Belief wrote:
I get offended by the word, because it's a cop out.
I recently taught myself a new skill to a very high level very quickly. People tell me I have lot of talent, I say to them, I just worked and worked and worked at it for 10 hours a day until I got the results I required. Then when I ran out of money to finance my indulgence I got a proper job.
Is that my talent? My ability to focus on something? Or is it just that I made the most of an opportunity, while other people were distracted by their over busy lives?
Running is just one of the millions of things you can do with your time isn't it? We all have thousands of 'talents' that we can further develop don't we?
Do you really think that you ever reached anywhere near your genetic potential for running?
OK. You use this term (despite how it offends you) so you must believe it does exist. Your definition may differ from the common usage, so please describe it as you use it.
You give a vague example. But that is OK, I can work with it. Most (if not all) skills CAN be brought to a very high level by most people if they put in the needed hours of work/practice/study/conditioning etc. We agree on this.
Again, how do you define talent? You started the thread based on the existence of talent for individuals. If you continue to dodge this question I would wonder why you bothered to start the thread.
No. I have never come close to reaching my genetic potential (talent level?) in running. I am fairly certain I won't ever do so. I am just not interested in doing so. Other priorities.