Volume Negates Luck

5 Minute Read

“I could never run that far.” ~anyone first learning that 100 milers are a real thing

Looking at all the crazy distances, paces, and races in the running world, it can be easy to think that (to some extent) luck is required to accomplish some of these seemingly ridiculous goals.

Lucky to have good genetics.
Lucky to have good weather.
Lucky to have so much time to train.
Lucky to love running so much.

But the truth is… luck is never necessary. Consistent effort removes the need for luck. And we can prove it to you.

Luck is a Myth (Kinda)

When we set out to achieve something significant, it's natural to think about the odds.

Consider this: what if, in theory, you knew you had exactly a 1% chance of completing a marathon? As you stand at the start line, facing a 99% chance of not finishing, it’s easy to think, "This isn't possible," or "I really need to get lucky here."

Now, if all you did was attempt the marathon once, then yes. You would need to get lucky. But why try once? Our effort is under our control. What we need to do is try again and again.

With a 1% chance, attempting the marathon 100 times—or 1000 times—would eventually lead to success. With enough attempts, it is a literal guarantee that you succeed. Volume negates luck.

In Real Life

In real life, our chances of completing a marathon are much higher than 1%, and our training significantly improves those odds. But the principle remains the same. “Volume negates luck” both applies to repetitions of attempting your goal, but also the repetitions put in during training.

If you keep showing up, putting in the work, and accumulating attempts, you'll inevitably achieve your goal. It's not about waiting for luck to strike; it's about creating opportunities through sheer persistence and volume.

Training and Consistency

Every run and every training session add to your cumulative progress, and (little by little) reduce the need for luck down to zero. Your consistency in training, and consistency in effort, transforms the improbable into the inevitable.

The more you run, the more your body adapts, and the closer you get to your goal. All runners know this to be true, so it simply becomes a matter of applying it to larger and larger goals.

With this process of stacking efforts, one on top of the other, success becomes a matter of when, not if.

Wrap it Up

Next time you set a goal that seems out of reach, remember that luck is not a factor. It's the volume of your efforts that counts. Keep showing up, keep putting in the work, and trust that each step forward brings you closer to your goal.

With enough volume, success is not a matter of luck; it's a matter of time.

Understanding that volume negates luck is a concept that will help us build a routine we love, and train consistently. With consistency, we build passion.