Stomping STEPcember Challenge and Scavenger Hunt

[Baltoscott]

Stomping STEPcember Challenge and Scavenger Hunt

Anything Goes August is almost over and it is time to start a new step challenge.  So here comes the STOMPING STEPCEMBER Step Challenge and Scavenger Hunt.  Yes, STOMPING because just like kids going back to school, we know it sucks that summer is over (in the Northern Hemisphere anyway), and that it sometimes helps to express your feelings with a stomp or two.

General monthly instructions are below, but we are also continuing the practice started last month of a picture scavenger hunt:  

Take your phone or other camera on your walks and look for, snap, and post three pics or more of the following: 

1 - the oldest structure in your area (of any type, oldest house, monument, school, whatever — tell us what it is and how old it is); 

2 - storm drain or manhole or other utility cover (keep your eyes pealed — there are some very artsy manholes in the world); 

3 - a wild animal.  (Going to the zoo is OK.  The animal need not be alive.  Statutes are OK.  If you use a stuffed animal, put it somewhere usual for the shot).  I found this guy in the DC hood ...

  

Although a picture of your dog/cat other pet won’t satisfy the scavenger hunt, post those anyway.  We love ‘em.                                                           

   
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]

-10000 steps:     1/25

-Other exercise:    0/6

-Archival to-do:     0/1
-Trendweight:   0/1.7

-post  - 2/10

-scavenger hunt. 0/3
-"The 100"    2/25

 Getting  a little frustrated on the weight front.  Gained 2-3 lbs on vacation not paying attention and eating very badly, gained another 2-3 paying attention and eating well.  Sigh.

[Baltoscott]

Welcome @Be50Gone 🙂

STEPtember 3

15K steps/day	3/30
50 Floors/day 20 times	3/20
1 pushup/day 2/30	3/30
12 weight-lifting days	2/12
post 3 scavenger hunt pics	1/3
Sleep 6+ hours 12 days or more during the month	2/12
Weight loss of 2-4 lbs (Sept 2 = 162.3 on TW)

Four more manhole covers and a scary bird painting.

YIKES!

[Jotex]

Had a weird day today; not going to make my goals. Sorry. 😕

[WendyB]

Great Heron photo @Baltoscott love the eagle painting as well

@NellyG love your photos as well

[WendyB]

Sept 3

Steps: Goal right now is 10000 3/30 This will increase as I go
Boxing 30 days: 3/30
Bike 2 times 30 days: 3/30
Weights 12 days: 1/30

Wall Push ups 30 days:  3/30
250 Steps per hour 2/30 

Lose 3 Pounds 0/3
Post Scavenger hunt photos 3/3

[Jotex]

---

@Ennay wrote:

 Getting  a little frustrated on the weight front.  Gained 2-3 lbs on vacation not paying attention and eating very badly, gained another 2-3 paying attention and eating well.  Sigh.

---

I haven’t been on vacation but the same thing recently happened to me. It is very frustrating after all the ‘blood, sweat and tears’ to lose it. But (coming out of denial, then depression), I am sure it’s just a temporary set back. Hang in there @Ennay!

[CatLover74]

Some more covers I’ve come across.

[CatLover74]

STEPtember 4

10,000 steps on at least 15 days of the month  -  2/15.

15,000 steps on at least 5 days of the month  -  0/5.

4 walks along the foreshore of my local beach  -  0/4.

7 hours sleep on at least 15 days of the month  -  3/15.

10 wall push ups on at least 20 days of the month  -  4/20.

Scavenger hunt pictures  -  2/3.

Missed my sleep goal by 10 minutes today.  So near but so far.

[SunsetRunner]

I'm off to a slow start this month, managing 5000 steps but not much more than that. The average is going down, not up, so far. I'll have to pull my socks up 🙂

Day four of thirty stomps:

• At least 5000 steps every day: 4/30
• At least 7000 steps on two days each week: 0/8; 0/4
• By the end of the month, have the 28-day average at 7000 steps: Average = 6806 -> 6761
• 2 km walk or longer - ten in the month (can include running): 0/10
• At least 6 hours of sleep on 20 days a month: 4/20.
• 3 scavenger pics: 0/3.

[NellyG]

You all have much more interesting looking manhole covers than we seem t around here! I'll keep looking for better ones 🤣

4 September

10,000 steps a day for 20 days                   3/20            

Swim 2x per week                                         1/2      1/8                             

Dance 6 hours a week                                  4.5/6     4.5/24                           

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

Post 3 Scavenger Hunt Pictures                  2/3    

[Ennay]

-10000 steps:     2/25

-Other exercise:    0/6

-Archival to-do:     0/1
-Trendweight:   0/1.7

-post  - 3/10

-scavenger hunt. 0/3
-"The 100"  3 /25  - on Mondays its a "200"

Ended up rearranging the guest room yesterday, years ago I had put the bed in an orientation that blocked 6 of the built in bookshelves because when my mom and her partner would visit I would have to fit a second bed in there.  Decided I needed the shelves, Found a couple books I had spent most of the past year looking for.  I thought only the college textbooks dh still wont get rid of were what was back there.  Got dh to purge about 50% of his college texts.  Got rid of my Handbook of Chemistry & Physics in an acknowledgement that I do not plan on being an engineer again.  Got rid of my GMAT tutoring supplies which was harder because I wouldn't mind doing that again.   

Thought I would wake up early to run/walk, but slept in. I take any sleep I can get anymore.  I sleep in the guest room most nights because light sleeper and dh snores.  Came with in inches of walking into the wall when I got up in the middle of the night because the bed is now 90 degrees from where it used to be.  Babysitting the nephew today!

Fitbit hasn't sync'd in days.  I've rebooted, removed the app and reloaded.  Pretty much out of options here.

