About the Challenge
When I conceived of this Challenge, I was thinking of the 10,000 Step Program. Many different health related organizations sponsor a 10k step plan, but to my knowledge, there is no one central organization sponsoring it. I propose to utilize the basics of this plan to organize our Challenge.
About the 10,000 Step Program
The average American walks between 1000 and 3000 steps per day, between getting out of bed in the morning and getting back in to bed at night. For most people 1 step, or the length of our stride, is 2.5 feet. Using a little quick and dirty math, it turns out that 2000 steps is not too far off from being a mile. So, the average person in America walks between 1/2 mile and 1 and 1/2 mile per day.
The average American is also woefully out of shape, or so "they" say. If each American just tried to increase their daily walking, it would go a long way to helping them get back in to some form of shape.
The idea behind this plan is really simple. One starts by going down to the store and buying a pedometer. You can get a really basic one for less than $10.00 at Walgreens... I've seen them for as little as $5.00. You can spend upwards of $600 if you want the Rolls Royce of pedometers which comes with all sorts of software, and I think your own personal butler to do your walking for you! (I jest, of course!)
Next, you put the pedometer on your waist following the instructions. Generally, you attach it to your belt over your hip, drawing an imaginary line up from your knee to the pedometer. Now, go about your day! Each night before going to bed, write down the number of steps you walk each day. After seven days, get an average. Take the sum of the steps you walked each day for the last week, then divide by 7. That's your average daily steps.
Now, you develop a plan as to how you plan to progress. Your goal, remember, is to get to an average 10000 steps a day. How you progress is up to you. The people who developed this program recommend adding 500 steps a week to your average.
But, for the purpose of our challenge, we don't even have to do that much. Let me explain, now, how this challenge will work.
How We'll Do This Challenge
This Challenge is essentially against yourself. The competition involved is simple. You figure out your starting "steps", you decide how many steps you are going to add each week. And then you set out to make that happen.
So, where's the challenge? And why join this group to do it? Because we all will motivate each other... that's one reason! And, I can tell you right now that there is at least one, and maybe 3 people joining this challenge who are going to need LOTS of motivation!
This Challenge runs from 1 minute after midnight on the morning of May 1, 2010 and runs until midnight on... shall we say September 30? I have my reason for that date, I'll let you all know... later. One of YOU know, though!
We'll start with our "Opening Steps", the average number of steps we walk per day during the first week of the challenge. Next, you'll tell me how many steps you'll increase your daily average each week for the duration of the trip. I have a nifty little calculator that I'll use to project out the number of miles each of us would walk over the course of the challenge if we meet, exactly, our target weekly increase.
We'll add up our mileage. So, let's say my "Miles" would be 615 miles. And someone else is projected to walk 200 miles, and... you get the idea... we'll add all those miles up. This example, that's 815 miles. Each of us has to live up to our goal in order for the entire group to reach the Group Goal.
Of course, no Challenge is any fun without prizes and the like. I don't know what those are. How about we all get started, and I'll figure them out as we go! I promise you, the prizes will definitely ... NOT be worth the effort you put out there. But, the exercise you'll get, and benefits of that exercise, definitely WILL be worth every step!
What's Next??????
Well, now you go out there and buy that pedometer. Then you put it on. Then you start recording your steps. Then you click on this link here and enter that data. From there, I'll send you within 24 hours, a little printout of what your "Program" looks like. Okay? Well, don't just sit there! Get Walking!
