How likely is it that your body type doesn't "match" the type of runner you actually are?

Outside of professional and high D1 running, it happens a lot. Few people are actually prototype runners in their events, but watching high level racing might lead you to think everyone is a prototype.

Andrew Wheating is another guy that just doesn't make any sense.

Yea I know what you mean. I have always been smallish, 5'10 135 and growing up wanted to be a good distance runner. Now in my 20's and find more and more I am fast twitch and thats why I suck at 5ks. Ran in the 22s and 50.x last year not real fast but I feel ya (19min 5k?)

lgbt-4-8-15+ wrote:

In my case, I thought I would be a 3200m runner when I came out for track my frosh year of HS because I have the distance runner build (tall and thin, think Kiprop). But it turned out I had quite a bit more speed than I thought I did, and now a year later I'm pretty sure (but not certain of course) that I'm pure 800m or possible 400/800. I'm always getting dropped on tempos and long runs as my muscles start to tighten up, but I can outrun faster teammates if we have to hammer a couple 200s or something like that.

Pretty clever hiding this message in there Mr. LGBT. Not all tall and thin guys are gay. Are you bi-curious? Are straight people short distance runners and gay people distance runners in your analogy? Do you have a crush on someone who looks like he is straight, but you hope he is gay? Or vice versa?

Actually reading this thread with this as analogy makes it kind of funny.

Dear lgbt-4-8-15+

You are still in high school and your body is still developing. You should run as fast as you can as often as the body permits. You can always add in the miles later. Developing great, not good biomechanics (technique,) is the name of the game at your age and avoiding injury.

Who told you you were a 3k guy. Did you have a muscle biopsy, were you evaluated by a high level coach, did you even try sprinting, jumping, throwing? Then how do you know - you don't.

The reality of sport and life in general is that most people are in the wrong field of endeavour.

Also, get past this fast-twitch and slow-twitch paradigm. There are many national level sprinters who have quite a bit of slow-twitch. Likewise there are distance runners who have quite a bit of fast-twitch.

The fastest guy does not win the race. It is the guy who executed his race plan the best given the circumstances that wins.

You should be focused on improving all aspects of your athleticism and not just being a 3k guy. If you want to run in a US college you are going to have to run more than one event since there are only 12-12.6 scholarships that must be spread throughout the team -- assuming you are male. If you are female you get 18.

Be the athlete who can contribute to his HS team in multiple events.

Haha, no. That wasn't the intention and I'm not trolling or anything. The name is just a play on how they keep adding letters onto "lgbt" and I thought it would be funny to include types of runners.

runfastrunfar wrote:

You are still in high school and your body is still developing. You should run as fast as you can as often as the body permits. You can always add in the miles later. Developing great, not good biomechanics (technique,) is the name of the game at your age and avoiding injury.

Who told you you were a 3k guy. Did you have a muscle biopsy, were you evaluated by a high level coach, did you even try sprinting, jumping, throwing? Then how do you know - you don't.

The reality of sport and life in general is that most people are in the wrong field of endeavour.

I actually brought up training as a 4/8 guy with my coach awhile back, but it never got beyond "I think it might work." You're right that I never tried sprinting or had a muscle biopsy or anything. In fact, I've never even run a 400m because everyone, coaches included, kind of assumes I'm a distance runner even though I have a hunch I'm really more on the short end of middle distance. Maybe I should try to get into a 400m sometime and see what I can do, because I suppose I could be wrong about this whole thing altogether.