i suggest that you introduce regular walk (recovery) breaks.  if they're part of the program, you won't feel bad about walking, and i think you'll find that it makes a big difference to how long/far you can run.  you can walk one minute for every, four, five, six, even up to ten minutes that you run. 

running outside can be more challenging, but it's also a lot more interesting.  don't quit!

You would be amazed at how much the treadmill "assists" during your stride by pushing your foot backwards but if you keep at running outside you will get it and you probably will find it much more enjoyable.

you can incorporate hill sprints into your weekly runs. For example, once a week you could sprint  up a 200-300 meter hill and then jog down. If you warm up first, do about 6 repeats of the hill sprints, and then cool down with a jog/walk, your legs will build up muscle and you will be better prepared for the hilly courses of cross country races.  In addition, just running more outside will help. You will begin to get used to it!

Like already stated, just gotta get used to running outside. It's night and day compared to a treadmill.

I did the opposite. I learned to run (well you know what I mean) on a track and did so for about two years. At that point I was at a hotel or something and used the treadmill. It felt like I was on a magic carpet. I could have ran on that thing for hours!

hmmm, that seems kind of odd to me. If you can run at that speed and lenght on the treadmill, you should be able to hold your own outdoors. That's just my inclination though.

At any rate, the only advice I can impart is to keep at it. You should buid up your endurance if you keep at it.

LMAO, everyone.

I'm an outside jogger, and I've heard many times that it's a harder workout. I just don't like treadmills because I feel like I'm going to fall and bust my ass. That's no fun.

You've just got to get used to jogging outside. Since there's no 'tread' to assist your stride, you're going to have to re-pace yourself, and that's okay! You'll be glad to say that you did all of that running outside rather than on a treadmill.

When I run on a treadmill I keep it on an incline of about 2% so that it feels comparable to running outside.  I like running outside, but it's too easy to flake out (bad weather, too many mosquitoes, too dark, etc.).  So I do both.  Plus running inside is better for my knees. 

I just wanted to say congrats on running cross country.  I did it in middle and high school and although I was on the slow side, it was still a great feeling to know that I was doing it.  Today, if only I could run as "slow" as I did back then!  Keep pushing and you'll get it.  Just make sure you're wearing good shoes that fit you and taking enough rest days.  It's important to let your body recover so that you can get stronger.  Also I think for young people it's important because your body is still growing and overdoing it can cause even more problems.  Also, running on grass or trails sometimes can give your joints a rest from the pavement if you need that.  Good luck!

I won't knock treadmill training because I've used it before (and currently) with great success - but there is no subsitute for road running.  As a treadmill runner you know that you can change the pace and incline at any moment but out on the road you'll discover once you have committed to a route all you can change is your pace. 

I'm guessing you went out too fast (Like on a treadmill run) and hit your first hill (or first few hills) and it destroyed you.  You have to change how you run (pace and effort) along with your stride when you do hills.  The only way to get better is to practice.

Hill running practice - start out slow and count your foot falls to 100.  Then slow it down even more.  The best way to do that is by shortening your stride but keep your legs 'turning over at the same pace'  Pick up your knees more and keep your breathing stready.  I find it helpful to look down rather than the top of the climb sometimes (mental reasons).  Finally 'power over the top' pick a spot several 100 feet over the top of the hill and mentally 'work' towards that spot.

Other than that it's just practice, practice, practice....  Before too long your 'practice hills' will be no problem to climb and you'll go out looking for harder runs...

Good luck with Xcountry...

Running outside is COMPLETELY different than on a treadmill. On a machine, you have a steady, even ground and temperature/humidity to run in. I take it you are from a dry, hot climate. Even if is isn't "that hot" the changes in temperature and humidity can really sap your endurance! I can run about 3 miles at a 3-5 mile pace on the treadmill in the air conditioned gym, but get me outside in the heat and I'm huffin after two laps!

Practice is the way to go. Try lengthing your stride leading up to the hill, then drive your legs harder and shorter than your normal stride as you go up the hill. When going down the hill, relax your muscles slightly and kind of let gravity help you down. Also, from your post it seems like you are going to do cross country. So, try running on different surfaces. Like a track, then dirt, grass, concrete, etc.etc

i have first hand experience with exactly what ur talking about. A couple years back when I was in my top form, I was training for the men's health urbanathlon (check out my journal). Anyway, I always trained on a treadmill because i could see how much I was running and burning and it forced me to keep up the high pace (It was easier on the knees too). Anyway, the last couple weeks I tried to run outside so my body could adjust, but I didn't have the motivation and it seemed like I'd tire more easily. On race day, I ran my leg in record time (better than what I was running on the treadmill), although it seemed like I was going at my normal pace at best. What I realized when I clocked in at the end was that a lot of the runners were passing me and it forced me to pick up my pace. I ended up finished my ~4 mile leg just under 40 minutes. I was pleasantly surprised. And since you'll be doing this competitively, you'll have that same motivation when you running along side your teammates and opponents.