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.

[NellyG]

7 August

@Baltoscott So sorry to hear about your dog. A sad time for you.

10,000 steps a day for 20 days                   6/20         

Swim 2x per week                                         1/2         2/9                 

Dance 6 hours a week                                  2.5/4         7.5/26    

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

Post 3 Scavenger Hunt Pictures                 2/3

[NellyG]

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@Jotex wrote:

@SunsetRunner - I hope you get your energy back soon. Probably just a summer slump.

Good thought but it is a Winter slump! (Australia is in winter)

[GershonSurge]

 

I'm celebrating completing the first 500 miles. Nothing hurts anymore, so the miles are getting easier, and I'm gradually increasing the daily distance.

@Baltoscott,

Sorry to hear about Hawthorne. 😞

@NellyG,

I have to ask, "Why do the turtles cross the road?"

It seems like they ought to get people scheduled for a colonoscopy to get together for a drinking party. What they don't say is you only need to drink the stuff until it comes out looking like Mr. Clean if they do the procedure right away. 

[Jotex]

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@NellyG wrote:

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@Jotex wrote:

@SunsetRunner - I hope you get your energy back soon. Probably just a summer slump.

Good thought but it is a Winter slump! (Australia is in winter)

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Oops, thanks @NellyG. I messed up! Sorry! When it’s so darn hot you can sometimes hardly breathe, it’s hard to remember all the details.  

I have been thinking of taking a world map or making a list and noting where each of us lives geographically, and maybe where we are originally from. 

[WendyB]

@GershonSurge they cross the road to get to the marsh or water on the other side.

Have a sign like that where i walk

[WendyB]

Aug 7

Steps: Goal right now is 8000 7/31
Boxing 31 days: 7/31
Bike  2 times 31 days: 7/31
Weights 14 days: 3/31

Lose 3 Pounds .5/3

250 Steps per hour 6/31
Post Scavenger hunt photos 3/3

Upped my goal. Moving on up 😁

Here they are leaving a nice lake and going to a marsh. 

[CatLover74]

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@NellyG wrote:

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@Jotex wrote:

@SunsetRunner - I hope you get your energy back soon. Probably just a summer slump.

Good thought but it is a Winter slump! (Australia is in winter)

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Definitely a winter slump, and maybe a bit of SAD.  It was pouring with rain in Adelaide a couple of days ago - I got hardly any steps in that day (I think I barely broke 3,000).

[Baltoscott]

August 7

Use Instapot 4 times	2/4
15K steps/day	7/31
1 pushup/day	6/31
13 weight-lifting days	4/13
post 3 scavenger hunt pics	1/3
Sleep 6+ hours 12 days or more during the month	4/12
Weight loss of 2-4 lbs	0.6

Thanks so much to all of you for your thoughts and kind words regarding Hawthorne.  We were blessed to have him.  He was a good dog, and the house seems so quiet without him clicking around ... With super-fast toenail growth, a passionate aversion to nail clippers, and a panting tongue that didn't quite fit in his month, even when he wasn't barking he filled up a room.  Funny, we still have two dogs and a cat, and it seems quiet ...

I'm loving the road signs.  No warnings of turtle crossings here -- slow or otherwise.  We DO have turtles, but I guess they are content staying on the side of the road they are already on.

[CatLover74]

August 8

10,000 steps a day for at least 20 days of the month  -  6/20.

1 walk per week along the foreshore of my local beach (should be fun in an Australian winter)  -  2/4.

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

10 wall pushups a day on at least 15 days of the month  -  8/15.

Post 3 scavenger hunt pictures  -  3/3.

Saw this little guy on my beach walk this afternoon.

[Jotex]

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@Ennay wrote:

@Jotexugh.  I am due again in October.  Last time I got to prep with just gatorade and Miralax, not the premix.  I could control the flavor better and when I got sick of sweet I mixed with plain water and followed up with chicken broth instead.
...
Started a puzzle.  I haven't done a puzzle since i got my fitbit because puzzles were one of my obsession, sit too much, stay up too late things.  Decided to brave it. Yesterday I didn't start it until i had finished all my steps for the day so can I resist working on it today?

