Incremental

One of the best things I did this year was to buy myself 10 sessions with a fitness instructor. And then another 10….

At first all I thought about after each weekly one hour session was how unfit I was. I felt sceptical that one hour a week could change anything much. The encouragement of Greg Bell, my instructor, was invaluable – also his judgment and experience. He created sessions that were challenging to just the right level – enough for me to think ‘god damn it I want to be fitter than THIS’ but not to the point that I wanted to pack it all in.

The goal that sparked this had been to run in my local ‘Race for Life’, involve some local friends and have fun doing it. Not much to ask.

The end to this story is a happy one – the goal was well and truly fulfilled, money was raised for Cancer Research and I was amazed to discover that I had morphed from a person who got out of breath after running 100 meters to one who made it round the 5k course in 40 minutes and wants to do it again next year (and faster).

I am full of wonder at how real; tangible, wonderful progress can often be incremental. We are just past the shortest day and will, at first, hardly notice the couple of minutes of extra daylight that come our way each day. But they are here and they are real and building up to something brilliant.