MAYbe try a bit More in May 2024— Step Challenge and Photo Scavenger Hunt

[Baltoscott]

MAYbe it’s time to add a little more to your daily activities? MAYbe new route for your daily walk?  Or MAYbe start a daily walk :-). MAYbe weekend hikes, or bike rides, or MAYbe a spring 5K? The 2022 version of this month was Maybe Try Something New. At the time I was getting into bird photography which I still love doing, but as I’ve gotten better, I noticed that I’ve slowed down when I’m birding. Standing still for minutes while listening for possible subjects. Slowing down as I move to the edge of the water to avoid scaring off the birds I’m stalking. I’ll still do that, but this year some of my May hikes will be a bit longer and a bit faster, and MAYbe with no camera other than my iPhone.

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

Picture Scavenger Hunt — 3 pictures

The theme of the photo scavenger hunt this month is to find at least three different kinds of May flowers (blooms), and three different animals on your daily walks. The more colors and critters the better. Some other May picture ideas (in the US, anyway) are Memorial Day events and Mothers day celebrations; it is graduation day for for any number of schools around the world.

Purple Clematis

Posting

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.

[Jotex]

Thanks for the invite, @Baltoscott and your encouraging word (… if you slipped a bit in April). I’ll be back soon with my new goals. 

[NellyG]

Thanks @Baltoscott 

My May goals

10,000 steps a day for 15 days                      -/15

10 days over 12,000                                         -/10             

6 days over 15,000 steps                                 -/6           

35 exercise sessions (swim, bike, walk, gym, dance)   -/35

3 Scavenger Hunt pics                                      -/3

[Vidd]

Thank you, @Baltoscott , and my apologies to everyone for going under the radar for the last six weeks or so.  I'd been getting increasingly discouraged by waiting for medical appointments, and then waiting for something concrete out of them that would get to the root of what's going on.  In the end, I've had to book some private appointments, which I never thought I'd have to do.  Sadly, our National Health Service is under what seems to many like unsustainable pressure, and waiting lists are sky-high.  Added to this, my left knee has gone on strike!

There's a bit of a glimmer of a solution.  I saw a neurologist yesterday, and although he couldn't say for certain what it was that was causing my pain, he at least came up with what seems to me like a sensible theory - a possible problem with a disc sending pain down a nerve.  One thing that is hard for the medics to work out is how to do a scan on me when I'm on the move.  That's needed, because the pain flares up when I walk.

Anyway, May goals.  

3 walks with Walter the collie every day, wherever we are.	/31
Play the piano to Walter every day.	/31
In bed by midnight every day.	/31
..and by 11pm at least 26 days.	/26
Cleaning/DIY/gardening every day when I'm at home.	/31
5,000 steps per day	/31
Get to the bottom of my mysterious shoulder pain!	/1
3 Scavenger Hunt photos	/3

[Jotex]

Welcome back @Vidd and here’s wishing you SUCCESS in finding the cause and relief of your shoulder pain. Hope your left knee is better.

My May Goals with Day 1

•   8,000 Steps  0/x10 days
• 10,000 Steps  1/x10 days
• 12,000 Steps  0/x5 days
• Line Dance Class  0/x3
• Pilates Class  0/x3
• MTT 0/x8 

[SteppingBooks]

MAYbe Try A Bit More in May 1

Steps: 12,009/300,000

Weights: --/10

Water (80 oz/day): 1/31

IF: 1/31

Daily Calorie Under 2k: 1/31

I've been struggling to remember to post on Fitbit.  I try to remember on Thursdays that I work from home, thinking that will help me remember.  Last week we had a bit of chaos going on with people at conferences, and so I was definitely just trying to do the bare minimum of life. 

[Vidd]

Thank you, @Jotex, that's much appreciated.  I'm hoping the knee won't take too long to start getting right, but at the moment it's a pretty big challenge just getting to 5000 (very slow) steps.  Walter is being very understanding, and adjust his pace to mine when we're on the way home, and he's getting used to me standing still and using the ball-thrower to exercise him.

[Baltoscott]

MAYbe More Goals and Day 2

17K steps/day for 25 days		1/25
20 pushups for 20 days		1/20
9 weight-lifting days		1/9
post 3 scavenger pics		/3
Sleep 6:10 hours + 20 days or more during the month		/20
15 pull-ups for 20 days		1/25
Unicycle: 15 mins/day for 20 days		1/20
20 dry days		2/20
Beat April 2023 bike mileage (351.5 miles) YIKES!		14.4
100 zone minutes 20 days.		1/20

More pushups and pullups for MAYbe more May. The bike mileage might happen, but I'll be traveling for a week to go to a graduation in Rhode Island, which means two long days on the road. (Taking a bike with, so should get some rides in).

[Baltoscott]

@Vidd -- good to see you back. Sorry you are having so much trouble. I know it is frustrating. My wife had to get a knee replacement a couple of years ago. It had been several years coming, but she finally did it when we took the dogs for a walk one evening and only got to the next cross street before she thought it was going to give out. For the shoulder have they tried physical therapy? 

@SteppingBooks - I'm tagging you every few days so you get a fitbit email prompt and not forget us 😁

[jantonini]

MAYbe Try A Bit More in May goals and day 3

@BaltoscottThank you! 

@Vidd continued prayers and positive vibes being sent your way for the medical issues.