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Oh dear Ennay! May the Force be with you in October! I never had an option of what I had to drink, only in the follow-up half-liter  (like I could get another ounce down my throat after the horrible stuff!). Yours sounded more palatable!

I know what you mean about having an obsession that gets us off track. Mine might be sewing, if I start a project, or any number of activities, including Social Networking! Help!!! Hope you can switch off and get your steps in!

[NellyG]

8 August

@GershonSurge Yes @WendyB is right. The sand dunes at near King George Sound are on one side of the road (where they hatch) and Lake Seppings is on one side of the road, where they head to play in the water.

@Baltoscott  Ive enjoyed doing the photos! Great idea.

10,000 steps a day for 20 days                   7/20         

Swim 2x per week                                         1/2         2/9                 

Dance 6 hours a week                                  2.5/4         7.5/26    

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

Post 3 Scavenger Hunt Pictures                 3/3

 

And here's the map. The view is looking down the main street towards the ocean.

[SunsetRunner]

Day Eight of August.

1. Steps=5000 - 8/31.

Still raining. We're fortunate. Large parts of the country are having the worst drought ever.

2. 2 km walks - 3/8.

3. 3 scavenger pictures: 2/3.

[GershonSurge]

 

@NellyG

It looks like you live in a nice place.

With all the talk about colonoscopy preparation, I started a topic called "Constipation" in the "Get moving" forum. I liked the play on words.

[Ennay]

Goals: Aug 6-31 - Average 15K steps, 2700 burn  (parenthesis are cumulative ahead/behind goal)
Aug 6: 15924 (+924) , burn 2981 (+281)  (although today it says 2999)

Aug 7: 17465 (+3389). burn 2718  (+299)

Weird that the number changed after.  Also that the phone app and the web app don't quite match.

[Baltoscott]

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@GershonSurge wrote: ...

With all the talk about colonoscopy preparation, I started a topic called "Constipation" in the "Get moving" forum. I liked the play on words.

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...

I'll "run" right over and check that out.

[GershonSurge]

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@Baltoscott wrote:

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@GershonSurge wrote: ...

With all the talk about colonoscopy preparation, I started a topic called "Constipation" in the "Get moving" forum. I liked the play on words.

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...

I'll "run" right over and check that out.

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Dash in a real rush. Hurry. Empty all. (Diarrhea)

[Baltoscott]

August 8

Use Instapot 4 times	2/4
15K steps/day	8/31
1 pushup/day	7/31
13 weight-lifting days	5/13
post 3 scavenger hunt pics	1/3
Sleep 6+ hours 12 days or more during the month	4/12
Weight loss of 2-4 lbs	0.6

Pretty good day in the gym this morning.  Nice to have some inside activity too -- it's August hot and humid outside.  

[WendyB]

Aug 8

Steps: Goal right now is 8000 8/31
Boxing 31 days: 8/31
Bike  2 times 31 days: 8/31
Weights 14 days: 4/31

Lose 3 Pounds .5/3

250 Steps per hour 7/31
Post Scavenger hunt photos 3/3

Had a friend today on my walk

[Homefrontgirl]

August Goals

8,000 steps per day - 8/31

[Jotex]

Anything Goes — August 8

15 x 10,000 steps —1/15 days

10 x 15,000 steps — 3/10 days 

2 x 20,000 steps — 2/2 days

15 x Strength training — 2/15 days 

3 (or more) Scavenger Hunt Photos (as directed) — 1/3

After the ‘procedure’ on Tuesday I couldn’t make more than 8,000 steps. I kept falling asleep from the anesthetic. I was a bit worried if I’d make my count yesterday, as we had another funeral to attend and I would also have to get dusting and vacuuming done as our daughter and family are coming today. It was later than usual when I hit the treadmill (8:30 pm) but I made 13,000 steps in all yesterday. 

Thank goodness we have finally gotten some much needed rain and cooler temperatures! But having to leave all windows open to cool the inside of our apartment means ... bugs come flying in. Had to kill a big hornet (I think that's what it was)  this morning before I could sit down and enjoy my coffee.