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Jumping, Speed, and XC
Posted: 05 May 2004 05:38 PM   [ Ignore ]  
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I'm considering running XC this fall.  The fall is so boring w/o track.  But, I have heard that this could this affect my sprinting speed/mechanics and fast-twitch muscles.

Do you guys agree and would you recommend not running XC?  If not, would lifting be better?

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Posted: 06 May 2004 07:02 AM   [ Ignore ]   [ # 1 ]  
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I'd rank possible options as follows:
5. Do nothing
4. XC
3. XC + Weights
2. Weights
1. Sprint training + weights

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Posted: 06 May 2004 07:15 AM   [ Ignore ]   [ # 2 ]  
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Very well put Mike.  I've got a couple of sprints/jumps athletes questioning the XC in the fall.  My answer has been the same as you've prescribed. 

Keven, I tell them simply that if they are looking to fill that season with something active (but not necessarily looking to be competitive as my jumps/sprints kids wouldn't be with XC), hit the weight room with a quality off-season program and work on speed and sprint mechanics in conjunction.  If you have a T&F teammate or 2 to come on board with you, the training can be very beneficial to your next spring season (as a jumper/sprinter).

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Posted: 18 May 2004 02:24 AM   [ Ignore ]   [ # 3 ]  
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Sounds good to me.  What would a good summer program look like?

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Posted: 19 May 2004 07:53 AM   [ Ignore ]   [ # 4 ]  
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Which option (out of 1 - 3 listed above) are you choosing?

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Posted: 19 May 2004 12:49 PM   [ Ignore ]   [ # 5 ]  
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Is it possible to mix XC, weights, and sprint training?

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Posted: 20 May 2004 09:14 PM   [ Ignore ]   [ # 6 ]  
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Yes but expect less than optimal results in all three.

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Posted: 21 May 2004 05:47 PM   [ Ignore ]   [ # 7 ]  
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It's okay, as long as i'm not declining i'll be happy.

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Posted: 21 May 2004 08:51 PM   [ Ignore ]   [ # 8 ]  
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XC will train u in about everyway a sprinter or jumper SHOULDN"T be trained. It's a slow twitch dominant sport, so i would not recommend it if you are serious about sprinting / jumping.

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Posted: 29 June 2004 08:13 AM   [ Ignore ]   [ # 9 ]  
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Have to agree. As a jumper I spent a winter "getting into" running and found it slowed me doen considerably and I constantly felt "heavy legged". Some seem to to find it more of a problem than others however. A good friend of mine seemed to combine a good standard of triple jumping with his "first love" of road running…

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Posted: 29 June 2004 04:21 PM   [ Ignore ]   [ # 10 ]  
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I find it's always interesting that everyone's body works in a different way.  As you pointed out with your friend, some athletes can find a happy medium between running longer distances in practice and competition and remain proficient to some degree in an event such as the triple jump…which contrasts like night and day.

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Posted: 30 June 2004 09:57 AM   [ Ignore ]   [ # 11 ]  
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Say XC ends in November.  Wouldn't the months in between the end of XC and the beginning of spring track be enough to get back into sprinting?

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Posted: 20 August 2004 01:19 PM   [ Ignore ]   [ # 12 ]  
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Assuming that you are a high school jumper, I would consider XC a potentially valuable experience.  With my sprinters, I generally prefer that they play football or soccer (carefully smile ), but XC can be a great option also.

As a typical HS athlete, you are likely doing more than just jumping.  If you run anything in the 200m plus range, its valuable to have at least some sort of an aerobic base.  Not so much for the racing but to give you the endurance to handle tougher sprint workouts in the winter and spring.  Those workouts, in turn will make you a better sprinter/jumper.

As you mentioned, you are primarily concerned with your spring season.  If your indoor season is not too important (or if you don’t have one), then as you said, you have plenty of time to get prepared for your sprinting & jumping.

It is very possible to do too much sprint work in one year, so taking some “time off” to build up your endurance can be very beneficial.  That said, I would recommend that you do some light-moderate weight training on your off-days and also do your sprint drills (various mach skips, bounding, foot placement, recovery drills, etc, etc) on a daily basis.

Personally, I feel this is a BETTER option than doing non-stop sprints & weights from September through June.  The specificity is very imporant, but it is equally important to avoid burnout…both mental & physical.

A lot of high school athlete just want to hit the weights all year.  Most are working their “Beach Muscles” more than the sprinting/jumping muscles, and when it comes right down to it, most would rather look good than compete well.  Another issue that is hard to grasp for many high school athletes is that they may not be physically mature enough to effectively utilize the muscle mass that they may aquire through extensive heavy lifting.  A 17 year old athlete who is 170# of muscle is not necessarily going to be any better if they are 190# of muscle…they might be worse.  From personal experience, I see sprinters being able to get away with the muscle gain a lot better than jumpers.  Most of my jumpers who have put on a lot of muscle have found they have “lost their hops” to a certain degree.  A 25 year old is likely going to handle having a 190# frame better than a 17 year having a 190# frame, so its important to have some patience.

Then again, looking at some “older” athletes, just watch the upcoming Olympic HJ/LJ/TJ competitions.  Most of these athletes will be fairly thin compared to their counterparts in the 100m final.

Probably the most important aspect of doing XC…it’s something different, and you might just have fun!!!

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Posted: 23 August 2004 03:59 PM   [ Ignore ]   [ # 13 ]  
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Thanks Gonzo.  And yeah XC is pretty fun!  It’s teachin me to be patient and to be a hard worker.

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