In today's multi-billion population, mass media environment you could just get lucky. But in sport there are no short cuts; without actually being good, which takes talent and shed loads of hard work,
In today's multi-billion population, mass media environment you could just get lucky. But in sport there are no short cuts; without actually being good, which takes talent and shed loads of hard work,
nail/head PP
Except of course that ever present curse; Armstrongitis
Btw 84 people have been arrested in Spain for the supply of performance enhancing drugs.
Oh and the Spaniard Rafael Nadal has been knocked out in the first round at Wimbledon
The "overnight sucess" is pretty rare in any field. And in sport - never. I'll never understand why so many people are so unwilling, or unable, to grasp that.
It's unbelievable isn't it and shows a staggering lack of self awareness. I was reading on another forum recently about a guy who genuinely believes that he will compete in the Tour series on his bike next year (basically the biggest domestic races for those not familiar with cycle racing). He genuinely failled to see why the fact that he has never yet raced a bike will be a barrier to getting signed by one of the top 10 domestic squads primarily because his coach has told him he has potential and had 2 riders competing at that level this year.
Good point Screamapillar. I can't think of any overnight success in sport. Anyone else have any examples ?
Helen Glover is the closest thing to overnight sporting success I can think off. Started rowing in 2008, won silver in the world championships in 2010, gold in 2011 and then gold at the 2012 Olympics.
Good point Screamapillar. I can't think of any overnight success in sport. Anyone else have any examples ?
Helen Glover is the closest thing to overnight sporting success I can think off. Started rowing in 2008, won silver in the world championships in 2010, gold in 2011 and then gold at the 2012 Olympics.
I'd forgotten her. That is impressive but it's still 4 years, day in, day out.
Rowing is a sport where you can have huge advantage simply from being the right build (hence HG was recruited through the aptly named 'sporting giants' scheme). Conversely, you can have fantastic rowing technique and a great power:weight ratio, but if you are too short you will simply never be competitive because your reach and therefore your stroke length will be too short. That's not to knock Glover's achievements, as even with the right build, she clearly learnt very well, very fast to achieve what she did in the time she did,but if she'd been my sort of height she'd never have made it. Some of us were built to cox!
Wrong school, right uni in my case. But it turned out that, despite being the right height and build, steering wasn't my forte. And there went my hopes of Olympic glory...
My school was no better - I did do quite well in one sport, but unfortunately running around the gym in shorts whilst the PE teacher hurled a basketball at you in a bizarre game of tag wasn't an Olympic sport
Helen Glover....had to leave home and train every day.......wasn't even allowed home for family funerals.....thats some dedication to a sport...
I think i was an overnight success.....I took up triathlon in the april and then won second vet fe,ale in the welsh middle distance tri event 6 weeks later.........I can't remember if there were 2 or 3 of us in that category.probably 2
Instead of "fat boy to sub 1hr 14" which would have been an incredible achievement and full respect from all, he instead evokes memories of setting a foolish target and failing miserably.
Quite harsh in fairness as sub 1hr 14 is still a quality time! I doubt too many on this thread have done one, PP and Deano, not sure too many others.
What about me? 73:43 in Battersea Park. Finished the race absolutely peed off as I knew I couldn't ever be any faster than that. Odd how time tempers such nonsense.
Rather proud that my opening reply to this thread showed 'the voice of reason', even if I really thought the poster was a complete prat. opps!
Talking of rowing, gold-medallist Sophie Hosking ran Wimbledon Common parkrun the other day. Not particularly fast, but she did tell me afterwards that her training included practically no running - their main cross-training is done on bikes, apparently. She was surprisingly un-muscly, but then she is in the lightweight category. Nice person - happy to chat to all and sundry and answer the same old questions over and over.
There's definitely more cross-over between rowing and cycling than rowing and running. The quads are used in a massive way, plus "lightweights" (like I am, just about!) are relying so much more on aerobic fitness than pure power. Look at Rebecca Romero, suddenly becoming an Olympic gold medal winning cyclist after suffering a rowing injury.
Actually, my favourite sport cross-over athlete is probably paralympian Sarah Storey, who set every record going in the swimming pool, then suffered an ear infection so switched to cycling, and set every record going there as well. I was lucky enough to speak with her at the Paralympics last year. She's hoping to qualify to compete in the regular Olympic cycling squad in Rio. Phenomenal!
"my favourite sport cross-over athlete is probably paralympian Sarah Storey, who set every record going in the swimming pool, then suffered an ear infection so switched to cycling, and set every record going there as well."
Instead of "fat boy to sub 1hr 14" which would have been an incredible achievement and full respect from all, he instead evokes memories of setting a foolish target and failing miserably.
Quite harsh in fairness as sub 1hr 14 is still a quality time! I doubt too many on this thread have done one, PP and Deano, not sure too many others.
What about me? 73:43 in Battersea Park. Finished the race absolutely peed off as I knew I couldn't ever be any faster than that. Odd how time tempers such nonsense.
Rather proud that my opening reply to this thread showed 'the voice of reason', even if I really thought the poster was a complete prat. opps!
