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The Most Important Element for Success Poll
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Really?

I'm a MOP triathlete. I'm a swimmer who can't run. 'nuff said.

Hillary Trout
San Luis Obispo, CA

Your trip is short. Make the most of it.
https://www.slogoing.net/
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Re: The Most Important Element for Success Poll [SLOgoing] [ In reply to ]
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It is none of the above. The correct answer is desire and motivation. All the others are contributors, but if someone has desire and motivation, that drive will overcome any gaps and maximize potential. Someone with all the gifts in the world will fall short without the desire and motivation-- you see this everywhere in life, not just sports.
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Re: The Most Important Element for Success Poll [exxxviii] [ In reply to ]
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exxxviii wrote:
It is none of the above. The correct answer is desire and motivation. All the others are contributors, but if someone has desire and motivation, that drive will overcome any gaps and maximize potential. Someone with all the gifts in the world will fall short without the desire and motivation-- you see this everywhere in life, not just sports.

I took desire and motivation as a given.

For me I chose genetic gifts but had financial means as a close second.
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Re: The Most Important Element for Success Poll [exxxviii] [ In reply to ]
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Realizing this is not a scientific study, but first let's define "success". Winning, having fun, being healthy... Those will change your answers drastically. My answer is based on the assumption that success = winning. Thus, if you don't have the genetic make up for that no amount of everything else will matter. I could never win Kona. I'm not saying genetics alone makes it possible, but it is an impassible roadblock at some level for nearly everyone.

Brian

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Re: The Most Important Element for Success Poll [cbritri] [ In reply to ]
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cbritri wrote:
Realizing this is not a scientific study, but first let's define "success". Winning, having fun, being healthy... Those will change your answers drastically. My answer is based on the assumption that success = winning. Thus, if you don't have the genetic make up for that no amount of everything else will matter. I could never win Kona. I'm not saying genetics alone makes it possible, but it is an impassible roadblock at some level for nearly everyone.

You beat me to the point - the question is ambiguous on how one defines "success". At 55 years old, I will win Kona if I am the only competitor. And even that would be a challenge.
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Re: The Most Important Element for Success Poll [SLOgoing] [ In reply to ]
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Three things. Unless you are anorexic already lose more weight, run more just keep running as there are no junk miles in tri training, finally don’t try to defy the laws of physics on the bike.

Really on the last one. Read up in here you can have a great setup and position for cheap and you’ll school a ton of people who seem to think physics don’t apply to them.
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Re: The Most Important Element for Success Poll [exxxviii] [ In reply to ]
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exxxviii wrote:
It is none of the above. The correct answer is desire and motivation. All the others are contributors, but if someone has desire and motivation, that drive will overcome any gaps and maximize potential. Someone with all the gifts in the world will fall short without the desire and motivation-- you see this everywhere in life, not just sports.

I took it as:

Work Ethic ~ Motivation
Emotional Stability ~ Desire (and a few other things).

Anybody else notice the % numbers don't add up (30 votes adding up to 280%) :

100%
Genetic gifts
107%
Work Ethic/Emotional Stability
10%
Financial means
3%
Technical grasp of sport
47%
Specific training regime
3%
Physical training location
3%
Access to training partners
3%
Youth sports background
7%
Other
0%
Other
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Re: The Most Important Element for Success Poll [SLOgoing] [ In reply to ]
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I guess giving 100% isn't enough work ethic. 103% is where I need to be.


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Re: The Most Important Element for Success Poll [SLOgoing] [ In reply to ]
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I think consistency (no real off season - just time to focus on a limiter) and the ability to minimize injury (listening to your body, taking a few days easy if something feels off, etc) are two big ones as well.

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Re: The Most Important Element for Success Poll [loxx0050] [ In reply to ]
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Haha, because you need to give it 110% to be successful.
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Re: The Most Important Element for Success Poll [exxxviii] [ In reply to ]
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I considered Work Ethic/Emotional Stability as consistency in training
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Re: The Most Important Element for Success Poll [jaretj] [ In reply to ]
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jaretj wrote:
I considered Work Ethic/Emotional Stability as consistency in training

Exactly my thought. Consistency year by year is the biggest factor.

Gary Geiger
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Re: The Most Important Element for Success Poll [exxxviii] [ In reply to ]
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exxxviii wrote:
Haha, because you need to give it 110% to be successful.



"What's your claim?" - Ben Gravy
"Your best work is the work you're excited about" - Rick Rubin
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Re: The Most Important Element for Success Poll [SLOgoing] [ In reply to ]
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Triathlon is a physical point a to point b endeavor. As such, genetics are the biggest factor in getting there fast.
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Re: The Most Important Element for Success Poll [rpoulin79] [ In reply to ]
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The math on this poll is amazing! Too bad they don't write tax software. Deductions under this math would be amazing. Unless this is the new common core math....

Hillary Trout
San Luis Obispo, CA

Your trip is short. Make the most of it.
https://www.slogoing.net/
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Re: The Most Important Element for Success Poll [SLOgoing] [ In reply to ]
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I read the question to be broader than the ability to win Kona. I picked work ethic/emotional stability, although those two are certainly not always related. I think the large majority of athletes who have success in long-distance triathlon enjoy training a lot and/or need to train a lot.

