As someone who spends a lot of time running and thinking (often at the same time), there are certain connections that can be made between running and life in general.

One of these is that the closer you get to the top of the hill, the steeper the hill feels.

A consequence of this is that you need to put in more effort at this stage in order to reach your goal.

It would be easy to stop at this point and turn back, thinking that the effort of those final few metres is just too much.

Those who turn back whilst still on the climb up the hill, do not have the benefit of looking around and enjoying the view as they are immediately moving back the way they came.

For those who press on and put in that final effort, the reward is that from the top of the hill, everything looks different.

No more are you bent forward in effort, looking at the ground most of the time or glancing ahead of you at the distant peak.

Once at the top of the hill, you can stop, breathe and look around.

All that you left behind when you began your climb now seems so small and insignificant.

You can see much further in every direction, as the slope of the hill is no longer obscuring your vision.

The effort that was expended in climbing the hill is soon forgotten as you enjoy the ecstasy of achievement and release from struggle.

Your heartbeat returns to a slower, more regular rhythm.

Your breathing becomes more measured and deep.

You feel calm, focused, more expansive, peaceful.

You have the option of returning the way you came or following one of the other routes that you can now see from the top that weren’t visible when you were running up.

Every time we reach the top of the hill, we realise that the effort in getting there was very much worth it.

Our perspective is different and we have more choice.

For all of us running up our hills, the important thing is to keep putting one foot in front of the other and not give up.

Focus on reaching the summit and not on the pain of effort it takes in getting there.

Remember that when you find the effort almost too much and feel that it is becoming more and more difficult to keep going, one last big effort could be all it takes to reach your goal.

For once at the top of the hill, the pain of reaching it soon fades and is replaced with the euphoria and satisfaction of achievement.