How fast were your parents?

Clue me in wrote:

What about genetics has anything to do with it?

Genetics -------> talent

Environment ----> training

Some have neither. Others have one or the other. A few have both.

My Dad could have been Eamonn Coghlan pal

not that complex. wrote:

Clue me in wrote:

What about genetics has anything to do with it?

Genetics -------> talent

Environment ----> training

Some have neither. Others have one or the other. A few have both.

You really think that's an answer to my question? Your response is just as vague as "genetics". What EXACTLY do genetics have to do with this? What EXACTLY are you calling talent?

Al Gardiner wrote:

Novo wrote:

Dad was a 49 second 400m runner... Mom isn't athletic

Ive ran 2:29 in the marathon at 20 years old

"I've RUN 2:29 in the marathon..."

no, he ran 2:29. if you want you're own time of 2:29 your going to have to run it yourself

Clue me in wrote:

You really think that's an answer to my question? Your response is just as vague as "genetics". What EXACTLY do genetics have to do with this? What EXACTLY are you calling talent?

Hm. I'm not a geneticist, but I do know that Bekele on zero training would destroy you, in tip-top shape, in a 5000m race. I mean obliterate. Absolutely eviscerate you from gun to tape. Why is this the case?

not that complex. wrote:

Hm. I'm not a geneticist, but I do know that Bekele on zero training would destroy you, in tip-top shape, in a 5000m race. I mean obliterate. Absolutely eviscerate you from gun to tape. Why is this the case?

What are you claiming Bekele could run on zero training?

Now, what would you claim Bekele could run if had had been transplanted at birth into the U.S. and raised in the typical sedentary American lifestyle & average American diet for the first 20 years of his life?

Just curious, and wanting to learn some insight from you, the genetics master.

not that complex. wrote:

Clue me in wrote:

You really think that's an answer to my question? Your response is just as vague as "genetics". What EXACTLY do genetics have to do with this? What EXACTLY are you calling talent?

Hm. I'm not a geneticist, but I do know that Bekele on zero training would destroy you, in tip-top shape, in a 5000m race. I mean obliterate. Absolutely eviscerate you from gun to tape. Why is this the case?

Well that's certainly NOT the case. We know for a fact that Bekele was at least as slow as 8:09 for 3k at a point in his career (1999). And that was with training. There's no way he would have obliterated me. Again, that was with training. So he would have been even slower without training.

What exactly are you claiming? That there is no such thing as innate ability? If there is, where do you think it comes from?

My dad was sub-5 miler in high school (in the 1950s, which was pretty solid for that time). Mom belonged to some elitist tennis academy, but I don't know how competitive she was. I do know her dad was a college athlete in the mid-distances, but this was in the late 1920s.

not that complex. wrote:

What exactly are you claiming? That there is no such thing as innate ability? If there is, where do you think it comes from?

Don;t worry about it. This guy comes on any thread that claims that because scientists don't understand exactly how heredity influences running ability, that means that it doesn't influence it at all.

Concerned Citizen wrote:

not that complex. wrote:

What exactly are you claiming? That there is no such thing as innate ability? If there is, where do you think it comes from?

Don;t worry about it. This guy comes on any thread that claims that because scientists don't understand exactly how heredity influences running ability, that means that it doesn't influence it at all.

Nope, that's not what I'm thinking at all.

I just think its dumb to attribute running success/failure to genetics when you have no idea if genetics have anything to do with it (they may or may not). Especially when the most important factors (like muscle twitch fibers) are entirely dependent on training. So get out there and train and stop limiting yourself. Especially since you don't know that there is even a limit.

Genetics, you still haven't answered my question about what genetics have to do with running. And what have you to say about Bekele actually NOT being able to "obliterate" me untrained?

My dad did track in high school. He ran just under 6 minutes for the mile. My mom couldn't run 400 meters in 6 minutes. I ran 4:18. There goes the genetics theory.

Clue me in wrote:

Genetics, you still haven't answered my question about what genetics have to do with running. And what have you to say about Bekele actually NOT being able to "obliterate" me untrained?

Oops, that question is for Not That Complex.

Clue me in wrote:

Genetics, you still haven't answered my question about what genetics have to do with running. And what have you to say about Bekele actually NOT being able to "obliterate" me untrained?

How about this..an untrained Bekele would destroy an untrained You. Fair enough?

If it comes down solely to environment, why is Bekele faster than all other Ethiopians? By your logic, he simply trains better. That argument's a little more far-fetched than attributing his success (at least partly) to genetics.

I have blue eyes because of genetics. Same goes for my brown hair, white skin, my facial features and - in large part - height, weight and body type. Why the reluctance to believe it might also predetermine how fast my legs can move and how efficiently my blood can carry oxygen to those legs?

My dad was a distance runner who ran could 100 yards in 10.9 which is about 11.8 for 100m. Sadly he didn't pass that on I'm about a 1.5 slower! Without basic speed you will always be restricted even up to the marathon. You can't just look at you parents though genetics is more complicated

Still a lot of people have the genetic ability to be good, few use it

Clue me in wrote:

Genetics, you still haven't answered my question about what genetics have to do with running.

What does genetics have to do with anything? What does it have to do with being born? What does being born have to do with running? For that fact, what does being alive have to do with running? I'll bet you can run sub-four post-mortem.

not that complex. wrote:

Clue me in wrote:

Genetics, you still haven't answered my question about what genetics have to do with running. And what have you to say about Bekele actually NOT being able to "obliterate" me untrained?

How about this..an untrained Bekele would destroy an untrained You. Fair enough?

If it comes down solely to environment, why is Bekele faster than all other Ethiopians? By your logic, he simply trains better. That argument's a little more far-fetched than attributing his success (at least partly) to genetics.

I have blue eyes because of genetics. Same goes for my brown hair, white skin, my facial features and - in large part - height, weight and body type. Why the reluctance to believe it might also predetermine how fast my legs can move and how efficiently my blood can carry oxygen to those legs?

How do you know an untrained Bekele would destroy an untrained me? And why are so determined for an untrained Bekele to be so good?

How is saying that he trains better far fetched? Are you saying it is impossible that he trains better than the other Ethiopians? If so, why would that be far fetched? If anything, your genetics argument is way more far fetched. We KNOW that training makes a difference. We DON'T know that genetics makes a difference. So again, how is that more far fetched?

Your blue eyes argument doesn't make sense for the same reason. We KNOW that blue eyes are dependent on genetics. We DON'T know that running is. That's why I don't jump to the genetics argument. Because there is no proof.

And leg speed? Entirely dependent on muscle fibers which are entirely dependent on training. Do you not know this?

Why are you so determined to believe that genetics are limiting you? There is absolutely NO evidence for that so its weird that you're so eager to find a reason for limitations. My viewpoint is based on facts.

Avante wrote:

There is a certain body/physique more speed friendly than others. We find that type of body/physique in abundance in those with roots to western Africa. Yes it is about genetics.

Blacks from western Africa do possess unique physical characteristics more suited for athlectic events that require speed, quickness, agility than those not from that region of the world.

Yes I kno... "well what about...

Valery Borzov

Pietro Mennea

Hal Davis

Bobby Morrow

Slim Frenchy

Wes Welker

....what about them? For every Valery Borzov there are a ton of Bob Hayes, Jimmy Hines, Tommie Smith..etc etc etc etc etc.

TCU has had six black sub10.00 sprinters among their alumni, Asia-O, the white world-1.

Don't forget those speedy Samoans.