Nothing pre 1970 is allowed Ric...they tell me the courses were a bit dodgily marked back then
We should capitalise on this really. So many world talents are announced on the forum. We should sign them up as clients. Imagine - the trinity of Barton Runner, Tom and our friend here ?
(I will let you into a secret I did google marathon runners with Matts 'apparent surname' to see if I could find a good marathon runner from back in the day - but wasn't able to find one).
Comments
nail/head PP
Except of course that ever present curse; Armstrongitis
Btw 84 people have been arrested in Spain for the supply of performance enhancing drugs.
Oh and the Spaniard Rafael Nadal has been knocked out in the first round at Wimbledon
It's unbelievable isn't it and shows a staggering lack of self awareness. I was reading on another forum recently about a guy who genuinely believes that he will compete in the Tour series on his bike next year (basically the biggest domestic races for those not familiar with cycle racing). He genuinely failled to see why the fact that he has never yet raced a bike will be a barrier to getting signed by one of the top 10 domestic squads primarily because his coach has told him he has potential and had 2 riders competing at that level this year.
Interesting. Are you suggesting a correlation?
Helen Glover is the closest thing to overnight sporting success I can think off. Started rowing in 2008, won silver in the world championships in 2010, gold in 2011 and then gold at the 2012 Olympics.
I'd forgotten her. That is impressive but it's still 4 years, day in, day out.
Rowing is a sport where you can have huge advantage simply from being the right build (hence HG was recruited through the aptly named 'sporting giants' scheme). Conversely, you can have fantastic rowing technique and a great power:weight ratio, but if you are too short you will simply never be competitive because your reach and therefore your stroke length will be too short. That's not to knock Glover's achievements, as even with the right build, she clearly learnt very well, very fast to achieve what she did in the time she did,but if she'd been my sort of height she'd never have made it. Some of us were built to cox!
Wrong school, right uni in my case. But it turned out that, despite being the right height and build, steering wasn't my forte. And there went my hopes of Olympic glory...
My school was no better - I did do quite well in one sport, but unfortunately running around the gym in shorts whilst the PE teacher hurled a basketball at you in a bizarre game of tag wasn't an Olympic sport
I was my school's joint 3-legged race champion when I was 11. I don't think that's an Olympic sport either though, sadly.
None of the good sports were - all this jumping and running stuff - I acknowledge they do basketball but so different from basket ball tag
I'm quite good at rowing as long as there isn't any water involved.
Helen Glover....had to leave home and train every day.......wasn't even allowed home for family funerals.....thats some dedication to a sport...
I think i was an overnight success.....I took up triathlon in the april and then won second vet fe,ale in the welsh middle distance tri event 6 weeks later.........I can't remember if there were 2 or 3 of us in that category.probably 2
What about me? 73:43 in Battersea Park. Finished the race absolutely peed off as I knew I couldn't ever be any faster than that. Odd how time tempers such nonsense.
Rather proud that my opening reply to this thread showed 'the voice of reason', even if I really thought the poster was a complete prat. opps!
🙂
Talking of rowing, gold-medallist Sophie Hosking ran Wimbledon Common parkrun the other day. Not particularly fast, but she did tell me afterwards that her training included practically no running - their main cross-training is done on bikes, apparently. She was surprisingly un-muscly, but then she is in the lightweight category. Nice person - happy to chat to all and sundry and answer the same old questions over and over.
There's definitely more cross-over between rowing and cycling than rowing and running. The quads are used in a massive way, plus "lightweights" (like I am, just about!) are relying so much more on aerobic fitness than pure power. Look at Rebecca Romero, suddenly becoming an Olympic gold medal winning cyclist after suffering a rowing injury.
Actually, my favourite sport cross-over athlete is probably paralympian Sarah Storey, who set every record going in the swimming pool, then suffered an ear infection so switched to cycling, and set every record going there as well. I was lucky enough to speak with her at the Paralympics last year. She's hoping to qualify to compete in the regular Olympic cycling squad in Rio. Phenomenal!
There's also Rebecca Romero, of course - Olympic gold in track cycling, world gold and Olympic silver in rowing...
@Philpub
"my favourite sport cross-over athlete is probably paralympian Sarah Storey, who set every record going in the swimming pool, then suffered an ear infection so switched to cycling, and set every record going there as well."
You forgot "and is really, really good looking".
There are a lot of shady types who hold back what they're actually doing. Reminds me of the kid at school who did "No homework" yet got all As.
Nothing pre 1970 is allowed Ric...they tell me the courses were a bit dodgily marked back then
Has he broke the World Record yet?
Matt -- Ignore the doubting Thomases... Post your photographic evidence and we can put this thread to bed
Taxi: I'm sure 'Track and Field News' will be shortly doing an interview with this amazing young US distance track talent...
If Matt is correct, he has run a faster 5000m time than Steve Prefontaine did at the same age...
Get me Nike on the phone...
Who is Barton Runner?
(I will let you into a secret I did google marathon runners with Matts 'apparent surname' to see if I could find a good marathon runner from back in the day - but wasn't able to find one).
To be fair he didn't claim his dad was good.
This is Barton Runner:
http://www.runnersworld.co.uk/forum/beginners/newbie-runner-needs-advice-on-shoes-clothing-and-equipment-/250979-4.html