You are predesposed to be better at certain types of running/cycling than others. The most profound example of this is to look at the ratial makeup of classes of runners - sprinters versus marathoners. Kenyans are particularly adept, but how many blacks do you see at the Tour de France or howmany whites do you see in the 100 meter dash?
There are two genetic factors. One is the ratio of fast twitch to slow twitch mucle fibers in the legs. The more slow twitch, the more favorable you are to distance running, the more fast twich, the more favorable you are to short races. Slow twitch are not very strong but do endure - and they also primarily feed off of fat and also oxygen. Faster twitch are almost anaerobic and feed off of glycogen.
You can determine from breath test and the kind of gasses your body releases in your breath what kind of fiber is being used.
The second factor is your VO2 Max level - the ability of your body to suck oxygen out of the air that you are inhaling. The higher this number, the relatively better you will be at distance work. This is because the shorter the distance, the more anaerobic an activity is and the longer the distance, the more aerobic an activity is. Hence a high number means you are better at something the more aerobic it is. I think the 400 meters is about 10% aerobic, 90% anaerobic, and the mile is the opposite, and the 5k is about 1% anaerobic, 99% aerobic.
This is in part why you see a lot of asthmatics in the shorter distances - I think Jackie Joyner Cursie was the fastest woman alive and a severe asthatic. Why? Because short distances don't require very much oxygen (they are very anaerobic). I htink the 100 meters is about 99% anaerobic.
That isn't to say that you could not be a world class sprinter if you have a high VO2 Max level, it just means that relatively speaking, there is a likely hood you would be better at distance. And that if you have very low VO2 Max
STILL, it does not mean that you could not do vERY WELL at other events. I am of the mind that almost anyone can do a 5 minutemile, an 18 minute 3 mile/5k, a sub-60 400, and a sub 3 hour marathon. However, few people are really willing to put in the time to do it.
However, to be an elite, you may need to select the sport your genetics have a best fit for. Because while you can do well at anything with enough training, you need genetics to give you an edge to be an elite. 5 minute mile may impress your non-running friends, but it won't get you even a second look at any meet anywhere because you will be nearly a minute behind the pack.
Endurance training is a lot differnet from weight lifting because it involves a tremendous amount of pain. With lifting, either it moves or it doesn't and unless you do something stupid and injure yourself, any pain is very short term.
With endurance training, you are constantly asking yourself the question 'how much pain can I take today? One mile more? One minute more? One lap more?' And the pain doesn't get any less - it increases. Although you may get better with time, you will find yourself pushing yourself further and harder.
One thing though - your coach may be an idiot. Maybe tell us more about yourself, have a VO2 Max test done, and share with us. Maybe get hooked up with Nike Run since they are in your area.
Someone should sticky this.
Please Scroll Down to See Forums Below 
