jogging time & cross county courses

Question
Hello,
I run about 2-4 times a week and doubled my distance from 3 miles to 6 miles (am thrilled about that).  But now I am finding it more difficult to complete these runs.  Why could I run 6  miles without too much of a problem, and now I even had to stop and walk... for the first time ever since reaching that distance.
Also, I believe I need a new course and thought about a cross country course.  How do I find a local cross country course in my area?
many thanks,
Amy

Answer
Hi Amy,
Cross-country courses are typically on most golf courses for HS runners, although there may be some city park or state park trails nearby you for some runs.  I don't know where you live, so I obviously can't tell you much on where to look specifically.

I don't know why you had to stop & walk, other than the fact that some runs are just easier than others.  Weather demands on the body, plus your amount of recovery from previous runs, can affect your daily run you go on.  If you had too many 6 mile runs in succession, your body maybe isn't fully recovered from it?  I can only guess, since I don't know what your exact frequency & mileages are for those days per week.  

I hope this helps you a bit.

Rick Karboviak