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.

[SunsetRunner]

I took some more photos of the birds in our backyard today.

A close up of the crest on the sulphur crested cockatoo.

Showing the vibrant colours of the King Parrot.

Three birds happily feeding together: King Parrot, Galah (pink and grey), and Currawong.

[NellyG]

13 September

@Baltoscott love your fish!

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

Swim 2x per week                                         2/2      4/8                             

Dance 6 hours a week                                  2.5/6     11.5/24                           

One Interval walk or bike ride per week     1/1     3/4

Post 3 Scavenger Hunt Pictures                  3/3    

[lavabelle]

---

@GershonSurge wrote:

@lavabelle.

Hope your toe feels better soon. Many problems in the forward part of the foot can be traced to a toebox that is too narrow. Consider buying a shoe with a wider toe box. Nike has some good models as do New Balance and Asics. 

It helps to keep a running journal with a minimum of logging the onset of even the most minor injuries. You can get all the other data from Fitbit. I've found I need to limit my Fitbit miles from all sources to about 65 a week to keep my right knee from hurting too badly. Slowing down helps, too. If you like faster runs, try to limit them to one or two a week and reduce weekly mileage.

---

Thanks for the tips @GershonSurge. Definitely keeping a journal, I'm in it for life and my health is really important to me. This pain is not related to my toe box (I've had issues with that and fixed it right away), this pain is in the ball of my foot, from what I have gathered from reading on the internet, there are a bunch of tendons and little bones right under your toes where the cushion part of your foot is, and the bones or tendons on my left foot might have been overused with the heavy pack I carried for 3 days during my backpacking trip...it's still quite sore, and other than icing and not carrying a heavy pack until it's healed...I am not running, and i have cut my mileage way back, not by choice, but because I am extremely tired still...was feeling better, but feeling exhausted again...lol. My body definitely lets me know when I need to slow down...and I listen 🙂 Having said that, I am lowering my steps for the next little while, I really thought this foot pain would have gone by now, but feeling exhausted in combination with this pain tells me something is up.

September 12 Update

Steps 10k - 12/30 (down from 15k)

Hikes (3+hours) - 3/6

Weight loss 3.5/6

Scavenger hunt 2/3

@SunsetRunner you have a great camera...love those shots!

I am really enjoying all of your beautiful pictures, @Baltoscott...great looking snake 🙂 @Jotex such pretty roses!! Thanks everyone for sharing 🙂

[WendyB]

@SunsetRunner  Awesome pictures! Wish I had birds like that in my yard!

[WendyB]

STEPtember 13

Steps: Goal right now is 11000 13/30 This will increase as I go
Boxing 30 days: 13/30
Bike 2 times 30 days: 13/30
Weights 12 days: 5/30
Wall Push ups 30 days: 13/30
250 Steps per hour 12/30

Lose 3 Pounds 1/3
Post Scavenger hunt photos 3/3

[Baltoscott]

STEPtember 13

15K steps/day	13/30
50 Floors/day 20 times	10/20
1 pushup/day 2/30	13/30
14 non-weight gym days	7/14
9 weight-lifting days	4/9
post 3 scavenger hunt pics	3/3
Sleep 6+ hours 12 days or more during the month	5/12
Weight loss of 2-4 lbs (Sept 2 = 162.3 on TW)	-0.3

Got some pics of my first oldest building -- Eastern Market, one of the three public market building in DC that are still standing.   This one dates from 1873 and is in use as a market.  The other two are older, but I'm not sure they are still used as markets.  I'll try to complete the set by the end of the month.

Eastern Market manhole cover

Manhole Cover

Story behind Eastern Market

Eastern market - DC

[Baltoscott]

@SunsetRunner -- Nice shots.  Your neck of the woods is looking pretty exotic to this Northerner ... 

[Jotex]

Stomping STEPcember 13

20 x 13,000 steps — 9/20

20 x 40 jumping jacks — 9//20

3 x scavenger hunt photos — 3/3

BONUS *** getting to 20,000 steps — 0

Great pics everybody!

[Baltoscott]

Oh look, more scavenger hunts pictures from around DC ...

Wild ElephantDomestic ElephantWild LionsDomestic LionsHigh Carb Birds

[SunsetRunner]

Day 14 of thirty stomps:

• At least 5000 steps every day: 14/30
• At least 7000 steps on two days each week: 5/8; 2/4
• By the end of the month have the 28-day average at 7000 steps: Average = 6601 Day 1 -> 6994 Day 13 (Showing the average of 28 days to yesterday.)
  
• One or more 2 km walks or longer on ten days in the month (can include running): 5/10 
• At least 6 hours of sleep on 20 days a month: 11/20.
• 3 scavenger pics: 2/3.

[CatLover74]

STEPtember 14

10,000 steps on at least 15 days of the month  -  4/15.

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  -  11/15.

10 wall push ups on at least 20 days of the month  -  5/20.

Scavenger hunt pictures  -  2/3.

[benvegi]

My September 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

9/9  steps - wow, how did I hit this number on the head- 20,000, 30 floors, 9.37 miles

9/ 10 steps 23,857, 26 floors, 10.86 miles

9/11 steps 25,318, 32 floors, 11.59 miles - two walks today and lots of yard/fence work

9/12 steps 21,931, 43 floors, 10.38 miles

9/13 steps 21,586, 41 floors, 9.92 miles

Bobcat taking a stroll down our driveway

[NellyG]

14 September

10,000 steps a day for 20 days                  11/20            

Swim 2x per week                                         2/2      4/8                             

Dance 6 hours a week                                  5/6     14/24                           

One Interval walk or bike ride per week     1/1     3/4

Post 3 Scavenger Hunt Pictures                  3/3    

[GershonSurge]

@benvegi,

Good picture of a Bobcat. I'll bet not many people get to see one. 

@Baltoscott

Why are those male lions wearing dresses?

[Baltoscott]

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@GershonSurge wrote:

...

@Baltoscott

Why are those male lions wearing dresses?

---

I guess that’s what happens when lions drink beer.  I found them at a beer garden called “The Brigg” across from the Marine Barracks in DC.

[Jotex]

Not a good day for walking today. Too busy, but got some things done and had a wonderful visit with my daughter and grandson. I have also recently been getting stiff and limping again, so I got a cortisone injection today. Should be good as new in a day or two, and it should last 6-8 weeks. 

Happy weekend Peeps! 

[Baltoscott]

STEPtember 14

15K steps/day	14/30
50 Floors/day 20 times	11/20
1 pushup/day 2/30	14/30
14 non-weight gym days	8/14
9 weight-lifting days	4/9
post 3 scavenger hunt pics	3/3
Sleep 6+ hours 12 days or more during the month	5/12
Weight loss of 2-4 lbs (Sept 2 = 162.3 on TW)	-0.3

[SunsetRunner]

Day 15 of thirty stomps:

• At least 5000 steps every day: 15/30
• At least 7000 steps on two days each week: 6/8; 2/4
• By the end of the month have the 28-day average at 7000 steps: Average = 6601 Day 1 -> 6927 Day 14 (Showing the average of 28 days to yesterday.)
  
• One or more 2 km walks or longer on ten days in the month (can include running): 5/10 
• At least 6 hours of sleep on 20 days a month: 12/20.
• 3 scavenger pics: 2/3.

[CatLover74]

STEPtember 15

10,000 steps on at least 15 days of the month  -  4/15.

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  -  12/15.

10 wall push ups on at least 20 days of the month  -  6/20.

Scavenger hunt pictures  -  2/3.

[GershonSurge]

@Jotex

Hope the cortisone shot works again for you.