"The successful person has the habit of doing the things failures don't like to do. They don't like doing them either necessarily. But their disliking is subordinated to the strength of their purpose."
E.M. Gray

When I used to play baseball, I would spend hours working on throwing drills. But I would have much preferred to get into the batting cage and hit 50 baseballs rather than throw them. If you haven't guessed, I was a much better hitter than a thrower. As a baseball player I could never play shortstop or 2nd baseman, simply because my throwing was not accurate enough. But boy I could hit.

It pained me every practice to go and work on throwing drills. I was both embarrassed to toss the ball into the next field, and also just more interested in hitting. But my coach wouldn't let me.

Now, I look at Ironman, and my strengths and weaknesses. I am generally drawn towards those things that I am most comfortable in, namely running drills and running in general. I struggle with strong cycling and also with nutrition. This year, however, I have been focusing mostly on cycling, and my running has taken a hit. It is not comfortable, and I don't like it, but the discipline to keep working that plan of becoming a stronger cyclist will, in the long run, pay off. Really, when I analyze my past triathlon results, I can say that showing up in the bottom half of the bike and then having to make up time on the run is demoralizing and tough. And, in Ironman, being a strong cyclist will make me ABLE to run the marathon...

So, I plod along, putting in my bike miles, leaving the running shoes on the shelf when the temptation comes to substitute one for the other. I will be like Lance, I keep telling myself... I will be like Lance!

"The indispensable first step to getting the things you want out of life is this: decide what you want." - Ben Stein