[Jotex]

Stomping STEPcember 4

20 x 13,000 steps — 2/20

20 x 40 jumping jacks — 2/20

3 x scavenger hunt photos — 1/3

BONUS *** getting to 20,000 steps — 0

[WendyB]

STEPcember 4

Steps: Goal right now is 10000 4/30 This will increase as I go
Boxing 30 days: 4/30
Bike 2 times 30 days: 4/30
Weights 12 days: 1/30

Wall Push ups 30 days:  4/30
250 Steps per hour 3/30 

Lose 3 Pounds 0/3
Post Scavenger hunt photos 3/3

[Baltoscott]

STEPtember 4

15K steps/day	4/30
50 Floors/day 20 times	4/20
1 pushup/day 2/30	4/30
12 weight-lifting days	2/12
post 3 scavenger hunt pics	1/3
Sleep 6+ hours 12 days or more during the month	2/12
Weight loss of 2-4 lbs (Sept 2 = 162.3 on TW)

[SunsetRunner]

Day five of thirty stomps:

• At least 5000 steps every day: 5/30
• At least 7000 steps on two days each week: 0/8; 0/4
• By the end of the month, have the 28-day average at 7000 steps: Average = 6806 -> 6761 -> 6714 (Need to get this back up.)
• 2 km walk or longer - ten in the month (can include running): 0/10
• At least 6 hours of sleep on 20 days a month: 4/20.
• 3 scavenger pics: 0/3.

Having just got rid of a work report I should be good to get going again tomorrow. I've been feeling a bit under the weather so maybe a nice long walk in the fresh air tomorrow will clear away some cobwebs. 

There are some terrific photos here already. I don't think we have any fancy manhole covers but I'll take some pics anyway.

Sorry to hear you can't sync the Fitbit @Ennay. Have you contacted tech support?

Fitbit mucked up a Windows phone update and won't roll it back to the working version for some reason. So, unless they fix it before tomorrow, I won't be using GPS to track tomorrow's walk. I should still be able to record it, just without GPS.

[benvegi]

My September goals will be a continuation of my August goals

Steps 15k per day

30+ floors per day

7+ miles per day

Three or more pics of each scavanger hunt topic. 

Check in at least 2x a week.

Last but not least, lose 4 ugly pounds that crept up on me since June.  My current weight is now 164, watch for updates.

9/2 steps 18,444, 32 floors, 8.73 miles

9/3 steps 21,523, 52 floors, 10.03 miles  NEAT day full of weedeating and hand mowing, trimming branches.

9/4 steps 33,094, 124 floors, 15.26 miles.  Yes, trail riding day. Four hour ride with 23 members of our club.

No weight change yet........

[Heather-S]

First time doing one of these challenges, so let's see how it goes!  

Here are my goals:

• At least 10,000 steps every day: 4/30
• At least 15,000 steps three days each week: 3/12 | 1/4
• At least 20,000 steps one day per week: 0/4
• 3 scavenger pics: 0/3.
• Lose 2lbs: 0/2

It might be hard to get all the 15K and 20K step days if I get this amazing job I interviewed for last week.  I have a second interview tomorrow with the CEO, so I'm hoping I impress her and land this job!  It's a desk job (accounting) and it looks like mandatory 5 hours of overtime a week, so my stepping may not be so high when I start working again, so we'll see if I can make those higher step goals!

[NellyG]

5 September

10,000 steps a day for 20 days                   4/20            

Swim 2x per week                                         1/2      1/8                             

Dance 6 hours a week                                  4.5/6     4.5/24                           

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

Post 3 Scavenger Hunt Pictures                  3/3    

The old buildings photos are the easiest for me because Albany was the first settlement in WA. Though the ages of the buildings is not that old compared to many countries!

Albany HotelOldest Pub in Western AustraliaPartick Taylor Cottage

[lavabelle]

I am just back from vacation, and I am a bit late joining this challenge...and I am not sure what goals to set for myself yet...I think the most important part of this journey for me is to have a strong and healthy body and to be able to enjoy being healthy so I am still trying to figure out what my long term and short term goals are...I am almost exclusively focused on losing weight right now, because doing any kind of activity feels so much better at a healthier weight...I've lost 25 lbs, and want to lose 25 more I think...maybe more...still not sure what a good weight for me is. I used to be 140-145 and very fit...so that is my goal for now.

Steps 15k - I will keep this goal although I average much higher now...usually 20-30k...but I think keeping a minimum of 15k is achievable and keeps me moving. I only missed 2 days last month...

Hikes - at least 6 (3+hour) hikes

weight loss - 6 lbs

scavenger hunt photos

September 4 Update

Steps 15k - 4/30

Hikes - 2/6

Weight loss 1/6

Scavenger hunt 2/3

friendly seal 🙂close up seal 🙂some kind of cover....;)

[Baltoscott]

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@Ennay wrote:

...
Thought I would wake up early to run/walk, but slept in. I take any sleep I can get anymore.  I sleep in the guest room most nights because light sleeper and dh snores.  Came with in inches of walking into the wall when I got up in the middle of the night because the bed is now 90 degrees from where it used to be.  Babysitting the nephew today!

Fitbit hasn't sync'd in days.  I've rebooted, removed the app and reloaded.  Pretty much out of options here.

---

@Ennay - you just reminded recently deceased dog's daily reorientation ritual after going out to the backyard.  When he was ready to come back in, he would point himself in the general direction of the back porch and bark until I came out and talked to him so he could home in on the steps. 🙂

One more thing to try to get your Fitbit syncing.  Remove the device from the the app on the phone (settings, click on device and then click on "remove this ____"), then reboot phone and the device, and try to add back.  If you've got one that is supposed to display messages, make sure you also delete any profile in your bluetooth settings.