September 22, 2026
The Long Warm Season
Fitness built slowly is fitness that survives a bad month.
The Long Warm Season
Nothing great is created suddenly, any more than a bunch of grapes or a fig.
— Epictetus, Discourses 1.15
Epictetus points out that a fig needs time — blossom, fruit, ripening — and none of it can be hurried by wanting it more. Bodies work the same way.
The athlete who added a little every month for three years is unrecognisable. No single month of that would have impressed anyone.
Today's challenge: Look back at what you could do a year ago rather than what you can't do today.