Track or Cross-Country

KCnA333

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Feb 3, 2016
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If anyone can offer some words of advice, is it better to go with track in the spring or cross-country in the fall?
 
I think you need to provide further context. Are you asking about track or cross country while in high school or at the USNA?
 
Why not both? But, if you have to choose, pick the one you would enjoy better.
 
I´m currently a sophomore in high school and want to know which is better for preparation.
 
Do both if you can. The training for both is complementary and you will stay in better shape all year. That being said, it also depends on your physical qualifications. If you are better at sprinting and short bursts of speed, then track short events (100, 200, 400) or the track and field jumping events might be a better fit for you. If you're an endurance-type runner then the longer races of cross country will fit you better, and you can also run the 1600 or 3200 in track. Both will help you get in good shape for the Academies.

Stealth_81
 
I highly recommend that you do both. But if you had to choose, pick XC. It will prepare you for the military better, I believe. However, in the end, choose the one in which you will excel.
 
Sounds like you may have openings in both seasons? Do both-they compliment each other even if, and especially, if you are a distance type. My kids all eventually became 3 season runners since their school offered indoor track as well. Although to call runners 3 season athletes is not really accurate since they run all summer to build up their mileage base in preparation for XC.
 
Don't pick something just because you think it will look good on an application, either. You'll get miserable real quick. Saying that, XC is a great option, but be sure you know what you're getting into. It's not for the faint of heart, and injuries can quickly develop. I've only ran half a season in 2 years due to tearing my calf and fracturing my ankle.

However, it is a great sport. You'll be pushed to your limits, but your fitness level will be through the roof by the end of the season. And there's nothing quite like seeing your PR drop over the course of a season!

Best of luck.
 
Thanks for the advice all. I will take it into consideration. On another note, the Naval Academy takes the ACT Math and English portion of the test only, but compared to the USAFA, they take your best ACT score, is this correct?
 
Dude any high school distance runner will tell you that its the same sport. If you do one you do the other. My friends and I joke around that we run on the cross country team year round but the races change distance. We barely consider ourselves track athletes but that could be because of the relationship between the distance kids and rest of the team. That sounds right. I remember that I had a good score on my ACT science and I told my USNA admissions counselor when he came to visit and he pretty much said good for you but it doesn't matter
 
Yeah I'm a runner and if you do Cross Country it is pretty much a given that you do Track, they are basically the same thing. I would go for both, you will improve in each and won't fall out of shape during the off season. One exception would be if you wanted to be a sprinter, you may only want to do Track because Cross Country is harder if you aren't in distance shape.
Yup USNA only looks at english and math. USAFA will take your best score too though, they super score (take the best score from each section on any given test).
 
At DS' school, it's actually three seasons: cross country, indoor track and outdoor track. His coach is very adamant on that point. :).
 
Dude any high school distance runner will tell you that its the same sport. If you do one you do the other. My friends and I joke around that we run on the cross country team year round but the races change distance. We barely consider ourselves track athletes but that could be because of the relationship between the distance kids and rest of the team. That sounds right. I remember that I had a good score on my ACT science and I told my USNA admissions counselor when he came to visit and he pretty much said good for you but it doesn't matter
Coming from a seasoned Varsity athlete of both sports, Track and Cross Country are NOT the same thing. Track demands more natural foot speed, while Cross Country demands more natural endurance and stamina. Completely different styles of running.
 
Track consists of several different events (hurdles, discuss, sprints....etc.) and the OP has never specified which of these he is referring to. Several of the above replies seems to be assuming which one(s) he is talking about.
 
Track consists of several different events (hurdles, discuss, sprints....etc.) and the OP has never specified which of these he is referring to. Several of the above replies seems to be assuming which one(s) he is talking about.

Much of what you refer to are actually "field" events, e.g. Shot put, discuss, javelin, pole vault, etc. The track part of track and field refers to the running events, in which hurdles are included, I believe. Obviously, distance running requires vastly different preparation and conditioning than shorter events. Hence the discussion between cross-country and track in terms of preparing for SA. let's keep it simple.
 
Many schools combine track/field into a single sport. Those who are top notch h.s. athletes train/workout/compete the year-round regardless of what sport(s) they are involved with. Those are the people who you will be competing against for an appointment.

It isn't just a 'check the box' type of thing.
 
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You don't have anything to lose besides some time unless you wanna play another sport during either season. I recommend training for the 800m cuz it'll make you tough mentally and physically, but that's just my own bias talking. Our school only has track, but no XC and I could tell you the difference XC would make on track season and vice verse. One teaches you to run at an uncomfortable pace for a long time, and the other teaches you to run fast for a relatively short distance. They are complementary to each other, meaning improvement in one can lead to improvement to another. On another note, I started running track to get in better shape, figured out I was half decent at it, and now my competitive spirit makes me love running, so try both out, and who know maybe you'll be like me and learn to love such a painful sport
 
This thread reminds me of the USNA men's XC team practice shirt from a few years ago:

Front: NAVY XC
Back: Trample the wounded. Hurdle the dead.

Not an original phrase, but applied inventively.
 
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