I guess my line of thinking comes from just that wide disparity of abilities among even elite-level competitors. As someone who races gravel and MTB at a semi-professional level, most would probably call me an athlete. Yet, there is no timeline or version of this universe that has me even carrying bidons in a WT squad. Even any chance of getting a small paycheck for racing, would've involved seriously training 20 years ago, when I still had youth and the time available to commit to such endeavors. I sometimes get a bit of impostor syndrome with the company I race with, so I don't want to be casting shade on whatever slower riders might be chasing. Comparison is the thief of joy and I applaud anyone that is getting out of their fitness comfort zone.

As far as the coordination, I think that's why I always gravitated to 2 wheel sports. I learn to ride a bike at a very young age, but struggled at any conventional sports. I used to compete in offroad motorcycle racing and moto trials, being on some sort of bike is when I don't feel like a complete klutz. That eventually transitioned into bicycle racing. Even as a competitive person, the racing isn't necessarily the fun part for me. I really enjoy the process of training and improving. Besides that, just going out for a ride is incredibly fun for me.