MESSAGE FROM OUR MEMBER "EMILY GRETEN"

I'm always amazed how some RnR member e-mails languish in viral space while others create just he right spark to ignite the fire within us. Such is the message sent by Emily. Please find listed below her original "call to action" and the many responses received to date. Please note: I've done my best to include them all in the order they have been received as of 01/14/09.My apologies for any omissions on my part-Captn.

WINTER WORKOUT CHALLANGE

Hi Everyone-Hope you all had a great holiday and happy new year! I was talking to Thomas about winter workouts, or really the lack there of, and decided to revisit the blog and get some inspiration. I do have to say, although Jay's contributions were great I was slightly disappointed that our Viking has disappeared- did you decide to go for one last row and get stuck out in an ice floe? It seems as if Jay is the one who's earning the bragging rights for this spring.So....I thought I put a 1000km challenge out there to help beat the winter-workout-blues. Traditionally it is on an erg. However, that is a lot of meters on a very boring machine, so I propose this- 1000km (622 miles) as a club effort with a cut off date of April 1st.Here is how it would go:At the end of every week tally your mileage of the following activities and email it to me. I'll put it into a spread sheet and the person with the most miles/meters at the end of the challenge will win a super-duper, one of a kind, Rock-n-Row hat hand knit by yours truly (or my mother-in-law if it ends up getting very tricky). How's that for a prize, huh? If we make goal as a club I propose a party, or if anyone has any other ideas please share!What counts:Running, rowing (erging), walking- a mile is a mile a meter is a meterBIking- counts for half your total distance. (If you've biked 20 miles, it will count as 10)Swimming-counts as double your total distance (if you've did 1 mile, you get 2)Hope I'm not the only one in. It's definitely not as fun if you have to make your own prize. Happy winter and hope for an early spring!:-)Emily G



OKCount me in on the challenge. Maybe I'll finally get off the couch and back into some form of shape!!Thanks for setting the pace Jack Y

Shakes might help as well Jack!! ;) Dana Y

Count me in; Thx Emily... I needed this challenge!Best, Carmi

OK Emily I am in. I usually walk but this will give me incentive to vary my work out.
Nancy M

Do treadmill or elliptical miles count? Liz P

What a great idea. I am in. Jean V

I'm in as well. Do Stepmill and treadmill count? Does the last two days count? I'm ready though. Love the idea! Dana Y

I’m in. Great idea. Tell us the official start date…this week or next? Jay P

Ditto here! Happy New Year all! Scott O

So glad so many people are interested! Why don't we start on Sunday and we'll call Saturday the end of the week. Yea!!! Emily G Also-Carmi-what's a reformer? (It sounds scary. ;-)Treadmills count as running. The stairmaster counts too.

Sounds like a good idea and I am in. Thanks, Sarah S
What about Step Mill /moving stairs? How would we calculate it? Floors, time...? Sarah S

Emily,What a great idea. Thanks.Please count me in. As a major part of my therapy for my arthritis, I am resistance walking in the small pool at the Y and getting ready to soon graduate to the elliptical, with the goal of getting onto the rower by mid-March. This challenge fits right in.To echo Scott, HNY!Art C

I understand that certain members of our illustrious community do yoga in sweat house conditions and want mileage equivalents. I know one from that group was also hoping for nude gardening credits (its not me, honest, at least not in March) and also for visualizing tree climbing. What next?Laughing hard? Don't give in, Emily, just say no. Jay P

Here's a good one: Snowshoeing!Weekends in vt I have no access to an erg unless I can convince jack to install one at his house. Clearly weekend mileage will be critical as all you workout freaks will be grinding away while I'm out sking. What to do? Weekend snowshoe workouts, should count more than running 2x like swimming uphill and down. What do say? Paulie M

I say snowshoeing is in! Dana Y

I agree Nancy M

I meant to send this out a while back. Anybody wanting a different exercise program is welcome to join Art and me in taking fencing lessons at the Park and Rec building on Tuesdays 1.30 - 2.30. At present Art and I are the only students and we could use more people. After talking theory we started fencing this week - and it was a surprisingly hard work out.
Here's the link:http://www.marblehead.org/DocumentView.aspx?DID=1232
The program actually restarted in January so there have been only 2 sessions so far and new people can easily catch up. Note that there are no lessons Jan 19 (election) or Feb 16 (school vacation). The instructor also has en evening class at the Salem Y.
I will add my modest mileage on my treadmill to the challenge and will be encouraged to get on it more regularly - thanks Emily!Regards Andrew O

Snowshoeing definitely counts. So does cross country skiing. Naked gardening is out, but naked shoveling will be taken into consideration. Not sure how to count the stair climber. Why don't we say 2000 steps is equal to one mile? I have no idea if this is fair, so let me know. No cheating, though. ;-) Emily G