Coach Budd:

I'm a basketball player and soccer player with a reputation for being speedy. When I started running more, I lost my speed. Now athletes I know I should beat are hammering me. What should I do?—Mbibbo

Coach Budd:

I love to run and have been averaging 4-7 miles a day, but I don't plan to run track this spring. I want to play soccer and then return to cross-country in the fall. Will playing soccer set me back?—Sofia

Thanks for the questions, Mbibbo and Sofia. I put these two concerns together because, in the end, the answers are similar. Such sports as basketball, soccer, field hockey, and lacrosse are all great and can prepare you well for the sport of running. In most cases, coaches of these sports will have you do some level of aerobic running (comfortable running for a warm-up or cool-down or early season conditioning). All coaches of these sports will have you perform countless sprint drills in every direction imaginable. And then there's the running that comes purely by competing in these sports. Each requires bursts of speed in all directions, countless times during practices and contests. The result is that you are quick at distances under 200 meters and pretty good at distances up to 800 meters.

Just how good you become at those distances and others depends on the specific type of training you do once you turn to running full time.

In Sofia's case, her running has earned her a great fitness base and she'll be ready to use her soccer training to add more speed. Her task: In addition to playing soccer, she needs to run 4-6 miles two days a week. That way, she'll be in great shape heading into the summer and will be building toward a solid cross-country season.

In Mbibbo's case, he may have overstretched himself by a jumping into full-time distance running over such a short period of time. His muscles are just tired. A few days off followed by some short runs with gentle strides of 50-100 meters may help his legs come back to life. A longer rest may be required if this "quick fix" doesn't work.

The key in both situations is that you need to ease into any transition. If you've been running and you move to soccer (or any other sport), you need to begin at the beginning. The first day of soccer or basketball drills can leave you sore in places you didn't even know existed. Don't try to be a superstar the first day or first week. Take your time. Plan to work into the "elite" group over time. For a soccer or basketball player, the first long run can leave you walking slowly back to the school, or hunched over in the shower, or struggling to get your socks back on…and wondering how in the world you're going to get out of bed the next morning.

I know. I've been there, a couple of times.

What do you need to do? Talk to your coaches. Let them help you through the transition. And remember that during your transition, less stress will get you there faster than too much stress. Too much stress results in sickness and injury and they will keep you on the sidelines.

Have a question for Budd? E-mail him at askbudd@rodale.com.