Fast Twitching

So, I've read that runners either have fast twitch muscles or slow ones and even though I suppose I can now call myself an endurance runner, I know I have a small amount of 'slow twitch'. Sprinting has always seemed a much easier option for me - perhaps because it's over quicker?

Apparently, the slow twitch muscles contract slowly but keep going for a long time, whereas the fast twitch ones contract quickly but rapidly get tired. This was confirmed by a trip to the Perform Centre in Rossendale yesterday, on week two of the Running Efficiency, Posture and Control course I am doing via Bradford Athletics Network. We spent about an hour and a half learning about and being tested on the strength and control in our muscles, and in our legs in particular.

After warming up and going through a variety of dynamic stretches, we were introduced to the Smart Speed Reactive Training System, which basically assesses how high you can jump, hop and sprint (and manoeuvre round corners!). We firstly had to take it in turns to see how high we could jump with a broom handle on our shoulders so just using our legs for momentum. We then repeated the exercise using just one leg. It was interesting but not really surprising (I'm left-handed) to learn how much weaker I am on my right leg than my left. The point of this, I think, was two-fold. Firstly, to demonstrate how much more momentum using your arms to propel yourself gives you, and secondly, to demonstrate where weaknesses lie so strength work can be used to address this.

Tomorrow night is the speed session at Horsfall Stadium where we've been told we'll be progressing interval sessions (learning theory and practice), discussing training diaries/logs: recording and monitoring; confirming warm up routines and completing an interval running session.

Makes me wonder whether all this fast twitching stuff is going to make me want to slow twitch. For now, I think I just really need to schedule in a lie down...