Being a sprinter unable to play football, I have a tough decision to make. I want to do some other form of sport this fall of my senior year (I don’t think specialization at this age is neccessarily good) and I have run XC the past two years, with little success or fun. I was once a black belt in Tae Kwon Do, and was wondering if this martial art that focuses on kicks would be more beneficial to sprints than XC, if combined with a sprint training program. Thoughts?
If you want to be a mediocre sprinter, then either one of thsoe will do. The cross country can work if you do a Long-to-Short routine, or if you use it instead of Tempo. With both options though, you won’t be sprinting to your potential unless you focus 100% on sprinting.
I know there are examples of sprinters who have done more than one sport, but they are the exception, not the rule.
Even at the high school level you think this? I know tons of kids who have gone out for XC, embraced it, and it has improved their times dramatically. I know a kid who went from 53.0-2:01 to 50.x-1:56 after one year, and one of the main variables was XC.
Another note: if I choose TKD, I will probably still be on the track 3-5 days a week.