Last Week of Hunger Firtness Challenge

The Fitness for Hunger Challenge was only scheduled for 6 weeks (so that we can make a donation before Christmas), which, shockingly, means that this upcoming week is the LAST WEEK. Make it a good one.
Among those of you participating, who is doing well? What are your causes? I'll be sending TT another $5 at least (having just missed my goal 3 weeks and flagrantly missed it the last 2), so I won't be the one picking the recipient of our money. Will it be TT? Sal Sis? Beth? Molly? Where will our money be going?
If you're not traching your exercise but would like to contribute to hunger alleviation, I'm sure TT would pool your money into the group donation (and, while some of you are way into the electronic commerce, cash can be mailed in a card, despite the postal service not wanting you to do it). TT also kindly made new data sheets. E-mail one of us and we can e-mail it to you if you would like it.

Fitness update anyone?

How's the fitness going? If you're in Lawrence, better get your week's worth of walking in today and tomorrow! I took a 12 minute walk with a coworker - he's making it a habit so I might be joining him everyday. Let's all walk twice on Thursday! Also - anyone around this weekend to gather with other knitters in town? Tucson Trekker and I are going to arrange something. I'll email the group.

Another Dollar for Hunger Alleviation

So I didn't meet my goal last week (only 340 out of 77,000 shy, but as I tell my students, you can't legally drink at 20 and 11 months-- not everything in life rounds up). Anyway, that's another dollar towards hunger relief.

How did everyone else do? What organizations are you rooting for? (I don't feel so bad missing my goal if I know that the money will go to one of your good causes).

Challenging End and Beginning

The first GBK Fitness Challenge ended yesterday. Report on your progress in the comments. If I owe you a prize, tell me what you've earned and I'll see what I can do.

The new, improved, for real for real, fitness challenge begins today (because, as we sadly learned from the Rockies, those with momentum need to keep it). If you're in, set your goals for the next six week, send TT five dollars and keep moving.

Look out other non-profits because America's Second Harvest or the Heifer Project or Oxfam is getting our money when I make my goals every week. [That was supposed to be first day of challenge trash talk, but it's really hard when I want everyone to succeed and I want all of these organizations to receive our money.]

Last week of fitness challenge

Make it a good one.

Weekly fitness update

Hello! I hope everyone is doing well.
How are your fitness goals coming? Did you make your goals for last week?

I'm behind with posting my own GBK fitness challenge updates, and will now post a full update in order to alleviate my guilt:
In general having a pedometer has helped me to realize how I am most active. On days that I teach it is easy to meet my step goals, but I now know just how sedentary I am on other days (sigh). On days I walk less I try to ride my bike more, but this week I had trouble meeting my daily goals early in the week due to rainy weather that kept me off my bike. I did some canoeing this weekend and so felt a bit better about the week after that. This coming week, inspired by SpSq, I'd like to add some daily crunches. I'd also like to find a way to compare the distance I travel on my bike to numbers of steps--does anyone have any suggestions?

Better watch out

Sally's Sister is going to ask next week whether or not you met your fitness goal and Jenny will be asking the week after.
You know how mean they are. Or how nice they are and how they want only the best for you and you'd hate to disappoint them-- whatever works for you. Either way, consider yourself motivated.

And another week passes...

Abby's swimming, Molly's sea kayaking and T.T. is hiking in Pima Canyon. Meanwhile I'm walking up and down the stairs in my school building and Irene is walking to and from the train and around the lab. How was your fitness week last week?

One Week More Neurogenesis

How did the first week of the fitness challenge go? Swim well? Lots of steps? On-going pedometer woes?
Whatever the status, you need to comment (if only "made goal" or "didn't make goal") and keep in mind that we will ask again next week, so don't be idle.

On your marks, get set

Mark your goals, set out your walking shoes, swimsuit, hiking boots, bike shorts, dance shoes . . . and go!
Monday the GBK Fitness Challenge begins.
We're still taking suggestions for prizes, by the way.

