Anything Goes August Step Challenge and Scavenger Hunt

[Baltoscott]

Jaunty July is coming to an end and it is time to start a new step challenge.  @Jotex suggested calling this one Anything Goes August as in the great Cole Porter song. 

Anything Goes?  Like July it’s hot in the Northern hemisphere, but this month we also begin to lament the end of summer and rush to cram in vacations and finish summer projects we should have started in June.  With all that it is easy to forget to take care of yourself so now is your chance to write down your step and a few other goals for the month.  Then you can report in every few days to keep yourself honest.  And in the spirit of Anything Goes, maybe add a few taps to your basic step goals.

General monthly instructions are below, but this month I’m adding a picture scavenger hunt:  

Take your phone or other camera on your walks look for, snap, and post three pics or more of the following: 1 - some sort of Danger or Warning sign or image like “falling rocks” or “slippery when wet,” the odder the better; 2 - a posted map of something like a downtown walking map, or a park trail map; and 3 a movie or theatre marquee.  Just post here as you find them and add a line or internet link about what you are posting.   (Thanks @Ennay for the pic)     

inspiration :                                                    

   
How It Works:

The primary purpose of these monthly challenges is to keep track of your daily step goals for the month; though many of us track other things as well, like body weight exercises, sleep, trips to the gym, logging food, etc. This is not a competition to see who can do the most of whatever, instead it is a challenge to measure your consistency. So whether you do 1k, 5k, 10k or even 40k steps a day, this is measuring how many days out of the monthly total you can hit your goal.

Some might have a constant goal of 10k steps every single day and others might have a variable goal throughout the week, (and some might even plan days off!) for example.
Monday -> Friday = 10k steps a day
Sat & Sun = “6k steps a day,” or “not tracking”

Regardless of how you structure your daily goals, the only thing that matters for the monthly challenge is whether or not you reach what you set out to do.

Suggested Posting Format.       
1) Post either your constant or variable step goal.
2) Keep track of the # of daily goals achieved out of the monthly minimum and or monthly total

Although you certainly don’t have to post daily, you’ll likely stay closer to what you set out to do by updating the thread several times/week

Injury Notice
If you injure yourself during the month and need to scale back due to the injury, then all you have to do is adjust your goal for that period. If you normally do 10k steps a day but pull a hamstring and decide to do minimal walking (2k steps a day), then all you have to do is change your goal.

[Ennay]

6 hours of laser tag yesterday.  Fitbit credits me 14K steps, but I know that during the actual tag portion, fairly few steps are recorded because of hands on gun.

Burn was 3500 yesterday which is a monster day for me.   Fitbit did credit me with 170 minutes of aerobics.

Everything hurts.

I would be so fit if it weren't so far away and expensive.  As my 11 year old pointed out, I would not be skinny as along with the laser tag came pizza and ice cream, but fit.

[Baltoscott]

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@Jotex wrote:

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I have a quick question for those of y’all who have more than one fitbit tracker. Do you only wear one device all the time, or do you wear more than one? If the latter, does fitbit add all your steps into one tally for the day? I’m interested in the Fitbit Charge 3 coming out. My Charge 2 works great, but it has a nasty scratch. So, I could wear it on my treadmill, and when working out (= perspiring!), but put on the newer one to track steps the rest of the time. Wondering if all steps will still be counted.

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@Jotex -- although Fitbit's official line is not to wear two trackers at the same time, and you should  sync before switching trackers to best ensure you don't lose steps, I've both worn two trackers at the same and I often forget to sync before switching.  At least with respect to steps, Fitbit's servers seem to sort things out pretty well for me.  Here are some situations where things get a little messy ....

1a. -- Wearing two trackers while riding a bike (one in pocket to emphasize steps, one on wrist to measure HR).  Usually get more steps on the pocket tracker than the wrist tracker for the ride (pedaling leg records more steps than hand holding handlebar on bumpy ride).  But when Fitbit syncs the two trackers, steps go down on the pocket tracker and up on the wrist tracker, making something of an average.  This seems right to me.