If you enjoy training a lot do you have a strong work ethic or a strong play ethic?

If you have a strong need for success (especially external) or need to train a lot even if you don't enjoy the training, are you emotionally stable?
Last edited by: Mark Lemmon: Dec 4, 17 19:25
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Re: The Most Important Element for Success Poll [SLOgoing] [ In reply to ]
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SLOgoing wrote:
Really? I'm a MOP triathlete. I'm a swimmer who can't run. 'nuff said.

I gather that you voted for "genetic gifts"???


"Anyone can be who they want to be IF they have the HUNGER and the DRIVE."
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Re: The Most Important Element for Success Poll [exxxviii] [ In reply to ]
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Financial at the 70.3 level and above.
M Dot branded entry fee. The ST mentality of having a bike worth more than most cars. Buying speed (bike, wheels, wetsuits). Opportunity costs for investing time & $$$ for the training. Doubtful one will tackle a 70.3 if you're a member of the working poor.

#swimmingmatters
Laugh hard. Run fast. Be kind.
The Doctor (#12)

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Re: The Most Important Element for Success Poll [ericmulk] [ In reply to ]
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ericmulk wrote:
SLOgoing wrote:
Really? I'm a MOP triathlete. I'm a swimmer who can't run. 'nuff said.

I gather that you voted for "genetic gifts"???

Yup. I am pretty sure that once upon a recent time ago, Slowman said something like: “you either have it or you don’t” when it comes to running. At my skinniest my calf circumference is 15.5”. I’m pretty convinced that calf circumference is inversely related to running speed. And that is genetics.

Hillary Trout
San Luis Obispo, CA

Your trip is short. Make the most of it.
https://www.slogoing.net/
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Re: The Most Important Element for Success Poll [SLOgoing] [ In reply to ]
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SLOgoing wrote:
ericmulk wrote:
SLOgoing wrote:
Really? I'm a MOP triathlete. I'm a swimmer who can't run. 'nuff said.


I gather that you voted for "genetic gifts"???


Yup. I am pretty sure that once upon a recent time ago, Slowman said something like: “you either have it or you don’t” when it comes to running. At my skinniest my calf circumference is 15.5”. I’m pretty convinced that calf circumference is inversely related to running speed. And that is genetics.

Ya, I'm in total agreement. I think it's obvious if you just look at any 9th grade gym class: some people can run very fast but short, some can run long and a little slower but still fast, and some can't run worth sh*t. Same goes in swimming: you can look at any group was 7 yr olds just starting in their first summer of swimming and within a week you can tell who's catching on and who's not.

As for one extreme example, there's a girl who swims a little bit on occasion at the pool i swim at, but she's mainly a runner. And a GREAT runner too: last June she was the #1 ranked distance running recruit of girls just finishing their junior year in HS. IIRC, last spring she ran 4:40 for the mile and 10:05 for 2 miles. I saw her about 2 months ago and, in the course of our conversation, she mentioned that she had been swimming on her summer league team since age 7 or 8, which kind of shocked me b/c this girl just does not swim fast at all. Maybe, if she were going off the blocks in a meet, she might be able to 39.9 for a 50 yd free, but that is the best I think she could do. Now obv just swimming summers won't make you an Oly Trials swimmer but, for a 50 free, a person over 10 summers can get down pretty close to their best speed, within say 3 sec or so of what they could do if they swam year-round. I seen guys go 23.X off of strictly 7-8 yrs summer league. But this girl is your classic runner: very thin with legs that go on forever. She's prob 5'6" and maybe 105 lb at most. She just has very little muscle in her upper body to power her through the water. Thus she is kind of your mirror image: a great runner who can't swim very well, at least relative to her running ability. So, feel consoled that at least you were an outstanding swimmer; most tri-geeks are not great at any of the three. :)


"Anyone can be who they want to be IF they have the HUNGER and the DRIVE."
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Re: The Most Important Element for Success Poll [rpoulin79] [ In reply to ]
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I wonder why "youth sport" is only at 3%. I'm talking about swimming.

Edit: probably because there's only one answer possible in the poll
Last edited by: longtrousers: Dec 5, 17 3:57
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Re: The Most Important Element for Success Poll [SLOgoing] [ In reply to ]
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Work ethic. To me, "success " is making the most of what you've got with the resources available. You can be successful and finish dead last.

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Re: The Most Important Element for Success Poll [SLOgoing] [ In reply to ]
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Genetics.

Change the sport to "competing in the NBA dunk contest" and take the poll again.
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Re: The Most Important Element for Success Poll [nc452010] [ In reply to ]
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Success =/= winning.

Success could be winning, or setting a PB, or finishing, or even just getting to the start line.

Genetics matters for winning, particularly the higher up you go in the performance ladder. For PB's, not so much...

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Re: The Most Important Element for Success Poll [nc452010] [ In reply to ]
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nc452010 wrote:
Change the sport to "competing in the NBA dunk contest" and take the poll again.
Spud Webb and Michael Jordan are my two examples that drive and motivation trumps genetics. There were others with better physical genetics than those two, but it was their sheer will that enabled them to succeed. Spud Webb won the dunk contest at 5-7. Jordan's Flu Game in the NBA finals is one of the NBA's most legendary individual games. Jordan carried that game by sheer will.
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