As much as I love running, and as much as I appreciate the years of hard work I've put into being a decent long-distance runner, there are some drawbacks that I am paying for now that I never considered before.
As I learned in health class my freshman year of college, every person has fast-twitch muscles and slow-twitch muscles. Not surprisingly, endurance athletes tend to develop more slow-twitch than fast-twitch, whereas athletes who rely more on speed and reflexes, like sprinters, football and volleyball players, etc., develop more fast-twitch muscles.
Now that I am free to explore other sports via intramurals, I am learning that the athleticism I used to take so much pride in has diminished. I lack agility, which I determined on the racquetball court; quick reflexes, discovered on the football field; hand-eye coordination--I'm sure you can imagine; and certainly more skills to be uncovered within the next few months.
Had I known all I would be good for after years of running was...running, well, probably nothing would have changed (maybe I wouldn't be quite as frustrated). I feel like a child, relearning how to move and think on my toes. I wonder, though, is this the only price I'll have to pay?
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