A walk around my block is 1.3 kms, down to the bottom of the hill, along the river and then back up the next road (uphill) to home.

Should take 18 minutes according to Google Maps.

HA! I did it in 45!

I am immensely proud of myself.

The trouble with living at the top of a hill is that whatever direction you decide to walk in you start off easy, feeling as fit as, well, a fit person, but you always have a point of no return when you have walked too far down the hill to get back up again easily.

I knew this when I started off today, bravely clutching my water bottle and mobile phone,  but I was resolute and bold.

I am not sure the various people who saw me sitting, panting on their and then their neighbour’s grass verges as I made my slow way up the hill saw me in quite the same light, but I hope they didn’t think I was hanging about casing their houses.

At on point I was just wondering it it would be completely beyond the pale to stretch out prone on the grass under a shady ash tree for a few minutes, when a jogger went past (going uphill of course) and called a cheery, non-breathless “hello” to me.

Rolling myself back upright – I’m not joking, I really did have to roll – I struggled to my feet and continued to climb Everest.

Back home I thought to myself that it can surely only get easier.