How do I cope with the fact that I will never be a great runner because I just don't have the talent and genetics?

1 Timothy 6:8 And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content.

If you think this life is about you and fulfilling your dreams, you are sorely mistaken, my friend.

as a post-collegiate, average 100mile wks for years, move up to the marathon,etc and i think you'll surprise yourself in a way that'll at least want to make you keep going.

Fitting into the same category as 99.99% of the population is no problem for most of us.

Being able to walk is a major achievement for some.

Get over yourself.

Maybe you can be the equivalent of a 12:50 guy in some other field that is actually relevant to making the world a better place.

Along the way, try to find contentment within yourself, and not from your accomplishments (or for that matter, your bank balance, or the number of women you've slept with).

Firstly, you're very talented but point taken. I'm a 5 minute miler, but at the end of the day I like training and improving. I coach HS track and some kids have absolutely no talent, but they enjoy it and come to practice everyday. The whole journey, if you will, needs to be worth it to you. I've thought about giving up running more than once. Sometimes, I think running 50 mpw is stupid, but more often I think why doesnt everyone run 50 mpw. You gotta keep the fire going.

That's the same with me. The journey to greatness is a lot of fun. Post-college I up the mileage to 90 and am running my PRs in workouts now. I suck by letsrun standards but I usually come in the top5 at any local road race.

Sorry, I can't avoid a smart ass remark. Your post reminds me of the final lines of the movie "Goodfellas".

The same thing can be said for almost all of us. Run because you love it. Train hard because you want to be the best that you can be.

No matter how good you are, there's always going to be someone better. Runners at all levels struggle with this reality. If you are really slow, you wish you were faster. If you are close to making the Olympic Trials, you wish you were fast enough to make them. If you barely make the Trials, you wish you were fast enough to make the team. If you make the team, you wish you were fast enough to make the finals in your event, to medal, to win, and on and on.

Finding joy in the process is what has allowed me to run for 30+ years, even though I was never very fast; and I'm a lot slower now. Even now, I'm motivated to be better than I was last month and last year. Ultimately, either you love running or you don't.

are you ever going to be among the 100 smartest people in the world? the 100 richest? even if you try really really hard? how do you cope with these injustices?

this is all bs

no one knows what "genetics" they have. you just havent got the correct training under your belt yet. you can be ANYTHING you want to be, the hard part is figuring out HOW.

The post above is a very good post. To add to this post, I think you should focus on enjoying running, the movement and how good it makes you feel after you finish running, have you noticed that yet?

Additionally, you need to learn to love racing and competing at level that you're in now. Enjoy going back and forth with other runners in a race, compete hard, finish races hard with monster kicks. You'll be surprise how fun this sport is if you learn to love racing and competing. Try it my friend and be happy.

Rule #1 is you play the hand you're dealt, my friend.

Your post actually makes little sense, claiming you have a 'passion for running' then basically saying what you really have a passion for is being #1 - that's completely different.

So, to cope, if you can't live without being The Best find another sphere to pursue, if you have a passion for running just (like the rest of us) strive be the best you can be. Looking back it'll be all about the struggle to get there, not the achievement.

Thank you - give $100 to my assistant on the way out --next!

This has to be a troll thread.

HOnestly, with that attitude you are already defeated...you have already given up and who says you don't have the genetics.

Isn't the fun seeing how high you can climb? or is it, knowing ahead of time your "potential" and only being willing to work if you know (or think you know) what the outcome will be.

You are too focused on the outcome and not the process....if you don't love what you do - it does not matter how gifted you are - you are not going to rise to the highest level because you don't have the work ethic, the patience, the mindset to do what it takes to get there.

Look at the story of anyone what makes it to the top of their game and you will find self doubt, struggle, hard work, etc....the problem is you only see the finished product (you have gotten to used to seeing the Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, Roger Federer once they are all grown up and successful)...rather than how they got there.

Do you really think that those who run sub 13 5K's know they are genetically enhanced in a way to ensure results when they are 10 years old?

You might read the Jim Ryun story if you want to see how hard work can pay off - here is a kid who can't make the team (actually gets cut from the team) but does not give up. Why not? Why doesn't he just accept the fact that he is not as good as the runners at his school. That the script has already been written and he might as well give up on this sport and move on to something else..

if you think your script has already been written (your limits have already been pre-determined), that is sad.

Personally, i am motivated by the fact that the outcome has not been set. I love experimenting with training to see what the outcome will be...I like dreaming the dream and then working toward it by setting goals. I like proving people wrong who think there are all these predetermined truism as we age like:

you get slower as you age

you lose your speed

you can recover as quickly

you should only do so many hard workout a week

or only so many long runs per week

or high milage = injury

or speed = injury

or you should only race so many times in a season

Well, I was never faster than 32 plus for the 10 km, never went under 2 1/2 hr. for the marathon, but after 44 plus years I am still running, sure at what would be considered by some slower than jogging pace but what still keeps me in shape.

It's why you are running is what it comes down to...this sounds a lot like me while I was back in my 20's, & my early 30's and having a lot of injury problems, & wondering am I out there for all the wrong reasons.

Heed some of earlier posts they may be helpful.

Drugs & alcohol are excellent coping strategies.

no brain wrote:

this is all bs

no one knows what "genetics" they have. you just havent got the correct training under your belt yet. you can be ANYTHING you want to be, the hard part is figuring out HOW.

I totally agree, not a lot of people, especially on the western world are willing to run as much to make them great, or at least to find out how good they can be.

Don't say you won't be great until you have tried everything, chances are you won't be but the journey is well worth it.

by the way, there are thousands of Kenyans younger than you who are running three times a day, why? they all want to know how great they can be.

You're a junior in college saying this?

And you insult Brian Sell?

You're a little b----.

Just keep at it! You can do anything you put your mind to! I just got a C in 9th grade algebra, but I'm not gonna let that get me down! I'm going to prove the Riemann Hypothesis and there is nothing that can stop me! I know that people aren't born smart, it's all just hard work, like Malcolm Gladwell says!