The human body has three energy systems.

One for fast reactive movement (diving under the car to save your three-year-old toddler), a slower, more extended, but still, a pretty snappy system (for running 350 meters, to get help for your three-year-old toddler). Finally, there is the long term ‘trickle’ energy system (the one you use while shoe shopping, running 5k, miles away from any toddlers)

For people who have little experience of toddlers, these ‘metabolic engines’ are known

as the phosphagen pathway, the glycolytic pathway, and the oxidative pathway.

■ The first, the phosphagen, dominates the highest-powered activities (100 metre sprint), those that last less than about ten seconds.

■ The second pathway, the glycolytic, dominates moderate-powered activities, those that last up to several minutes (400-800 metre run).

■ The third pathway, the oxidative, dominates low-powered activities, those that last in excess of several minutes (5k run, walking, shopping).

I often annoy some of my clients by making them train all 3 systems.

I love a jog. I do, but, fitness training cannot be just about jogging. What if you did get attacked? Could you put on a bout of speed to get yourself out of trouble or do you just a have a jogging speed?

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