I was out on a light training ride yesterday and a conversation got started about what it takes to be a professional cyclist and triathlete. We all agreed that to be a top finisher one had to be blessed with good genetics and determination. But we all thought that to be a good professional cyclist/triathlete it was more about determination, time, and training. All of us are young (under 27), in really good shape, finish high in events, and so on. We all thought that if our only job was to train and we put the time in training that most pro level athletes put into their sport we could be professional as well. After the ride I was thinking about how realistic this talk was (talk on these type of rides can get pretty big), because I have always thought about trying to get to the elite level. I was curious what all of you thought about what it takes to be a competitive triathlete. Is smart training, good coaching, time, and determination enough to make someone a competitive triathlete? Exactly how realistic do you think this conversation was? Just interested to hear your thoughts.
T. Paul
T. Paul