Hit the ground running

Kaz:	(Breathless) Hello, I'm Kaz.
Yang Li:	I'm Yang Li. Hey Kaz, you're out of breath and wearing running shoes, what's going on?
Kaz:	Wait a minute Li (gulp for breath), let me catch my breath. Yes, I'm wearing my running shoes because I've been running.
Yang Li:	You've been running—why? Were you late?
Kaz:	No it was because of something my boss told me to do.
Yang Li:	Your boss told you to run to the studio—hmm strange.
Kaz:	No no, she said "Kaz, when you start tomorrow's programme, I want you to hit the ground running".
Yang Li:	"I want you to hit the ground running"—sounds rather dangerous.
Kaz:	Well, I thought I'd do it literally—you know, just for fun.
Yang Li:	Oh I see. You thought you'd literally hit the ground running—so you leapt off a fast moving bus and ended up running all the way to the studio!
Kaz:	That's right, that's why I'm out of breath. I literally hit the ground running!
Yang Li:	But I get the feeling your boss didn't want you to literally "hit the ground running".
Kaz:	You're absolutely right Li. When she said, "Kaz, when you start tomorrow's programme, I want you to hit the ground running" she meant "When you start tomorrow's programme, I want you to immediately work very hard on it to make it successful".
Yang Li:	OK. Kaz's boss wanted him to get today's programme off to a brisk and successful start. She wanted him 'to hit the ground running'. I think Kaz, you did exactly that. Let's listen to some more examples:

If you want to succeed in your new job, you'll need to hit the ground running,from day one.
You guys will have to hit the ground running on this new project.
The President promised that if he was re-elected he would hit the ground running on the question of unemployment.

Yang Li:	Kaz, the expression 'to hit the ground running' sounds American—is that right?
Kaz:	Yeah, I think you're right Yang Li but we're beginning to hear it more often in British English
Yang Li:	It's an American import then?
Kaz:	Yes, I think it is. You tend to hear it in connection with speed and efficiency especially on new projects.
Yang Li:	Great!
Kaz:	But one thing's for certain Li.
Yang Li:	What's that?
Kaz:	On this programme we always hit the ground running!
Yang Li:	You're right there Kaz. On this programme we always hit the ground running! We always give it 110%! Bye!