1b. -- Same situation as 1a, but what about floors?  Floors seem to be counted twice when I wear two trackers the same time.  

2 -- taking two trackers to work or the gym, but only wearing one of them.  If the tracker in my bag gets moved enough to register a few steps (because the bag is moving around as I carry it or when it is attached to my bike), the recorded steps for that travel time period will be reconciled Fitbit's servers, usually resulting in a fairly large reduction in steps on the tracker I was wearing -- and a similar increase in the steps on the bagged tracker.  

Best practices?  If I'm am traveling to the gym and want to take two trackers, but only wear a particular tracker during the gym session, I wear/carry both trackers while traveling so the steps recorded are similar so that the reconciliation does not mess up my daily step count.  At the gym I leave one tracker in my locker and record my workout with the other.  At the next sync the tracker in the locker gets updated to show the same higher total as the one I wore for the workout.  The I put them both on for the ride home and remove one once I get home and put it on the charger.  

I usually just rely on 'all day sync' and don't worry much about syncing before switching.

[Jotex]

Anything Goes — August 28

15 x 10,000 steps —10/15 days

10 x 15,000 steps — 6/10 days 

2 x 20,000 steps — 4/2 days

15 x Strength training — 6/15 days 

3 Scavenger Hunt Photos — 3/3

@Baltoscott - thanks for sharing from your experience with two trackers. I’m still mulling it over, and my birthday isn’t until October. But I know my husband would be happy not to have to shop for my gift. 😇

[Baltoscott]

@Jotex — Whenever someone suggests a fitbit for a gift, I always think of the old doghouse commercials. https://youtu.be/Twivg7GkYts So if you really want the CH3 for you B-Day, be explicit, or just buy it yourself. 😉 (I think it will be a good step up to the CH2)

[Jotex]

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@Baltoscott wrote:

@Jotex — Whenever someone suggests a fitbit for a gift, I always think of the old doghouse commercials. https://youtu.be/Twivg7GkYts So if you really want the CH3 for you B-Day, be explicit, just buy it yourself. 😉 (I think it will be a good step up to the CH2)

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Thanks @Baltoscott. 😂😂😂 I’ve seen that movie before, but it was good to see it again!

As I mentioned earlier, it’ll either be the CH3 or an iWatch. Most likely the fitbit. 😊 

[benvegi]

@GershonSurge, @Baltoscott, @Jotex, @WendyB

I was doing some additioal research on the Falling Rocks subject trying to find out where the falling (or fallen) rocks GO. Never do I spot one on the road or shoulder. So WHERE do they GO?  Google and Wikipedia had no answers.  Just then our mail arrived and in it was the Sierra Magazine which had a short article on this subject. Here is the answer:

[Jotex]

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@benvegi wrote:

@GershonSurge, @Baltoscott, @Jotex, @WendyB

I was doing some additioal research on the Falling Rocks subject trying to find out where the falling (or fallen) rocks GO. Never do I spot one on the road or shoulder. So WHERE do they GO?  Google and Wikipedia had no answers.  Just then our mail arrived and in it was the Sierra Magazine which had a short article on this subject. Here is the answer:

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😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂 That’s hilarious @benvegi! In Switzerland, with 4 national languages (note: English is NOT one of them), the warning signs ars usually images.

This one is for BOTH falling and already fallen stones. 

[GershonSurge]

Back in 1966, Jim Bishop's father told him he'd never amount to anything. So, he started collecting fallen rocks and built a castle by himself.

[Baltoscott]

The STEPcember Challenge is up. Go put up your goals.

Tagging @GershonSurge @Jotex @benvegi @Ennay @NellyG @lavabelle @SeleneD @WendyB @SuzyZhen @Dexterity @CatLover74 @Homefrontgirl @MichieFromPA @A_Lurker

[WendyB]

Aug 27 and 28

Steps: Goal right now is 10000 25/31
Boxing 31 days: 27/31
Bike 2 times 31 days: 27/31
Weights 14 days: 12/31
Lose 3 Pounds 3/3
250 Steps per hour 26/31
Post Scavenger hunt photos 3/3

I did not make step goal for 2 days. Was in the hospital. Nothing major. But I did have to go to emergency room and get admitted. Not Limited so I will be back at it tomorrow.

