Second session at ‘boot camp’ and several things are different. Firstly Tim Megginson is aware of mine, and everyone else’s, discomfort suffered on Tuesday as his regime techniques hit the parts sedentary life styles can’t do.

So a different programme of activity, seemingly much faster than Monday but then the allotted time seemed to go much faster – I only checked my watch the once and discovered we were already 20 minutes in and it seemed like just five.

What’s also different is that feeling of what now constitutes ‘the norm’. One swallow doesn’t make a spring and neither does a couple of ‘boot camp’ experiences change a life or lifestyle.

But they do make a difference in mental attitude. What was part of my routine a week ago is no longer part of my routine today. Food is a considered commodity, protein, nutrition, water, fat content and all the labelling I usually discount on tins or containers or supermarket packaging is being increasingly scrutinised, verified and, quite often, rejected.

I even looked round at the 30 or so taking part in today’s session at Ely rugby club and realised we all come at this from different backgrounds, different experiences and will go on during the day to do vastly different things. But there’s a unity of purpose around the place, and a growing sense of shared ‘we’re all in this together’ camaraderie.

That I am being used as this newspaper’s ‘guinea pig’ to help promote a competition is neither here nor there – suddenly the challenge of taking part, entering fully into the experience, and sustaining a month long series of fast moving, high energy fitness techniques is very personal.

I’m planning a weigh in later today which will indicate the ‘now’ and look forward to refreshing the results in a month’s time for the ‘then’. Spectacular or dismal they will be shared since it was my choice to do this and my choice to share the experience with readers.

A stark conclusion thus far is that for most motivation begins on a personal level and often never breaks free from that attitude of the mind being willing but the body is weak.

With Tim Megginson’s approach (other approaches are available!) there’s a non judgemental, resourceful and talented set of criteria at work that bridge the gap between wanting and doing.

Changes are occurring elsewhere too. I’ve written this before 9am, cleared all emails, set up a day’s work for others and now off out to a meeting.

And I neither fell down the stairs nor have arrived at work with odd shoes.

Progress indeed.