Fitness Challenge in your in-box

The GBK Fitness 2007 sign-up sheet and record sheet were just e-mailed to you (e-mail me if you didn't receive them and want them).

On the sign-up sheet, "overall goal" is for your greater goal outside the GBK FC. You are likely doing this for some reason besides to take more steps. You can be as grand and general as "lead a healthy life" or as specific as "lower blood cholesterol level by 20 points" or "be in shape to run a 10k in December". It's just there to remind you that you aren't doing this just for the sake of doing it (although if you are that's fine too).
Make your goals tough but achievable. You'll probably want your daily goal to be less than your weekly goal divided by 7. Make yourself do something every day, but don't miss your goals because some days are less than others. Combined fitness goals are certainly allowed (I'm going for 77,000 steps/week or 70,000 steps plus lifting or swimming twice). You don't need to share your goals (but you can if it will help). You just need to report if you made them or not.

The "before status" is for anything that you want to track. Your current work-out routine, mile time, weight, blood pressure, whatever.

We officially start Labor Day, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't exercise this week.

Irene has her pedometer

Irene has her pedometer and is stepping lots. Are the other fitness challengers equiped?

There is still plenty of time to join Irene, Jenny, Jennifer, Beth, Molly and myself if the GBDK Fitness Challenge. TT, Abby, Sally's S, are you in? It doesn't have to be a step program (although I think the pedometers are great for lots of reasons, the biggest of which is that it makes exercise an everyday activity, not a went to the gym or not thing). The only requirement is that you set a goal (number of steps, number of times you swim or do yoga, whatever) and keep track of of it.

Here are some places selling pedometers: Bodytronics, PedometersUSA where we can supposedly buy them for less than $1 (if we buy what, 10,000?), Amazon (I have the accusplit eagle 120xl and like it), Rite Aid has them as a free rebate gift this month, REI has them, I bet Target, Wallmart, etc. have them. If you need me to buy one for you, (indebtedness can be a surprisingly effective motivator), let me know soon. (In the state employee program, they gave them to us, but we had to return them if we didn't turn in our final results paperwork, it really made me pay closer attention.)

GBKD Fitness Challenge

I challenge you to challenge yourself in the GBDK fitness challenge!

What: A competitive-with-yourself fitness program
When: Labor Day to Halloween (8 weeks)
Why: To be in better shape

Why expanded: When I wore a pedometer in the spring as part of a state employee fitness program, I took more steps, felt better and lost weight. After a summer of riding in a car and eating hash browns, I need something to prompt me back into shape. I will exercise more regardless, but know that I did more (even though we set our own goals and didn't show anybody) because I was part of a program. Being part of a program also made it easier to explain why I was wearing a pedometer (in ten weeks, only one student noticed, who was also part of the program). Anway, I would like some group support and figure some of you might also.

What expanded: The easiest is to do a stepping program. Set daily, weekly, and 8 week minimums (e.g. my spring goal was a minimum of 7,000 steps every day, but a weekly goal of 70,000 steps and a grand total of 560,000 [at least averaging 10,000 a day] [I did not make all of the daily goals, and missed two weeks, but did make the grand total, by quite a ways--- an interesting look at averages and minimums]). I will pass out score sheets/excel files to record them on. At the end of 8 weeks, turn them in and be eligible for great prizes.
If just plain moving more is not your thing, set your own goals and record them. The month of August is so that you can find a pedometer if your are going to and wear it enough to figure out what reasonable goals are. NO BONUS FOR SETTING LOW GOALS AND MEETING THEM or SETTING UNREASONABLY LOFTY GOALS. 10,000 steps/day is a suggested goal from the AHA or someome similar.

Bonus: I will buy your pedometer if you need the external force, but then I will demand results.

Reward: Wonderful prizes in Novemeber. Suggestions? Oh, and, of course, stress relief, lower blood pressure, better lipid profile, better shot at longevity, fun with friends . . .

Takers?