Tailor training for Muscle Fiber Type

Well I don't know your running back ground, but I'm a collegiate runner and here are some things that I usually do to improve my fast twitch fiber:

500m x 10

1000m x 6

200m x 20

Generally after a long run its good to get out on the track or on the grass and do 10x100m followed by a cool down run. Make sure you add distance with your speed work. Depending on how many days a week you run, I would recommend that you have 2-3 days of speed work.

background: 34 years old been running since HS. typically run 40-60miles get injured every 3 months not getting any faster in 7 years.

PRs: 400:53, 1600:4:40, 5k:16:55, 1/2: 1:19 all 7 years old.

are all of these workouts in one week?

Yes, your instincts are correct. I'd have to hear some more details on your background to write a schedule, but here are some basic ideas:

One option is to work up in distance, with quality rather than to build long slow base and then work on speed. Attack below goal race distance, then apply that speed to the longer race. Looking at your bests, I would suggest going after a better 1500 or 3000 as a stepping-stones to 5k and up. Pay attention to what event is most fun for you. run gears that feel good.

The second thing is to add in more varied pace training. Fartlek is good, and so is some of the Igloi stuff (see Bob Schul's recent post on adding walking to his endurance-speed training before 1964 5000m gold). Here it depends on your specific fiber type, so what constitutes sets and optimal total volume for a session might be lower than it is for a runner with a more type I.

You also need less tempo work. For you, a short tempo type workout might be 1-2 miles. With some of the faster 800m runners I've advised, a good tempo can be a single 1000m rep. Work the gears that feel right to you and find the sweet spot on duration.

Overall you need less volume and more quality. Again start low, and look for results, worrying less about totals. You can gradually increase mileage as you get stronger, and find out more about what works best for you. Lots of other ideas of course. Remember it is the person with the best combination of speed and stamina who wins a race. Don't be afraid to work from your strengths.

Email if you'd like more help.

dsrunner

dsrunner@juno.com

Depends on what you mean by fast twitch. There exists a gradient between fast twitch and slow twitch. The types and number of types depends on what research you are reading. In general there are three types: Slow twitch, fast twitch A, and fast twitch B.

As the force needs increase so does the recruitment of muscle fiber types from slow to fast. As you move faster you need more force and thus more muscle fibers and "faster" fibers are recruited.

Most runners I run across in the gym have one speed. They train at one speed. They race at that same speed. They are uncomfortable trying to run faster because they never have. They have never recruited those higher end fiber types in training. They have never run faster in training because they have not been introduced to the concept of interval training.

If you want to recruit the highest number of muscle fibers then you must sprint. A good workout would be 10x100 following you run with full recovery (run 100, jog 100, or run 200, jog 200, repeat).

Now, you don't sprint a 5k do you? You run at a hard steady pace. There is a specific muscle fiber recruitment pattern associated with that effort. If then you are training to run a 5k you should practice that recruitment pattern. One example would be this:

You want to run a 17:00 5k.

Run intervals at that pace. Use equal time rest. 3 minutes at 17:00 pace, 3 minutes jog, repeat 6 times.

Those are only examples. There are thousdands more. Long easy running will give you the ability to run for a long time. You will have a lot of stamina...but not a lot of endurance. Endurance is keeping a set pace for a period of time. So someone who can run 5:00 miles for 3 miles has the endurance to sustain 5:00 miles.

Every runner I see in the gym does the same thing everyday that they run. They don't do interval training. If you do interval training you will train yourself to recruit more upper end muscle fibers, you will train yourself to sustain a higher energy output and thus a higher speed in your races.

There is a drawback though. You can't run interval training everyday. Intervals, similar to weight lifting, puts a lot of strain on your muscles, tendons, and joints. You become sore, you have delayed onset of muscle soreness and if you try to train hard with sore muscles you will only become more sore and slower. So, try interval training twice a week, Tuesday and Friday, run long Sunday, then run easy the rest of the week.

Alan