I grew up in New England. After watching the 1968 Olympic track events, when I was a freshman in high school, I decided I wanted to be a runner.
This is what I accomplished:
1969 - Sophomore, cross-country: 5th in conference championship
1970 - Sophomore, track: 2:07.2 880 in third dual meet, then got a hairline fracture in my ankle and was unable to complete the season
1970 - Junior, didn't compete in cross-country (distracted by girlfriend)
1971 - Junior, track: 55.1 440, 2:03.7 880; 2nd in conference championship 880
1972 - Senior, cross-country: 3rd in conference championship
In that 1972 cross-country conference championship, I was beaten by a junior and sophomore from my own high school, both of whom had just begun running that same season. After all the training I'd done on my own, including winter and summer off-seasons (most was 60 miles per week during the summer of 1971), to be beaten by two guys who had never trained prior to that season made me very discouraged, and caused me to quit running, and I didn't compete in track during my senior year. They had natural talent that was way beyond my abilities, even after doing what I considered to be, for myself, hard and consistent training.
So I've always believed hard work will take you only so far. There will always be others who are more genetically gifted.
Good luck to you.