Respect the Journey

Of course he wanted to win. Those who saw him compete and those who competed against him were never in any doubt how much he wanted to win. But how he won mattered to him more. Pre thought I was a hard case. But he finally got it through my head that the real purpose of running isn't to win a race. It's to test to the limits of the human heart. That he did... Nobody did it more often. Bob Bowerman on Steve Pretontaine

Champions keep playing until they get it right 

Billie Jean King

We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit
Aristotle

Pain is temporary. It may last a minute, or an hour, or a day, or a year,
but eventually it will subside and something else will take its place.
If I quit, however, it lasts forever
Lance Armstrong

You cannot teach a man anything; you can only help him find it within himself
Galileo

The fast track sometimes is the slowest route. These things take time and patience is way more than simply another virtue. Unless you were blessed with phenomenal DNA, sooner or later the fact that physical adaptation is a process will create an option for you. 

Accept or deny. If you accept this premise, you are in for the long haul. Better make it something you enjoy, anticipate, cherish and nurture. In some circles it it known as a healthy lifestyle. In others it is a fitness culture. In still others it is life itself, containing all the challenge, joy, meaning and discovery of self necessary for balanced and harmonious tenure. If you deny, please be prepared to spend some cabbage on therapy, NSAIDS and netflicks. The latter because instead of running, biking or swimming you will, because of injury or burnout, spend time that could be used in the pursuit of your goals, watching movies and eating popcorn.

The patience necessary in building a solid aerobic foundation will get you further, faster than an out-of-control, hell-bent-for-leather, mad dash at breakneck speed, guaranteed.

Take a close look at the above quotes. They are all singing the same song. Work hard, be patient, practice, endure, succeed. 

Some cool links: On nutrition for running. On what makes a great coach. On ageless training. On finding a good triathlon coach. On there being no speed limit to learning. On endurance. 

I will add a few licks of my own: Be aware of change. Have the attitude of gratitude. Do more than you think you can. Challenge convention. Go, do, see, feel. Ride hard, run long, rest and repeat. 

Respect the journey and enjoy the ride.