Does it ever demoralize you at how talented some people are?

Don't get defeated. If you enjoy it, do it. BTW, what's the kid's name? Should be a national name, no?

Some people are just blessed with incredible Max Vo2 right out of the womb. Hard work can make up for some lack of talent but not enough to make you elite, unfortunately.

sad face wrote:

For example, this past weekend, a kid from my former high school ran sub 9 off of ~20 mpw in season and 0-5 mpw out of season.

It made me wonder what the point of running/competing was because here I am plowing away... it won't stop me from running but definitely demoralizes me.

It actually makes me wonder how much talent goes undiscovered because most kids don't even bother trying to run.

I'm at peace with stuff like that. I used to get pissed about that kind of shit but I just tell myself this: "yes they may be faster, but its not because they worked harder than me".

I remember when Adam Goucher ran 13:11 for the 5k and I had just read "Running with the Buffaloes." I thought, "Damn, I'll never be able to run like that! He is such a stud!" Then I discovered that Haile Gebrselassie had run 26:22 for the 10k, i.e. he had run 13:11 for the 5k twice without stopping. That was sort of demoralizing. Probably demoralizing for Goucher too. I'm cool with it now though.

A lot of kids are running sub 9 these days so it's probably not a name known across the country. It just makes it worse that this kid is a total asshole/arrogant jerk.

I do get upset at times...knowing that I started running too late in life to ever know what times I could post as an 18-year old. I'm nearly twice that age now.

Our town has a competitive running community. We have a running store that sponsors 10-12 runners a year with free shoes, etc. and they completely destroy any chance of winning the big races. In fact, about three weeks ago they took spots 1-10...the 11th place finisher, a rec runner, came in at 17:40. All of them are post collegiate runners who run more than 80mpw, train together, live together, etc. The talent is astounding...and frustrating to non-talented workaholics like myself who can only run mid-18's and never break 60 in a 400.

I just have to come to the conclusion that I'll never be good as they are now and enjoy what running brings to my personal life - a clean bill of health and clear head.

Besides, we all end up in the same place anyways...old and slow. Accept that and running will be a lot more enjoyable.

You could be demoralized but why worry about what you cannot control?

Unless you're the ' world's best' there is someone better than at it. Fixation upon this reality does no benefit to you and has negative consequences if you allow it to demoralize you.

Concern yourself with things that you can actually control. Such as yourself and goals which you can control achieving like racing smart rather than 3.54 etc.

Is your measure of self-worth directly related to your running successes?

I can guarantee you that that kid is doing a lot of cross training and/or has been very involved in other sports for many years. He also may be lieing about how much training he does, to appear more talented than he really is. We all know guys who show up at races and talk about how they haven't been able to train much lately... etc and then go out and run a great time. Usually they're just trying to lower peoples' expectations, so that they don't feel as much pressure to perform.

Not me! I keep believin' I"m gonna destroy these sons of b******! Gotta have fire in the belly boy. Fire in the belly!

sad face wrote:

For example, this past weekend, a kid from my former high school ran sub 9 off of ~20 mpw in season and 0-5 mpw out of season.

It made me wonder what the point of running/competing was because here I am plowing away... it won't stop me from running but definitely demoralizes me.

I think the truly demoralizing thing is when kids are incredibly talented but would rather smoke pot and drink themselves stupid than train.

I know how much he runs and it is indeed not much more than 20 mpw (highest week he's ever done has probably been 25-30 mpw). For some reference, he ran mid 9s as a freshman off of even less training and literally only ran 3-4 days of the week.

oh please wrote:

It actually makes me wonder how much talent goes undiscovered because most kids don't even bother trying to run.

Absolutely. I figure most naturally-gifted athletes find their way into sports if they don't drink themselves stupid or otherwise destroy their potential, but it can't be 100%, and how about the ones who stay in the "wrong" sport? Like the soccer kid in the preface to The Quotable Runner?

A friend of mine can run low 4:30's for the mile and during season he practiced maybe 7 times a month, and only did like 4-6 400's at 1:10. He has a MONSTROUS kick that he unleashes every race in the last 150, and just obliterates anyone he can catch. He ran a 15:19 for 3 miles off of less than 25 miles a week. Hell, it may have been less than 20. He just absolutely hates losing. He doesn't run that much but he still works out by lifting weights and playing other sports. It doesn't demoralize me at all though.

What's worse is the ones who party and drink all the time and still beat you. People that get drunk all the time and still run 14:30 are as annoying as crap.

And I don't believe in the whole "runs fast 'cause they don't want to lose" bullcrap. I'd like to think if I was being chased by a tiger my 5K would be about the same as my PR.

I don't think you can even begin to argue that some people are capable of pushing their bodies further than others...that's what is meant by "don't like to lose."

Correct answer wrote:

I don't think you can even begin to argue that some people are capable of pushing their bodies further than others...that's what is meant by "don't like to lose."

Of course I can argue it. This is teh internetz.

Maybe some people are lazy when they race, but I assumed pretty much everyone is going as hard as they can.

Fair enough, I'll do my best to explain my thoughts.

I think a more accurate assumption would be to say that most athletes run to 95% of their maximal ability. Obviously it's an arbitrary number but my point will remain the same. The other 5% is achieved through pushing your body to extreme limits: greyouts, etc.

If you push yourself too far then your body will shutdown and you'll blackout. How many athletes have you seen run until they passed out? The only way to know that you've pushed your body as far as possible is to find that limit. If you never over-extend then you've never discovered what your limit truly is.

Similarly a state of complete depletion upon finishing, an almost comatose state would indicate that you've pushed your body to its limit.