Is Running a Talent? Trait? Gift? Natural?
Vol. 4 No. 20
Running is natural, running the Marathon is not normal.
Running is natural to the human condition, it’s part of the natural development of children to go from crawling to walking and then onward to running. Running becomes an expression of excitement and joy, especially once you get to a playground with other little runners. Running is naturally fun.
Can you name another land animal that can run for the distance and duration as a human?
I’ll let you think on that.
I do believe that running is a talent. I also believe that God gifts people with talents and abilities that are above and beyond most people. We can witness those God gifted talents through young composers, artists, mathematicians, Chess Masters and athletes. I also believe that talents can be developed, honed, refined and built up. I believe that people can create their own talent through study, practice, repetition and execution. I also believe that tenacity is a talent.
A few decades ago, I witnessed a young 2LT run his 2-mile Physical Fitness Test in 9 min 54 seconds! I almost didn’t believe him until I verified with my Troop who was at the turn around, who declared that he was the first person at the 1-mile turn around. Just a few weeks later he approached me and asked me if it was normal that the X-Ray technicians had to take two-images of his lungs. He had serious concern in his voice with the slightest hint of some abnormality could derail his career.
He had an abnormality alright! His chest cavity was so large, his lungs wouldn’t fit on one X-Ray image. They needed two images to fully capture his lungs! This was back before having mini-computers on our wrists that could calculate a reasonably accurate Vo2Max, so we really had no idea what his Vo2Max was. He was born with a cardiovascular capacity greater than the rest of us. A God given gift that he maximized into his fitness, especially his running talent and later went on to have a successful career as an Army Ranger.
The National Human Genome Research Institute defines a “Trait” as:
A trait, as related to genetics, is a specific characteristic of an individual. Traits can be determined by genes, environmental factors or by a combination of both. Traits can be qualitative (such as eye color) or quantitative (such as height or blood pressure). A given trait is part of an individual’s overall phenotype.
Beyond the genetic traits, let’s take a look at the Big 5 Personality Traits:
World Psychology Defines the Five Factor Model (FFM) as:
The Five Factor Model (FFM) of general personality structure consists of the five broad domains of neuroticism (or emotional instability vs. stability), extraversion (vs. introversion), openness (or unconventionality), agreeableness (vs. antagonism), and conscientiousness (or constraint vs. disinhibition).
As I stated before, running is natural to human development and our human condition. So what traits are key factors in the development of someone becoming a strong runner as an adult? What has more of an effect on our ability as athletes, genetic traits or personality traits? Physical or Psychological? Nature or Nurture?
Lisa M. Guth and Stephen M. Roth at the University of Maryland conducted research into the Genetic Influence on Athletic Performance. This is an interesting read and I recommend giving it a once over, but if you just want the meat and potatoes of the research, here it is:
They state in their conclusion:
Current evidence suggests that a favorable genetic profile, when combined with the appropriate training, is advantageous, if not critical for the achievement of elite athletic status. However, though a few genes have now been repeatedly associated with elite athletic performance, these associations are not strong enough to be predictive and the use of genetic testing of these variants in talent selection is premature.
It’s clear to me through research and my own observations that genetic disposition is not a key indicator for elite athletic performance. As indicated in the research above, heritable genetic traits play a “supportive role”. It is my belief that Personality Traits have more of an impact on athletic performance, running in this case, than genetics.
I once had a Paratrooper who was gifted with Athletic Ability that quickly catapulted him to the top of the known “PT Studs” in our unit. The young kid could do it all, pushups, pullups, running, rucking, endurance and strength. When I asked how often he works out, he replied “Never”. This young man drank, smoked and ate like shit throughout the week. He was gifted. Unfortunately he abused it, never built upon it and eventually was discharged out of the Army.
A “Successful” Runner.
What exactly is “success” in running? This is one of the great aspects of the sport of running that I love so much and one that many other athletes in other sports might not comprehend. -Everyone Gets a Medal-
Dictionary.com defines “Success” as:
noun
the favorable or prosperous termination of attempts or endeavors; the accomplishment of one's goals.
