distance vs. speed

so in the past 2 weeks i have started to get more committed to my sprinting schedule for pole vault. if i wanna have a shot at the college team i need to keep this up. and i have noticed improvements already. but i will always love my distance runs..and i miss them. my legs have been really tired from the workouts so i havent run longer than 30 minutes since last sunday (sprinting is every other day). if i get my distance runs back up to normal will my sprinting suffer?

Most likely yes. Since I've started distance again, I doubt I could drop below an 11.6 for a 100.

You can't be your best sprinter and distance runner at the same time, it is going to have to be one or the other if you are committed to being the best you can be at either of them.

You definitely can do both if you want though. You just won't end up being the best at either. You just need to decide which you want more, to be a great pole vaulter, or a good pole vaulter and good distance runner.

Long distance running builds slow-twitch fibers, which hurt your sprinting and jumping performance.

yes, but i thinkif you kind combine workouts you might be semi-okay.

AudienceOfOne wrote:yes, but i thinkif you kind combine workouts you might be semi-okay.

maybe.....you should be careful though. dont do too much long distance

yeah, i wouldn't do too much distance. what are your sprinting workouts, i've always wondered what sprinters do.

RUNxxWILD07 wrote:yeah, i wouldn't do too much distance. what are your sprinting workouts, i've always wondered what sprinters do.

my coaches favorite workout to give me is 200s, finishing uphill so i keep driving my knees when im tired. so around 8 of those. then 100s. then 50s. and those mini hurdles. hes threatened having my use the weighted sled but im a bit apprehensive of that.

and lots of lifting.

its so weird doing sprint workouts. like...lots of rest between reps is fine with my coach. warmup is way short (400 m jog + drills vs the 2 miles i would do during track).

it really saddens me that im not a distance runner anymore. looking back to my indoor track season, i would almost cry when my coach had us do 300s. and loved doing 1000s. i know im losing endurance and that makes me sad but i need speed more now. so im gonna limit myself to jogs on the days im not doing lots of intervals :-/

If you would have trained harder in running you wouldn't have to worry about trying to get into college for Pole-vaulting. Not trying to be a jerk or anything

I do mid distance training for XC and sprinting and I'm fine. I usually don't go over 20 miles a week though.