Tougher Sport XC, soccer

Very few soccer players would be able to be even remotely competitive in an xc race. I have yet to see many of them who can consistently be running 5-6 minute miles for more than 1 mile.

and there's a lot more in a race than you think. You have to hit certain split times if you want any hope of winning, there's a lot more pacing, and you have to know the course almost perfectly to know when to launch attacks etc. It's not just a simple case of running until you hit the finish. There's more thinking to it than you'd think.
 
soccer! you run just as far but then you have to have skill with the ball! your not just running! but yes i do know quite a few XC runners that are good at soccer! soccer is "tougher" in a physical sense.
 
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look up lance armstong's marathon times and then say all you need is endurance. He has better endurance than anyone in the world, yet his times are pretty comparable to your average male runner.
 
Cross country. Sure there is a lot of running in soccer but it's all for a more obvious purpose. Trust me you don't feel tired if your on a breakaway to win the match.
 
remember that here is the thing with soccer. We aren't speaking about high school level shit. Soccer at the professional level is one of the most demanding sports in the world. Although you may not think so, it is. At the professional level, players run for 45 straight & then another 45. Within that time you don't stop much. As a midfielder you are constantly running & at the professional level you are EXPECTED to make the 100 meter run in the 89th minute to chase down the ball. Once one player begins to slack so does the team. Soccer is tougher because it's actually really tough mentally. Its very physical but how much you run & how much you work your ass off when you're dead tired & you're starting to cramp & you can't sub or get a drink, is all in your head & that's why its actually a very demanding sport.
 
i agree with this.

every year our long distance kids threatened to play soccer instead of run track... ^this is why
 
the marathon world record is at 4:30 mile pace about, for 26.2 miles.

long distance running is hard, very hard.

not saying soccer isnt, aaaand, in running there is no breaks or water at all. cool.
 
i play both lacrosse (similar to soccer in the way it is) and i run xc, running does require a lot of skill (finding your pace, starting well, ending fast) and also just the repetition from running, so thats why im going with xc
 
did both in highschool have to say xc is much much harder, a day of speed work for an xc practice is 100x harder than youre hardest sprint workouts for soccer, this is coming froma school that was ranked in the top 3 for xc
 
i play soccer, and one of my best friends just switched from soccer to XC. he pretty much died the first three practices, but after that he said it wasn't bad. personally i think XC is more physically demanding, however soccer requires more time, dedication and additional skills. the overall fitness of a soccer player vs. a XC runner in my opinion is about the same.
 
XC is without a doubt the hardest sport i have ever participated in. Yeah, anyone can be at least a decent runner if they apply themselves and train hard, but The amount of mental strength it takes to run 7+ miles a day with speed work 3-4 times a week is something that most high schoolers dont possess. I encourage any of you who havent, to go and try to run a 5k flat out. Soccer players dont dread going to practice, most actually enjoy it.
 
Hard to compare. Honestly if you work your ass off at either they're both hard.

I'd probably say xc because all you're doing is pushing yourself to the edge no stops. In soccer at least there's the joy of kicking a ball here and there
 
This Is so true. and post above you don't get better at running by just running five miles... You obviously dont understand running much at all don't
 
but what if this is what i do at my soccer practice except after for another hour we do skills and scrimmaging
 
i'm guessing someone has already pointed out the irony of choosing soccer and cross country running when comparing "tough sports" in this two page thread, so.... i've got no input.
 
Apples to oranges. Sure both sports involve running, but there's no comparison. It's like that kid that decided to compare skiing to soccer a week or so ago... You can't compare them. However, I see XC as a means to an end - i.e. you run a bunch and get your endurance up so you can do other sports like soccer, basketball, etc. That's not to say XC isn't a sport, but shit it's a lot of hard work and all you're doing is running around - pretty boring imo.
 
for a lot of people, it's more than a means to an end. its so mentally challenging, i throw up a lot after races and even practices. it's not easy going to practice every day, knowing that all it entails is pain and beating yourself half to death. at least you get to look forward to something to in soccer, xc is like oh joy, a race. in about 20 minutes, i'll be puking my guts out.
 
Conversation with my coach

"Hey coach, how long are we running the length of the field?"

"Until all of you puke"

You cannot tell me that is enjoyable. XC is tough but so is soccer.
 
Oh for sure, that's why I don't understand the point in doing XC solely for the purpose of being a XC runner - I mean, it definitely takes a ton of dedication, determination and hard work, and for some people, maybe that's what they love about it - that feeling of accomplishment for sticking with it. But for me, the idea of running till I puke and not even enjoying it just doesn't sound very appealing - I'd much rather work my ass off and have some fun while I'm at it.

 
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