10k steps per day (Sundays) -  /5 days

Over 13k steps per day -  1/14 days

Over 16k steps per day -   1/7 days

Over 20k steps per day - 1/5

Weights - /15 days 

Yoga/pilates/stretch - /15 days

90 oz Water every day -  /31 days

5 lb weight loss -  /5 pounds lost -More focus here!

Mindfulness/Meditation at least 3 minutes-    /7

Asleep by Midnight at least 22 days-  /22 days

May pictures.  /3  

[Jotex]

My May Goals with Days 2,3

•   8,000 Steps  1/x10 days
• 10,000 Steps  1/x10 days
• 12,000 Steps  0/x5 days
• Line Dance Class  0/x3
• Pilates Class  1/x3
• MTT 1/x8 

[Jotex]

My May Goals with Days 4

• 5,000 Steps  2/x8 days
  8,000 Steps  1/x8 days
• 10,000 Steps  1/x8 days
• 12,000 Steps  0/x3 days
• Line Dance Class  0/x3
• Pilates Class  1/x3
• MTT 1/x8 

I have adjusted my step goals slightly to include some lower count days. I find it too demotivating when I can’t report steps on days when I am so busy I really can't get more steps in. 

[Vidd]

MAYbe Try A Bit More in May - DAY 5

3 walks with Walter the collie every day, wherever we are.	5/31
Play the piano to Walter every day.	5/31
In bed by midnight every day.	5/31
..and by 11pm at least 26 days.	4/26
Cleaning/DIY/gardening every day when I'm at home.	5/31
5,000 steps per day	5/31
Get to the bottom of my mysterious shoulder pain!	0/1
3 Scavenger Hunt photos	0/3

Thanks, everyone, for kind words, thoughts and prayers.  @Baltoscott, the first thing the docs tried was physiotherapy, and I had five sessions with a local excellent practitioner.  She was stumped by it.  I then got sent to the musculoskeletal department, when I had pushed my medical practice for a referral to a specialist, but they couldn't work it out either.  I had to organise the referral to the neurologist myself - and may have to do the same for some of the next steps, such as a dynamic MRI scan.  I've always thought that it could be a nerve-related problem, as there seemed to be no logical reason why walking should set off shoulder pain, especially given that the shoulder itself doesn't hurt when it's prodded.  We'll get there in the end - I just hope it's this year!

[NellyG]

6 May

10,000 steps a day for 15 days                      2/15

10 days over 12,000                                         1/10             

6 days over 15,000 steps                                 1/6           

35 exercise sessions (swim, bike, walk, gym, dance)   5/35

3 Scavenger Hunt pics                                      -/3

[Jotex]

My May Goals with Day5

• 5,000 Steps  3/x8 days
  8,000 Steps  1/x8 days
• 10,000 Steps  1/x8 days
• 12,000 Steps  0/x3 days
• Line Dance Class  0/x2
• Pilates Class  1/x2
• MTT 1/x8 

[Baltoscott]

MAYbe More Day 7

17K steps/day for 25 days		4/25
20 pushups for 20 days		4/20
9 weight-lifting days		2/9
post 3 scavenger pics		2/3
Sleep 6:10 hours + 20 days or more during the month		2/20
15 pull-ups for 20 days		3/20
Unicycle: 15 mins/day for 20 days		4/20
15 dry days		4/15
Beat April 2023 bike mileage (351.5 miles) YIKES!		52.8
100 zone minutes 20 days.		4/20

@Vidd - that is all so frustrating. You are taking all the right steps. I hope you can find some treatment that works, or that it just improves with time. 

The Rhododendron was in our yard. The rest were from a trip to state park about and 45 minutes north of Baltimore. The Lion's mane mushroom was new to me; it was about the size of a football. 

RhondodendronLion's Main MushroomGreat Blue HeronProthonotary Warbler

[Jotex]

My May Goals with Days 6 & 7

• 5,000 Steps  3/x8 days
  8,000 Steps  3/x8 days
• 10,000 Steps  1/x8 days
• 12,000 Steps  0/x3 days
• Line Dance Class  0/x2
• Pilates Class  1/x2
• MTT 1/x8 

[NellyG]

8 May

10,000 steps a day for 15 days                      4/15

10 days over 12,000                                         3/10             

6 days over 15,000 steps                                 3/6           

35 exercise sessions (swim, bike, walk, gym, dance)   9/35

3 Scavenger Hunt pics                                      1/3

Kangaroos

 

[Baltoscott]

MAYbe More Day 7

17K steps/day for 25 days		5/25
20 pushups for 20 days		5/20
9 weight-lifting days		3/9
post 3 scavenger pics		2/3
Sleep 6:10 hours + 20 days or more during the month		2/20
15 pull-ups for 20 days		4/20
Unicycle: 15 mins/day for 20 days		5/20
15 dry days		5/15
Beat April 2023 bike mileage (351.5 miles) YIKES!		66.5
100 zone minutes 20 days.		5/20

[SteppingBooks]

MAYbe Try A Bit More in May 2 through 8

Steps: 93,396/300,000

Weights: 2/10

Water (80 oz/day): 3/31

IF: 8/31

Daily Calorie Under 2k: 8/31

@Baltoscott  Haha, thank you!  

I think today is the day I lose my step streak.  We've got two days working from home in a row, and I've a few things going on today besides.  I swear one of these days I'm going to end up buying a walking pad for days like these.  We've had a few too many predatory animals roaming about.