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.

[Homefrontgirl]

August Step Goals:

8,000 per day:  15/31

[CatLover74]

August 16

10,000 steps a day for at least 20 days of the month  -  13/20.

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  -  14/15.

10 wall pushups a day on at least 15 days of the month  -  16/15.

Post 3 scavenger hunt pictures  -  3/3.

[SunsetRunner]

Day Sixteen of August.

1. Steps=5000 - 15/31 - missed a day last week. 

2. 2 km walks - 6/8 

3. 3 scavenger pictures: 2/3.

[GershonSurge]

 

Today was the first day my estimated finish date is before the target date. I need to draw that closer as much as possible. The process of building the base will mean I'll be able to run more miles in the future. 

I reached my target weight of 152 pounds yesterday. My nutritionist put me on double rations to gain a couple of pounds back. We will attempt to keep the weight between 152 and 154 pounds. Good thing there are a couple porta-potties along my running route as digestion continues when running slowly.

Yesterday, I went to the doctor's office to get some blood tests. I met a nice 83-year old backpacker who can't find anyone to backpack with because she hikes too far each day. So, she goes by herself. She used to be a survival instructor and wilderness guide in Oregon. I've seen her type on the trail. No matter how far I hike from the trailhead, there are always two old women hiking farther as if they don't have a care in the world. Her friends tell her she shouldn't hike by herself, so she doesn't tell them.

@Baltoscott

I've read the hardest lift is the first one -- getting off your butt. Good job working through that process. 

[SeleneD]

Hi, I will probably on weekends, but I will try to as much as I can.

August 16th

• 9,000 steps
• Soccer

Misty loves to sleep in the car

[lavabelle]

@GershonSurge it really is difficult to find people who want to go long...I enjoy long stretches of hikes and walks, and cannot find a partner either. As I get more experienced, I definitely will be solo hiking. I am reading up a lot on backpacking, and hiking , and debating about taking an outdoor survival course. 🙂 Might even meet some potential partners 🙂 And to my delight and surprise Hubby said last night he might be interested in coming "walking" with me...I've been leaving him behind for months now, I think he misses me 🙂 I enjoy both walking alone and with others, and would love to have Hubby join me 🙂

August 15 Update

15 000 Steps a day 15/31

1000 calorie deficit per day - 20 days minimum 13/31

Scavenger hunt pictures 2/3

Still missing my third scavenger pic...I need to walk in more urban areas I guess 🙂

[SeleneD]

@WendyB  Cute picture!

[NellyG]

16 August

10,000 steps a day for 20 days                   14/20         

Swim 2x per week                                         2/2         5/9                 

Dance 6 hours a week                                  3/4         13/26    

One Interval walk or bike ride per week     -/1         2/4

Post 3 Scavenger Hunt Pictures                 3/3

[SunsetRunner]

Tonight I searched again for a solution to a problem I've had, where the connected GPS cut out on the Versa after about 200 metres. To my delight, I found one - but knew I had to test it out. It's late at night here (now after midnight), but I didn't want to wait. So got the GPS connected and set off to see if it would last the distance. (It did!)

I had got just a few houses up the street when I came across another character out taking the night air. Here are a couple of photos, sorry about the quality. The phone camera seems to work better in the daytime 

A neighbour out enjoying the fresh air at midnight.

He didn't move, just let me walk by and take a couple of photos.

[Jotex]

Anything Goes — August 16

15 x 10,000 steps —6/15 days

10 x 15,000 steps — 3/10 days 

2 x 20,000 steps — 4/2 days

15 x Strength training — 3/15 days 

3 Scavenger Hunt Photos — 3/3

[WendyB]

Hi Skippy! 

[Baltoscott]

August 16

Use Instapot 4 times	3/4
15K steps/day	15/31
1 pushup/day	15/31
13 weight-lifting days	8/13
post 3 scavenger hunt pics	3/3
Sleep 6+ hours 12 days or more during the month	8/12
Weight loss of 2-4 lbs	0.9

I was really 5 minutes short on the sleep :bed: goal, but I counted anyway 🤫

[Baltoscott]

@SunsetRunner — we have giant bunnies in DC too ... 

The first one has a dragon on the hip — danger!

Monkey bunnie

Octo-bunnie

Another dragon

[WendyB]

I love those bunnies 😁

[Homefrontgirl]

August Step Goals:

8,000 per day:  16/31

[WendyB]

Aug 17

Steps: Goal right now is 9000 15/31
Boxing 31 days: 17/31
Bike 2 times 31 days: 17/31
Weights 14 days:  8 /31
Lose 3 Pounds 2.5/3
250 Steps per hour 16/31
Post Scavenger hunt photos 3/3

[CatLover74]

August 17

10,000 steps a day for at least 20 days of the month  -  14/20.

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  -  14/15.

10 wall pushups a day on at least 15 days of the month  -  17/15.

Post 3 scavenger hunt pictures  -  3/3.

[SunsetRunner]

Day Seventeen of August.

1. Steps=5000 - 16/31 - missed a day last week. 

2. 2 km walks - 7/8

3. 3 scavenger pictures: 2/3.

Working out how to fix the GPS connection has given me extra motivation. Today I went for another walk around the pondage, with the GPS tracking all the way. Funny thing is that one full circuit showed up on the tracker as being 2.3 km, when the signage said 3 km. At first I just assumed the signage was wrong, then I discovered parkrun, which has a weekly 5 km run. The run goes for much of the way around the pondage then back again, which is 2.5 km each way. It doesn't go the full distance around, so a single circuit of the full track probably is about 3 km or close to it, and the Fitbit with GPS is wrong. 

I'll have to do some more work to get to the bottom of this puzzle.

Oh, and I love your bunnies and dragon @Baltoscott, but I love our neighbourly kangaroos even more 🙂

[GershonSurge]

At this point, I'm able to compare my pace for the last 100 miles to the hundred miles 500 miles ago. The pace for the first block was 14 days/100 miles and for the second was 10 days/100 miles. The difference is I no longer need to favor my right knee and hip.

My new constraint is I'm having difficulty eating enough to maintain my weight. When I conquer this week link, I'll be able to improve my pace to 8 days/100 miles (12.5 miles/day) without difficulty.

@SunsetRunner,

I finally gave up on GPS and use the treadmill setting for all runs. My speed is a function of the number of steps I take. per minute and the distance is a function of the total steps. I run for a set time instead of worrying about the distance. I found aches and pains are a function of the total steps each day regardless of how they are taken. I also monitor the total calories burned each day. Minutes/mile no longer interest me. 

I see you met a new sparring partner for @WendyB

@lavabelle

Good luck walking with your husband. The most efficient way to get miles is to let the slowest person lead and to walk single file. For backpacking, agree on a rest cycle. Say every 20 minutes to take the pack off for a couple minutes and get a drink of water. Every hour, stop for a snack and coffee. Everyone's cycle is different. If we take a picture looking at a view, our policy is it doesn't count unless we make coffee.

[WendyB]

At @GershonSurge @SunsetRunner Yeah skippy!

When we went to Australia many years ago they always called the Kangaroos Skippy

I love Skippy