Usually if you have to hold the gas peddle down it mean you engine is flooded. Try a simple tune up first (plugs,cap,rotor,wires). It could be a leaking fuel injector too. The leaking fuel injector leaks all the left over fuel psi all this fuel stays in the engine and then you try to crank it all this extra fuel causes a ritch condition failing plugs and causing hard starts. Could also be a problem with you iac system.

A cel?