I am in great shape and I am very fast when it comes to sprints. I condition and work out alot. But for the love of me I can't run distances fast at all. I have to slow jog it to survive, while people who did nothing all summer lap me. Can someone explain this to me please?
2007-08-14 14:58:59 · 5 answers · asked by R52L 5 in Sports ➔ Running
There's some truth to the fast twitch muscle thing. But there might be other factors... if you've got a muscular build, that is good for sprints, but it's too much weight for long distance running. Also, there's a training element. You have to learn how to pace yourself properly. If you start out too fast you might burn yourself at the beginning. The whole stride technique is different too! When you're doing a short sprint, you'll lift your legs high and push off the balls of your feet. For long distance you need a totally different kind of arm and leg movement to conserve your energy.
2007-08-14 15:25:30 · answer #1 · answered by L T 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Being able to run different distances requires different types of training. If you have been running fast then you are training an energy system for sprinting. If you want to run distance you need to train that energy system. We have different percentages of muscle fiber that limit our abilities within categories of races. We can train to get better, but we can not do something that we do not have the body or cardiovascular system to do. You can not make a Kentucky Derby winner out of a plow horse. Work with what you have and do your best with your potential.
2007-08-14 22:31:24 · answer #2 · answered by lestermount 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You have a lot of fast twitch muscle and not very much slow twitch. You can improve with practice though.
2007-08-14 22:09:01 · answer #3 · answered by Nelson_DeVon 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
well you are a sprinter and most sprinters cant run that long at a kinda fast paste. you can only do a slow jog but keep working on it and it shall improve....
2007-08-15 06:25:39 · answer #4 · answered by sexyandsingle 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
not sure, but i think its partly physical and partly mental. just built up on your endurance and improve your breathing.. you may even have to relax your arms bc that might be making you tired. mentally, just take the pain and push through it and convince yourself (for that time) that you are a distance runner. ok, sounds crazy but it helps... basically, just run alot and build up your endurance bc that is definitely the most important factor
2007-08-14 22:24:54 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