Will running XC benefit a sprinter?

The OPs post he says his coach was mixing relatively light XC running with more sprint-relevant work.

Steve Magness presents some evidence (I doubt definitive) that endurance activities really don't alter muscle fiber as rapidly as people claim (like, many many years all the while ignoring fast twitch training):

http://www.scienceofrunning.com/2009/12/aerobic-training-is-not-devil-and.html

Plus, remember, this kid gets his full scholarship only if he runs XC. Unless he expects to run world class times I think its worth the risk

Probobly a better link to follow since these guys coach world class speed power athletes.

http://speedendurance.com/2014/06/16/dan-pfaff-on-success-under-pressure-interview-from-ellie-spain/

RyRy wrote:

Probobly a better link to follow since these guys coach world class speed power athletes.

http://speedendurance.com/2014/06/16/dan-pfaff-on-success-under-pressure-interview-from-ellie-spain/

That's the point I'm making, there is a difference between training a world class sprinter and an above average sprinter

This is what Clyde Hart would have you doing during the time non-sprinters run corss country:

Michael Johnson did NOT run cross country. But he did some cross country running as listed above. It is pretty common for 400m athletes to do 20-30 minutes of distance 1 or 2 times a week. But Quincy Watts DID do cross country in high school...and he still holds the LA City 100m record at 10.36.

What it comes down to in high school is base training for the fast sprinters is football. Often those not fast enough for football run XC, and that means 400m people survive cross country, but this is much less common in college I think. You are better off doing specific training for 400 if you're running 400, but the present indoor WR holder for the 400 (Kerron Clement) and the #4 all time outdoor 400m sprinter (Quincy Watts) both ran XC in high school, so it can be survived (and that is the word for it).

It is easier to survive XC if you keep the distance running to 30 minutes a day, you do weights, and you so at least short sprints.

joel przybilla wrote:

E-Baller, word, that's just what someone told me long ago on dyestat, thanks for correcting me, second hand information is often spurious

he won the pent at Nike Indoor in HS...

Gotcha. Yeah, I remember when he won that, his aunt told me about it literally ten times a day (I worked with her at the time). He really was an unfortunate example of unrealized potential. I remember being totally jealous my senior year when he just jumped into the 800 and ran a 1:55 off of his 300 hurdle training, clearly was an athlete. That year he ljed like 24 feet, hj like 6-8, damn fast 300hurdles, 10.8 for 100, 1:55 for 800, and like mid 48 for 400 iirc.

He has been trying to do the dec for the past 5 years and just cant seem to put something worthy of his talent. Part of it is some unfortunate injuries, but most of it I think is from way too much family pressure during his formative years giving him a huge lack of confidence to match his huge talent level.

In some ways, this is testament to the fact that he is a quiet, nice guy. If he was a jerk, this would have just augmented that instead and we would end up with a world class athlete and world class jerk. Instead he is (un)fortunately neither.

I was holding our hope that he would take graduating from Oregon as an opportunity to escape a system that clearly is failing him and go to Chula Vista or some other elite group with other dec guys to train with.

tommie smith and lee evans used to run 10 to 12 mile runs - regularly .. said above

Peter snell ran 20 - 22 mile runs weekly

Martyn Rooney in the UK used to run XC for Croydon - didn't seem to hurt him.

no one wrote:

tommie smith and lee evans used to run 10 to 12 mile runs - regularly .. said above

Peter snell ran 20 - 22 mile runs weekly

This is total BS.

In the fall, Bud Winters had Lee Evans, Tommie Smith, and others start with 1 mile of distance running and add 1 mile each week until they built up to 10 miles. This would start in September/October and when they got to 10 miles, the distance work stopped.

No real sprint coach would be so idiotic as to try distance running during sprint season. If you even ask this question about XC for sprinters at charliefrancis, elitetrack, or sprintzone where sprint coaches and sprinters are, they're not only going to say NO; they're going to laugh at you for even asking the question.

E-Baller: his high school bests(from U of O website)

High School Bests: 400 Meters - 47.67; 800 Meters - 1:53.1; 110 Hurdles - 13.69; 300 Hurdles - 35.4; 400 Hurdles - 50.34; High Jump - 7-0.75; Long Jump - 24-7.75;

he ended up getting Guillain-Barre Syndrome which sure as shit set him back. His life time best deca (7500 points) only put him 115th in the world in 2011. His throws were terrible though.

I think Clyde Hart projects a 400m time off of 2 times your 200m PR plus 3.x seconds. Based on that conversion, you should be around 47.8 to 48.5.

Looking at your 100/200 times, it looks like you have speed endurance. Based off of your 400m time, you might be lacking aerobic support endurance. Granted, just estimating.

I would suspect extra distance running would benefit you, provided that your coach keeps a speed/sprint component in your workouts. I don't think that over-distance kills speed, but the lack of sprint work kills speed.

What your future coach suggests makes sense. The posters who say not to run XC aren't focusing on what you wrote about the plan. Just make sure no one talks you into running a XC race, at least this year...

well - unless Lee lied to me .. your the one with the BS. And I can't see what I said as differing from your diatribe. You just restated what I initially said. And laugh boy I said nothing about XC. Learn how to read