Cross County and Footbag

Bander87 · Post by **Bander87** » 26 Jun 2005 21:11

Sorry if this is in the wrong section or already had a thread, but has anyone done cross country and footbag? I'm a senior in HS, so I'll be running 50 miles a week tops. It seems like a lot of work to devote time and energy to these two sports. I guess that footbag would only help cross country, but running might dammage footbag with the constant 'running-leg' motions?

Anybody's experience and advice is aprechiated.

Jeremy · Post by **Jeremy** » 26 Jun 2005 21:18

When I was first getting into footbag I also played touch football for my state. We had a fairly extensive fitness regime that began with running 10km on monday, then 5 km every day of the week, training on one day for the weekend and a rest day (training was the hardest day). After a few weeks the training changed to a focus on sprinting - so we were doing suicide runs and lots of different kinds of sprinting (I found this much harder). At first it was really hard and I didn't play footbag at all in this time, but as my fitness got better I found playing footbag easier and I think my game improved because of it.

BalinorNZ · Post by **BalinorNZ** » 26 Jun 2005 22:06

Thats really interesting, I have always wondered about this aye!

Do you think playing footbag gives you an advantage over others in your grade at school at sprinting and long distance?

Senor Grommet · Post by **Senor Grommet** » 26 Jun 2005 22:10

why would it? I can barely run 2 miles without huffing and puffing! How does footbag talent translate into running talent?

Jamo · Post by **Jamo** » 27 Jun 2005 02:48

Well i box aswell as footbag and they both compliment each other. Footbag makes me lighter on my feet and boxing requires me lighter on my feet.
We also run 3-5 miles every night but i dont think theres anything remotely connected about footbag and running. Although your calves and quads will have good muscular endurance for those long trick runz.

Depends how fit you are. If 50 miles a week really tires you out then it will probably affect how often you play footbag, but as time goes on you'll get fitter and find more time for it.

slapdash21 · Post by **slapdash21** » 27 Jun 2005 05:42

Senor Grommet wrote:why would it? I can barely run 2 miles without huffing and puffing! How does footbag talent translate into running talent?

this reminds me so much of myself...there was a thread awhile back about other physical activity in general and like i said there, i basically dont do ANYTHING else anymore. other than footbag, im so damn lazy its ridiculous. i swam competitively (yes, i know, the absolute COOLEST sport

) for like 10 years, but i couldnt take it anymore...sick of the practices and everything. but yeah, i imagine any sport that involves leg movement in general would help, as long as it isnt overdone, especially cross country because it helps with stanima so much

Jeremy · Post by **Jeremy** » 27 Jun 2005 05:50

I guess it depends on your footbag game.

Personally I've found that doing more exercise makes my footbag game better and playing footbag makes my game in other sports better.

That said - footbag doesn't help for running that much - I guess because you're usually jumping up not forwards. I found when I came back to touch football after a 6 month break with no running that I could hardly run at all. However my stamina was still really good and my agility and strength was also better. So I couldn't score a 70 meter intercept touchdown but I could step three people and dive 4 meters to score

QuantumBalance · Post by **QuantumBalance** » 27 Jun 2005 09:06

FOOTCOUNTRY!!

blackjack has done this... PM him

Jdigges · Post by **Jdigges** » 27 Jun 2005 10:32

I've ran cross country most of my highschool career. I just graduated the other day and i did cross country this past fall. It definitley took time out of me shredding because of the time slot of practice, and all the energy it takes to run. I think Cross Country is the most challenging sport you can do in highschool, just because its all running, and just competing with yourself and pushing yourself to the limits. I can't count how many times i ran by my little bro and pat shredding in town while i was doing a workout

. I developed mild shin splints, because i had only been shredding for about 5 months, and my muscles were still developing for footbag. Running kind of aggravated them a bit. i had to take a couple practices off to rest them...So the answer to your question is that yes, it did take time away from my shred...but it got me in good shape.

Bander87 · Post by **Bander87** » 27 Jun 2005 10:44

This year will be my 4th year running cross, but 1st year with also playing footbag. I started more heavy footbag stuff just recently. After seeing a doctor, I relized my legs are pretty prone to injury. I was injured even before last season started and I ran through the whole season with it because I didn't want to quit (oh that sucked, lol). The doctor gave me some special insoles, but I havn't tried to run in them yet.

Jdigges · Post by **Jdigges** » 27 Jun 2005 13:56

Yea i know how that is bander...being injured during cross country is brutal

Sporatical_Distractions · Post by **Sporatical_Distractions** » 27 Jun 2005 15:21

I ran cross country for a few years back in high school. i ran 40-60 miles a week. my experience is that X-country just made my legs too sore to play. the endurance that you build will be incredible for going on lengthy strings, i just couldn't handle it.

enhancement · Post by **enhancement** » 27 Jun 2005 16:16

I don't run, I swim, around 80 KMs a week. 8 Sessions a week, and then 2 weight sessions, 2 to 2 and a half hours a week. I also do a 12 KM run after swimming on saturday mornings, footbag fits in perfectly

ShredOnLawn · Post by **ShredOnLawn** » 27 Jun 2005 21:56

I think running is okay for footbag. But your leg muscles will become too strong and lack flexibility so you must allow your trick selection to reflect your legs' restrictions.

BalinorNZ · Post by **BalinorNZ** » 27 Jun 2005 23:53

Senor Grommet wrote:why would it? I can barely run 2 miles without huffing and puffing! How does footbag talent translate into running talent?

Well think about it man, for sprinting you need alot of explosive power in your legs, the same kind you might get from schooling barraging sets?Or symp moves?

Why do you think Vasek is so good and can consistantly do difficult runs without dropping? He does'nt get tired, he does 30minute routines at a time without stopping, so he is amazingly fit and has inhuman leg muscle endurance, the same you might get from long distance running?

As you perform a string, your performance is dependant on several things. Your adrenaline, the visability of the bag, and probably most importantly, how tired you are. If you legs are exhausted you have a much lower change of hitting a move, if you are totaly out of breat and sweat is pooring into your eyes, you will be more likly to drop.
Therefore, the fitter and better muscle endurance you have, the better you should be at footbag.