On 22nd June last year I turned 50. It was, as many have you have experienced, a lockdown birthday, so not exactly filled with friends and family in a marquee in the garden! Think more along the lines of takeaway, family and lots of Zoom calls.
I awoke filled with the excitement (?) of turning 50 and, as it seemed a pleasant enough morning, I went for a run. It’s a run I do every few weeks or so ….. just under 10k up Lady Elizabeth Hill and around some nice views. The weather was perfect for me: sunny; slight breeze; not too warm. I’m still not quite sure how it happened (some form of running planets alignment) but I got home and discovered that I had achieved a Personal Best time of 61 minutes. A good 3 or 4 minutes faster than my usual time. Clearly being 50 agreed with me! (Note to ‘proper runners’ here – I am not claiming to be speedy, but rather speedy by my sturdy leg standards!)
Whilst sipping some birthday Prosecco later that day and feeling a little bit pleased with myself, I pondered whether I could do it again. Even better, could I run it faster? My goal was simple: run it again; on or around my 51st birthday; one minute faster.
So that’s what I’ve been doing. For the past year I have tinkered around with my running style, experimented running in different weather conditions, and constantly aimed towards ‘a minute less’ in June 2021.
On June 19th, I decided ‘today’s the day’ and ran it in 60 minutes. The feeling of elation was immense although apologies to one of neighbours who I barrelled past as I neared the end in a red faced sprint.
So why the blog?
It’s just one minute.
What’s the big deal?
It has been one of the most important minutes of 2020/21.
One small minute with a really big impact.
My goal was tricky for me but it was, with hard work, achievable. My goal relied on me, no one else. My goal triggered new habits. Why go out for a 5k run when I could do a 10k and work towards my goal?
Why not stretch myself? That one minute changed a whole health behaviour.
Sometimes the small steps are the ones that have the most impact. You can often commit to these small steps more quickly than the others. There is an immediacy of working towards your goal. The small step is hard but the end is more easily in sight. The first small step gives you a motivational energy that helps lead to the next step. It gives you momentum.
And that’s what I do. As a coach I help you look at where you’re heading and support you in finding your small step. The one that will get you started on your path. The step that might seem scary to take but will provide you with immediate motivation.
The first step.
