athletes overtraining. “They have lower mileage in order to prevent joint issues and stress fractures. A few of our runners have a history of stress fractures in high school, but so far we have been lucky enough to maintain unharmed men’s and women’s teams.”

Senior Mary Maloney, a leader on the women’s team, has been fortunate enough to avoid injuries during her time at Saint Louis University. Maloney averages 60 to 70 miles per week. She has placed in the top 20 for the Conference Championships. She also holds two school records for cross country, one for 6K and another for 10K races.

“I cannot complain about the training or the huge time commitment,” Maloney said. “You basically expect demanding workouts. There is better effort from the team than in any of my past years.

“I wouldn’t change my college years of running for anything. As long as you’re passionate, it really pays off. It’s just the lifestyle I chose.”