What happens when your hard work as an athlete stops paying off…

Each and every athlete has a limited peak performance potential and amount of time to achieve it. That is an unfortunate and often misunderstood fact. If this were not the case, the endurance athlete that worked the hardest, longest, and trained the smartest would win every championship. There are a wide variety of factors that will determine your lifetime PR, many of which are in your control, many of which are not. Understanding this may work to your advantage.

What separates an Elite athlete from an age grouper? What separates a National Champion from other Elites? What does a World Champion have that the rest of us do not? To begin; (literally) genetics. Just as your DNA determines your height, eye color, and physical features is also determines to a very large extent how far you will go in a particular endurance sport. There are many, many complex physical factors and processes that genetics determine in regards to athletic performance. To name a few…

• Size and stroke volume of the heart
• Size / surface area of the lungs
• Muscle fiber type, orientation, and cross section
• Capillary and mitochondrial density
• Tendon thickness, length, and muscle origin / insertion
• Bone length
• Response to training / recovery

According to Noakes, “VO2 max is ultimately limited by hereditary factors, and even with the most intensive training it can be increased by only 5%-15% in the average runner (Elites… by 25% or more with intensive training).” That means one of the primary factors affecting your performance is only moderately trainable.

With genetic mapping we may one day identify what genes are necessary for elite competition in a particular sport…

“In 1999, scientists reported that a particular variant of the angiotensin–converting enzyme (ACE) gene was associated with superior physical endurance. The variant, known as the ACE insertion polymorphism, was found to be present in a higher proportion of elite endurance athletes, especially long distance runners, than in the general population.”- National Human Genome Research Institute.

So where does that leave us; a blood test at birth to determine who will be the fastest? We are not there yet and probably never will be because the most genetically gifted athlete does not always win. Genetics are just one (albeit big) factor determining athletic capability. Most athletes never achieve their true genetic potential. Many will not come close. A lot has to come together to take an athlete to their highest level of achievement.

There are many ways to improve performance beyond your genetic limitations; pacing, nutrition, economy, mental skills, equipment, oh and training to name a few. Only by manipulating all these variables to a high degree is performance optimized to its highest level. Assuming we are working all the angles the next question becomes how long do we have to get where we want to go; or perhaps we are already there?

Age humbles us all and each year takes a minute toll. Tendons lose their elasticity, recovery from intense work outs takes more time, and aerobic capacity and muscles mass slowly deteriorates. The effects of aging on athletic performance can be slowed to a large degree, but only slowed. Certain sports have more longevity than others, but we all have that one “greatest” race in us, that one PR that will be the height of our athletic careers. The uncertainty is whether it is in front of us or behind us. In endurance sports my personal opinion is that once we reach a level of performance beyond the first few seasons, and begin to train at a highly effective level as we pursue a sport competitively, that point will probably come within about 5-7 years. If you ran a 15 min. 5k PR at the age of 23, you are probably not going to set another PR at 33. Yes, that is arbitrary, and there are numerous exceptional comebacks, but we do have a window of time to be our best, whatever that may be.

Mental burn out may be as much of a factor as physical limiters. It takes a lot of sacrifice to train at a high volume season after season. At some point even the greatest athletes have to retire and move on to another phase in their lives. This may be equally due to emotional reasons as physical ones. That does not mean that you can not continue to enjoy and compete in your sport of choice (or another). It just may mean that you approach your training and racing from a slightly different or less competitive perspective. There are many instances of athletes that took a few seasons or more off only to come back stronger and faster. Women often start a family and are interestingly at their best post partum. Perhaps a season or two off gives them a needed break as well as a renewed focus and attitude towards their training. Don't assume you will be in the same place mentally in 10 years and never underestimate the mental as well as physical toll your training may take.

Recognizing that our time to achieve our best is finite or that we are bound by our genetics may not be easy pills to swallow. Once you understand this you will either change your expectation level, or pursue your goals even more doggedly as you realize the time to attain them is limited. Most athletes do not have a 5 year plan even though they plan on competing for the next 5 years. Most athletes desire improvement but don't have a clear direction where they would like to focus it down the road. To be your best each training macro cycle must build on the previous, and there must be a plan beyond a single season. Each season should be another step towards that dream goal. This type of planning is certainly not for everyone but it is necessary to reach your true performance pinnacle.

If you come to a sport late in life that PR is still in front of you- go and get it. If you have been training hard for several years and your performance gains are stagnant, look to those aforementioned variables to squeeze that extra bit of speed out of yourself. If you are a pro at the end of your career, find your peace with that. In any case take your best shot, make it a good one, and enjoy the process of achievement. When does your hard work really stop paying off? It never does as long as you are getting personal satisfaction out of it.