Hey guys it is Bill here.  I’m sharing a post with you all on something I have spent a lot of time thinking about.  Hope you enjoy it and please comment if you have anything to add.

I’ve never understood why some people (including myself at times) can’t come to a realization that we are who we are.  I say this with a great deal of hesitation, because I’m a firm believer we all are hypocrites, and not necessarily in a bad way.

For example, I feel in love with cycling at the young age of 20.  After a few months of spinning around the local hills, I signed up for the Davis Phinney cycling camp in Colorado.  A coach by the name of Skip Hamilton was there.  After a week with Skip, I asked him if he thought I had what it took to become a professional and earn enough money to put a roof over my head and food on the table.  He said no!  ”You have enough talent to become a good category 2 racer and Bill, never mind what other say, it’s all about your genetics.”  What did I do, I went and got some testing done to see what my genetics said.  Skip was right. Damn!  Right there and then, I came to the realization I am who I am, and I will be happy with that reality and continue to enjoy my passion for cycling but just not take it that seriously.

Over the years, I’ve seen men and women who continue to not come to that realization, and pass up countless opportunities, because they think they still can become the next World Champ. I do however admire the ones that get their education, decide on a career all while training for Olympic Gold.

I know this is a tough subject because we are brought up in a society that says you can do anything you set your mind to.  Well, this may be true for somethings, but not athletics.  Just like Skip said,  first comes genetics, and then comes all the other stuff.

I guess at the end of the day, we all have to balance our Passions, Reality, and Happiness.

Right now I am enjoying taking a bit of a break from cycling and competing locally  in running events.  It is a lot of fun and with no pressure from myself I am ending up doing pretty well and enjoying it.

Plus I get to spend more time with Kalli which is always a win-win!

Thanks for reading!