Just one sport?

High School Running Distance

9 years ago 11/23/2014 7:24am EST

Growing up, my son was a very good soccer and lacrosse player. He entered High School this year, played soccer in the fall and when the season concluded, started running with the cross country team. Every day he hears it from his xcountry coaches that he should focus on just running.

I am concerned about him getting burned out or injured. In the 8 years he played soccer and lax, he missed only one game due to injury.

Also, am wondering if a college coach wouldn't appreciate an undercooked runner over someone that's been going hard all through HS.

Thoughts? Experiences? Thanks.

He's 14.

4:52 mile

16:45 5K (road)

1:35 Half Marathon (trail)

9 years ago 11/23/2014 9:40am EST

re: Dadfan

Dadfan wrote:
Growing up, my son was a very good soccer and lacrosse player. He entered High School this year, played soccer in the fall and when the season concluded, started running with the cross country team. Every day he hears it from his xcountry coaches that he should focus on just running.
I am concerned about him getting burned out or injured. In the 8 years he played soccer and lax, he missed only one game due to injury.
Also, am wondering if a college coach wouldn't appreciate an undercooked runner over someone that's been going hard all through HS.
Thoughts? Experiences? Thanks.
He's 14.
4:52 mile
16:45 5K (road)
1:35 Half Marathon (trail)

A lot of highschool cross country coaches tend to say this, and I don't think they are necessarily wrong, but in some cases doing more than just running can keep the athlete more interested in running because they are still able to do their other passions as well. That said, your son is more likely to reach his potential and improve more in running if he just focuses on running.

There are good examples of making it work though:

http://www.runnersworld.com/high-school-profiles/grant-fisher-having-a-ball

9 years ago 11/23/2014 2:02pm EST

re: Dadfan

If done right, he won't burn out and it is NOT one sport (year round).

XC/Track are two different sports.

Advice:

Run XC in the fall, prep by running over the summer. NOT training- running. Go out every day and run- whatever mileage he can handle.

Fall XC- train to race and peak at the end of the season.

Winter- treat it like summer- just run, maybe find some Indoor Meets to break up the monotony but just go out and see what he can do on this "base" mileage.

Spring- train to race and peak for the end of the season.

Then repeat.

My kids do this, right now I have two juniors who ran 1:59 and 10:30 last spring (as 10th graders).

This fall the 3200 guy ran 15:51 on a challenging XC course (it's actually the 2nd fastest time ever on the course that once hosted a NY State Championship).

The 800 guy is under 17:00- he is definitely an 800, 1500 guy (and he ran a 51.high as a 10th grader).

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