As usual, Parkrun proved to be a great source of inspiration. Running round gives me plenty of time to think!
When it comes to running, I’m a plodder. I just keep going, particularly up the hills. I know the hills are where many people give up, so I like to dig in, focus on what’s ahead and keep moving. On the steepest part of the course my only thought is one foot in front of the other. I don’t look at the top, I don’t think about how far there is left to go, I just take the next step, and then the next. Before long, the hill is behind me, although I turn the corner and there is another incline!!
It helps that I’m not on my own. Being surrounded by other runners is great motivation, and there’s something special about sharing the effort with a crowd of people who are all working towards their own goal.
I also had a lady who kept overtaking me. She’d get ahead, then walk for a while, and at my steady pace I’d catch her up and pass her. Then she’d overtake me again. We didn’t finish far apart, with her just ahead, and it got me thinking about how we all work in different ways. She ran in bursts with rests in between, and I kept a steady rhythm. Neither approach is wrong, and we both got to the finish line.
It’s exactly how I approach working with my clients. It’s about their journey, not anyone else’s. I’m not interested in how they compare with the person next to them. The question I ask is: what can you do today that you couldn’t do last week? That might be an extra rep, a longer walk or simply turning up when you didn’t feel like it. That’s progress, and it deserves celebrating.
Try this week
If you’ve got a challenge in front of you, whether it’s a workout you’re dreading, a project that feels huge or a habit you’re trying to build, here are two things to try:
- Shrink the next step. When motivation dips, don’t think about the whole hill. Decide on the smallest next step, like a ten-minute walk, one set or opening the document, and do just that. Momentum usually follows.
- Measure against yesterday’s you. Pick one thing you can do a little better than last week and notice it. Leave comparison with others at the door.
So whether you’re a sprinter, a plodder or somewhere in between, find the pace that works for you and keep moving.
I’d love to hear about your own “hill” moment, whether it’s in fitness, work or life. Get in touch and tell me about it, or if you’d like some support taking those next steps, book a session and we’ll work out your pace together.