Equinox One

There are two solstices and two equinoxes every year. Solstices mark the longest (summer) and shortest (winters) days while the two equinoxes mark the midpoints between when the day lengths are equal - spring and autumn. The next equinox is March 20th 2023. I use solstices and equinoxes as markers, sometimes to gauge progress or to start a new challenge,  I've run ultras for my own entertainment on them.  So since the inception of Late Rising this march 20 will be the beginning of Equinox One. which will run into midsummer when it will be replaced by Solstice one.  It will be a chance for new challenges and maybe a long run or whatever I come up with at the time.  

It's also a chance for you as a reader to kick something off. Commit to something for Equinox One - Take a walk every day, 10 pressups a day.  Eat healthily every day. Anything you like. Three months to challenge yourself a little and set up good habits (again I know I'm shouting into a void here but that's not the point - The point is that i'm shouting at all). Equinox One is open to everyone and anyone. No barriers. You set your goal. You are accountable to yourself not me. I's love to hear though if it does inspire you to take part.  Become part of a small community of encouragement. As part of Equinox One I will be training some friends towards a half marathon.  That's my challenge too.   

Equinox One began on 20/3/23 - My challenge?  To step up to the plate in training the others. All I can do is offer my services and hope they will take them up. if they don't during this period then I can do little else, they can make excuses or struggle on the day. I will encourage but i can't force people to run.  

21/3/23 - Training session after work. I will be there. Let's see who else will be.

And the answer was 3 people turned up!  A great run around the "Wick loop" - a little fast maybe but they were keen.  Hopefully as the weather and light improve we will see more people and progress. Next up sunday.

27/04/23 -  Over a month since we began and results are - patchy.  More are slowly joining in but it seems hard to motivate people to get up and move. I am surprised and then when I think about it I realise I shouldn't be.  These days I'm highly motivated and driven but it wasn't always that way. So if I think hard I can see my reaction to being asked to train.  It really is a case of getting people started and then hoping to keep momentum going. I could try fear - as in - "we have less than six months now" but I don't think that will elicit the right response at the ,moment. Maybe as time passes it will become necessary. So all I can really do is encourage and keep providing opportunities to join in. To that end I've already made it clear that we will be starting from scratch and total beginners will have the focus and sessions will be tailored for them.  And that has encouraged a few I think.  I'm offering advice to anyone who wants it. Encouraging on a one to one level. I can't do or give much more at this point.  I won't give up though. It will come together, it has to.