For pilots who only want recognition of their best flight of the year, there is the Yearlong XC contest, the rules of which are to be found below. The critical cross-country skills are landing skills . If you have doubts about your ability to chose and assess possible landing fields, and safely deal with the unexpected conditions encountered going into an unknown LZ, don't go cross-country. If, on the other hand, you are confident of your landing skills, but are not too experienced in picking-out new LZs you might want to consider going XC from sites where landing fields are large, abundant and undemanding. The second warning has to do with the nature of competition.
People typically push themselves harder and further in competition.
Indeed, that is a beneficial consequence of competing. One attempts to accomplish things that one might not otherwise do. On the other hand, do not push too far. Neither this nor any other contest is worth getting hurt. You may enter the contest after March 17, but your flights will only count from the day after the postmark on your entry form.