[Jotex]

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@WendyB wrote:

Aug 27 and 28

Aug 26

I did not make step goal for 2 days. Was in the hospital. Nothing major. But I did have to go to emergency room and get admitted. Not Limited so I will be back at it tomorrow.

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So sorry to hear you had to go in the hospital @WendyB, but very glad to hear it was minor. Wishing you good health and strength! 

[SunsetRunner]

Day Twenty-nine of August.

1. Steps>=5000 - 28/31 - missed a day in week 2. 

2. 2 km walks - 10/8

3. 3 scavenger pictures: 2/3. (There's no picture theatre in our town.)

[CatLover74]

August 29

10,000 steps a day for at least 20 days of the month  -  23/20.

1 walk per week along the foreshore of my local beach (should be fun in an Australian winter)  -  3/4.

At least 7 hours sleep on at least 15 days of the month  -  21/15.

10 wall pushups a day on at least 15 days of the month  -  19/15.

Post 3 scavenger hunt pictures  -  3/3.

[NellyG]

29 August

10,000 steps a day for 20 days                   22/20         

Swim 2x per week                                         1/2         8/9                 

Dance 6 hours a week                                  2/6         23/26    

One Interval walk or bike ride per week     1/1         4/4

Post 3 Scavenger Hunt Pictures                 3/3

[benvegi]

Here are my goals for Anything Goes August.

15,000 steps a day

7 miles per day

30 floors per day

I am modifying this by adding 4 days off so as to not feel guilty when we have a "town" day & can't get the steps.

8/26 steps 18,292, 52 floors, 8.54 miles

8/27 steps  23,314, 33 floors, 10.79 miles..........lots of NEAT work, weedeating my driveway, hand mowing, cutting small limbs over the driveway. 

8/28 steps 20,260, 40 floors, 9.49 miles........more NEAT

@WendyB Heal quickly!

@Baltoscott  Yes, we would have been at the Vegan fair! Don't see that out here where they raise beef.

[Jotex]

Anything Goes — August 29

15 x 10,000 steps —11/15 days

10 x 15,000 steps — 6/10 days 

2 x 20,000 steps — 4/2 days

15 x Strength training — 6/15 days 

3 Scavenger Hunt Photos — 3/3

[WendyB]

Aug 29

Steps: Goal right now is 10000 26/31
Boxing 31 days: 28/31
Bike 2 times 31 days: 287/31
Weights 14 days: 13/31
Lose 3 Pounds 3/3
250 Steps per hour 27/31
Post Scavenger hunt photos 3/3

[CatLover74]

August 30

10,000 steps a day for at least 20 days of the month  -  24/20.

1 walk per week along the foreshore of my local beach (should be fun in an Australian winter)  -  3/4.

At least 7 hours sleep on at least 15 days of the month  -  21/15.

10 wall pushups a day on at least 15 days of the month  -  19/15.

Post 3 scavenger hunt pictures  -  3/3.

[Baltoscott]

August 29

Use Instapot 4 times	4/4
15K steps/day	27/31
1 pushup/day	28/31
17 weight-lifting days	16/17
post 3 scavenger hunt pics	3/3
Sleep 6+ hours 12 days or more during the month	12/12
Weight loss of 2-4 lbs (Aug 1 = 163.3 on TW)	0.9 lbs

Hamden neighborhood, Baltimore 6 am, Aug 30

As the days get shorter I am moving into sunrise season for my morning bike commute.  

[SunsetRunner]

Day Thirty of August.

1. Steps>=5000 - 29/31 - missed a day in week 2. 

2. 2 km walks - 10/8

3. 3 scavenger pictures: 3/3. 

Here's the third scavenger picture in the nick of time. I'm counting it even though strictly speaking it's probably not a marquee. I have just been to the opposite side of the state and the town has a picture theatre. I snuck out for a walk at lunch time today and took a couple of snaps 🙂