Jumping and distance running

[bad_karma]

i'm a distance runner (more mid-distance, 400, 800, mile, 600), but i also high jump and triple jump. what's the general opinion on trying to mix in trianing for jumping and distance running? it tends to work out fine for sprinters/hurdlers, but I usuall have to sacrifice one practice for the other.

[NVJumper13]

i had the same problem except for i didnt want to do distance. my coaches forced me to double because in doing long and triple, i only had two events. seeing as we were lacking in distance, they said i had to do it to fill events. i hated distance practice because it took away from jumping practice. in my opinion, they have nothing to do with each other and distance just makes you tired before you jump at meets. andydangway...go with what you're good at if you are really competetive, but if you'rejust in it for the fun, do both.

[TripleMyJump]

I totally agree. If you are serious go with what you're better at.

Right now I am in cross country season, and my explosive power has taken a hibernation. I'm not saying it's gone, but it hasn't been used so long that it's a bit "rusty". I know that I can gain it back in time for indoor, though. I'm not so sure about how that would work out for you doing jumps and distance during the same season though... My friend tried doing both, and ended up never breaking 30' for his triple jump during his freshman year and high jumped only 4'8". He was was decent at the 800, but still not that great. Granted, he's terrible, but it still convinced me that doing distance and jumping at the same time will just make you a worse athlete at both.

[aidan]

I know it has been said before.. but I will say it again to make it quite clear for all of you:


Jumping and Distance running have nothing to do with each other... Training for one WILL DEFINATLY AND ALWAYS hurt you in the other. If you try to train for BOTH, you will not come even close to your potential in either. Any coach that makes someone do both (not just taking one for the team in a meet, but train for both) is a borderline MORON at best. The only reason to possibly do both is if you do not care about your track and field results and simply do both to have fun. In that case.. go for it...

[Ecliptica]

On my high school team, we had a kid that only did winter track, and then decided to hop in the spring decathlon because baseball season was over and we were allowed to enter one more person.
In the winter he ran 1:23.99 in the 600 and high jumped 6'2" (split 50.5 and 2:00.0 on the 4x4 and 4x8 respectively). In the winter pentathlon he ran 2:41 in the 1000 and long jumped 17'4".
In the spring, fresh off baseball and no running for three months, he jumped 20'4.5" and ran 4:44.51 in the 1500.

It can be done, I remember my sophomore year of high school our league had a 4:2x miler that triple jumped 41+ consistently every meet and was good enough to pick up some seconds and thirds in the dual meets in the triple. Whether anyone can do it really successfully (like Dyestat Elite class in both) I'm not sure.

[Fanya]

Distance running kills your jumping ability, choose one or the other