Fulfilling Potential

There’s a great thread on the Endurance Nation forum right now that has a lot of us, once again, wondering how fast we can get. Typical questions asked… What role does genetics really play? Can hard work overcome physical limitations? Can I run an 18-minute 5k? If so, how many years of training will it take to get me there? Etc, etc…

These questions are frequently followed by someone or several folks telling of dramatic gains over the course of time… Like how one fellow went from a 30-minute 5k to qualifying for Kona in a six or seven year span. Another guy professed to never running for endurance prior to 2004, but through “patient” application of training load, he was able to break a three-hour marathon last year.

While I love reading these stories and am truly happy for those who share them, there’s a flip side to this story as well – the story of those who tried and didn’t get the results they were looking for. Unfortunately this opposing story isn’t frequently told, because most of the folks who would tell it have given up and moved on! Did these guys give up out of impatience? Maybe they set unrealistic expectations and were doomed to failure? Did some of them do the requisite “work” and just not get results due to physical limitations? Of course the answers to these questions are some combination of yes, yes, and yes.

I try to keep a “never say never” attitude, but I’d be a fool to develop some sort of scheme to get myself to a sub-three-hour marathon by year “x.” I used to be that fool! No more fairy tales. At some point over the past two years I turned a corner. There was no distinct epiphany, it’s just happened as an outcome of consistent training, observing, thinking, and living. I’m a slow learner.

So, yes, I’ve stated that getting to Kona is my goal (I’m hardly unique among triathletes!). But I don’t have a distinct road map to get there. The goal is there because striving for it will help me reach my fullest potential. That’s why I love triathlon. It translates well to other aspects of life.

All I can do is control what’s within my grasp. I can work at becoming a faster runner and cyclist. I can work at building the “iron mind” that’s necessary to pull off the goal. Steady, consistent, forward motion. Easier to accomplish when you set an audacious goal! I won’t sacrifice my family or career to get there, either. I only say this because some folks do just that.

I just returned from a business trip to Chicago. It was so very, very cold there and I really wanted to make use of some free time to get a good running load. My goal half marathon is on March 15 and I’m nowhere near where I want to be! I ended up totally trashing my quads by doing back-to-back interval workouts on the hotel treadmill. Saturday was a 4 x 1-mile interval at 10k pace and a 2% incline. It felt great so the next day I did 1-hour at long run pace followed by 20-minutes at my goal half marathon pace. I took Monday off. This morning I woke up with loaded quads. I headed outdoors and ran along Lake Michigan. I felt like there was a parachute tied to my back in that big, windy expanse! Back to my cycling pain cave in the AM...