Long-jumping is a lot more like sprinting than it is like high-jumping. If you want to develop the distance of your jumps, you need to work on your speed. Practice wind-sprints, long distance running, and working on your short bursts of speed. Good long jumpers are fast runners. If you're going to work on your long jump, you'll leap off your dominant foot, the foot you feel most comfortable leaping from or kicking with. Usually, this will be the same foot on the side that you write with, but not necessarily. If you're not sure, take a soccer ball outside and kick it around a few times. Which side feels more comfortable? That's probably your dominant foot, and it'll be your plant foot for long jumps. Long-jumping is usually done in a sand pit, and careful technique is necessary to avoid injury. Never attempt long-jumping using this form on the ground. If you don't have access to a long-jump pit, you need to practice doing hops and landing on your feet. This is a great way of building up your distance and getting better long jumps later. It won't be time wasted working out. The take-off line should be clearly marked, beyond which will be the landing zone, where your jump will be marked. When you're long-jumping, it's important to take off as close to the line as possible to get the most out of your jump, but not to cross it, or your jump won't count. Watch the line closely, and plant your plant foot just on the right side of it. Accelerate and continue powering to the take-off line. You need to be going as fast as possible when you reach the end of the running strip. It's your momentum that should carry you into the jump, less than your strength. Plant your dominant foot on the right side of the line and focus on jumping as far forward as possible, thrusting your hips forward as much as possible. Let your momentum carry you up and over the line and into the landing pit as far as possible. Thrust your hips forward to carry you as far as possible. As you feel the apex of your leap begin to pass and you feel yourself starting to come down, thrust your feet and your arms forward to prepare for the landing and to give yourself a few extra inches on your leap. The jump will be measured at the farthest point you touch from the take-off line, so sticking your feet out far in front of you is important. The landing isn't nearly as graceful as the take-off in a good long-jump. Your landing should be mostly dictated from proper take-off form, but you can keep yourself safe by keeping your knees flexed slightly, your ankles very straight, and not using your wrists to brace your fall. Let the sand do the work for you.
++++++++++
One-sentence summary -- Practice your sprints. Find your dominant foot. Only practice long-jumps in the appropriate track location. Sprint to the take-off line. Take off. Kick your arms and legs forward before the landing. Land as softly as possible.

If your goldfish spends a lot of time just below the water's surface or seems to be gasping at any air bubbles, it may be a sign that your fish is having a difficult time breathing. This might be due to low levels of oxygen in the water, high levels of stress, or something else entirely. If your goldfish is swimming around with their mouth open, it may be another sign that they are having difficulties getting enough oxygen. Observe your fish for a few minutes at a time to see if they are swimming at an angle, upside down, or anything else that seems unusual. Goldfish will normally swim around in an upright position and stay nearer the bottom of the tank, so anything significantly different might be a sign that your goldfish is unwell. Similarly, make sure your goldfish is swimming around and interacting with things in the tank. If your goldfish is hardly moving and staying right at the bottom of the tank, it's a sign that something may be seriously wrong with them. If you watch your fish often, you should have a rough idea of what they should look like. Watch your fish as they swim around, and see if you can get a close look at their scales and fins. Here are a few things to look out for: Look at your goldfish's fins for any tearing or red veins that are bulging out. This is normally a sign of stress or could be an indicator that there is another fish in the tank that is bullying them. Make sure the fins are at their full length and not starting to shrink or deteriorate into a stump. If any part of your fish's fins seems to be disappearing, it could a sign of fin rot. Black spots might mean that your goldfish has ammonia burn or some type of parasite. Make sure your fish isn't bleeding or missing any scales. If you notice any small red marks on your fish or any spots in its skin without scales, something is hurting your fish. It could be another, more aggressive fish in the same tank, or it may be your fish rubbing against something to try and scratch a parasite. As your goldfish is swimming around, examine them for any new spots, bumps or textures on their skin and face. These could all be signs of parasites, bacterial infections, or other serious illnesses. Here are a few things you should keep an eye out for: Look for a fine white fuzz, particularly around the mouth, or any other discoloration of the scales. This could be a sign of a bacterial infection that will need to be treated. See if you notice any small, white or black spots on your fish. White spots may indicate that your fish has ich, which is a common parasite found in goldfish. Check for bloated or raised scales. If you see any bloating or protuberance where you've not seen one before, it could mean that your goldfish is ill. However, it may also mean that they're pregnant, or that you've just been overfeeding them. It can be very hard to get a good look at your fish's eyes, but you should be able to inspect them with a bit of time. Look through the tank until your fish comes close enough to see their eyes. Unnatural bulging, a build-up of mucous or cloudy-looking eyes can all be signs that something is wrong. Protruding eyes may be a sign of "pop eye", which is usually caused by an infection. Cloudy eyes, or eyes with a cloudy film over them, can be a sign of some sort of vitamin deficiency. When you next feed your goldfish, keep an eye out to make sure all of them are swimming to try and get some food. Goldfish will eat anything they can, so goldfish that aren't eating are likely very ill. If you notice that your fish isn't eating, try sprinkling a little food so that it falls right in front of them. It may be that they can't see the food or are slow to react to it, this is another sign that something is wrong.
++++++++++
One-sentence summary --
Check if your goldfish stays close to the surface. Watch your fish for unusual swimming patterns. Take a close look at your goldfish's fins and scale. Check if there's anything on your fish that wasn't there before. Pay close attention to your fish's eyes. Make sure your goldfish is eating.