The latter part of that definition sums it up perfectly. “The accomplishment of one’s goals”. The sport and hobby of running is truly one of self exploration and growth. It can be a very personal journey and each individual faces their own challenges, both unique and shared to reaching their goals. For myself and most of you reading this, we are not “elite” athletes seeking excellence at a worlds major or our hometown Marathon. For the vast majority of runners, we are setting goals, small and big and doing what we can to achieve those goals. To obtain “success”.
Athletes are most likely to be successful in their sport if they utilize the skills and understand the 5C’s of Sports Psychology.
Often associated with Coaching and Youth Athletics, the 5C’s of Sports Psychology apply just as well to adult athletes.
Commitment: A commitment to training, setting goals and having the discipline and tenacity to achieving success.
Communication: Be an athlete who Helps, Encourages, Listens, Praises and Acknowledges others.
Concentration: The ability to focus on the right things and the right time and in the right place. Blocking out distractions that can impact performance.
Control: The ability to manage your emotions before, during and after a performance. Be aware of your thoughts, feelings and emotions and sharing these before, during and after training or a competition and understanding their impacts on your personal performance and others.
Confidence: A state of mind that reflects the belief that you have in your ability to perform the requisite skills and attributes to achieve success.
It’s clear that there are genetic indicators that may aid in the athletic performance of runners, however they are not clear indicators of future performance or achievement. More than genetics, your personality characteristics, psychology and attitude are far more significant.
Running is natural, and fun!
You’re born to run. It’s natural. You enjoyed it as a child. You wanted to run everywhere. Until you were told “No”. Until you grew up.
“Stop running in the house”
“Don’t run out into the road”
“Careful, you can’t run in parking lots”
“Stop chasing your brother”
“No running in the hallways”
Then at some point, an adult, most likely a P.E. Teacher or Coach turned running into a punishment. Why is running used as a “mass punishment” tool? Because most kids can run, instinctually and naturally and don’t require any specified training or instruction on how to do it. It’s easy to tell a large group of kids to “Take a lap”, in addition to it being a natural movement, running isn’t easy.
For many, running stops around the age of 12. Most teenagers don’t run. At this point running is uncomfortable and it is intuitive to make a connection between discomfort and unhappiness. The inclination then is to avoid discomfort because it doesn’t make us happy.
Some people make running look easy. Some adults actually look like they enjoy it!
Enjoyment. That’s the lynchpin for adults.
It’s natural to want to do things that make us happy.
It’s natural to run. I postulate there is a connection there.
As an adult, it’s not just the act of running that brings enjoyment, it’s the social elements of seeing your friends every week. It’s the personal journey towards wellness when you feel stronger, more capable and healthier. It’s the feeling of accomplishment when you’ve set a goal and you’ve had the discipline and determination to achieve those goals. It’s the feeling of pride, knowing you can do hard things.
It’s an understanding that avoiding discomfort is an act of avoiding growth and the happiness that follows.
Everything you need to find success is within you.
More than your genetic heredity, your mental tenacity and intestinal fortitude will get you farther and faster on the trail. Discipline is a skill, habit and character trait that can be learned, honed and applied. Discipline, when applied to a training plan, nutrition plan or financial plan will yield incredible results.
All you need to succeed is inside of you.
Your work ethic can outwork genetic dispositions. It takes courage to step outside of your comfort zone and tackle that first mile, or 5K or Half Marathon. It takes a belief in self and a trust in the process.
Check out the Adidas Runner 321 project. A campaign for Marathons to hold bib 321 for Neurodivergent athletes. Incredible athletes like Chris and Kayleigh who don’t let genetics stop them from achieving success and reaching their goals.
Work ethic, discipline, belief and trust are all essential elements for success that are found within. If you find yourself wavering on any of these and having doubts of your own capabilities and aptitudes, you are not alone. Confidence (5C’s - see above) is created, nurtured and developed through repetition and practice. Keep yourself accountable of your actions and recognize improvements when they happen. Even better, help your friends stay accountable and celebrate their accomplishments!
It’s not surprising that the only land-animal that I can think of that has the same running capacity as a human, is one of our most precious companion animals.
The Dog.
Humans can run for 26 miles, 50-miles, 100miles or more without stopping.
There are plenty of land animals that may be faster and others that may have a farther range, but I can’t think of another animal that has the capacity to run for over 100-miles without stopping. Can you?