How do you know your running potential?

If you like it, go for it.

Just run baby, don't overanalyze.

No there is no way to know your potential. You can never go wrong by trying. There is always a satisfaction of doing our best no matter the result.

The only way to know your potential is to go 100% after it. There is no trick to it, just be prepared for a lot of hard work and some big potholes in the road. If you do it, great, the feeling of accomplishing your goals is certainly going to be sweet. If you don't go sub 4, thats great too, in the real world there aren't very many people that run that fast. It'll probably be a lot of fun on the road. Just take into account that in 20 years you'll probably look back and either wonder what you could have done, or know that line where your abilities really were when you set your mind to it and went after your goals.

great post, I am in a very similar situation to you. I agree completely with the person above. You should go for it. I am trying for 2016 trials. What college are you running for?

Most guys who break 4 can run sub-1:50 for the 800, and you have to be able to a 50-flat 400 to do that. You should know whether or not you are capable of running 50 for a 400. I'm not saying everybody who can run 50 can break 4, but many of them can.

your post reminds me of this guy in my high school who ran a 50.2 quarter mile (not 400) his freshman year. He was a total natural -- never trained in the off season. Ran like a deer and was built like Jim Ryun. Then he quit his sophomore year so he could hang out with the farmer crowd on their pickup trucks on Friday nights.

He was easily the most gifted runner I ever saw, and yet he had no desire to use that talent.

i don't know about your potential in a few years time but if you give me your current best open 400/800 times ( this season ) i can input it in here & give you some sort of answer for potential this year :

http://www.jundo.co.uk/

How good can u be? Thats up to you...and do you want to?

You wont get much recognition or money most likely, but if you think it a worthwhile pursuit, go for it. Maybe consider other events?

Look at Malmo - AR holder, multiple national teams and a lot of intl success. Aside from those "in" running, nobody now has the slightest idea who he is, or really cares. His accomplishments are for himself, and based on the tenor of his posts, a source of confidence. Thats what "going for it" will get you - the confidence that you can set your own goals, rahter than having them shoved down your throat.

Your marginal opportunity cost of deferring a "career" for 1-2 years is negligible. So you really have nothing to lose. Speaking more broadly, you should not benchmark your success against others - it should be personal.

Deena only broke 16:00 once in her college career. When she approached coaches after she graduated, a few told her to get lost.

Sub4, sub 410....there are a lot of things u can accomplish in this sport...239.xx seconds is just one of them