This is the time of the year for getting outdoors and getting active. Some people have made it a life long commitment. Some people begin their journeys of getting rid of Winter wait just after the New Year. But some of us have to wait until we feel motivation to begin. With my walking boot off now and a few extra pounds to spare, I am ready to get outside and sweat. My oldest daughter is a cross country runner and she is officially beginning her training for the Fall season next week. Because I am an over protective mom, I am terrified of her running alone around our neighborhood. It’s not that I live in a high crime area, it’s just that runner or women in general are often targets when they are out and alone. So, I have began running with her. We downloaded an app called Couch to 5K and it has really helped us keep a structure with our workout. It tracks our pace, distance and our time. This is really nice for competing against your own personal record. I know I will never outrun my daughter. I can barely keep up most of the time. It was never intended as such. But it is a great time to spend quality time together, get healthy and I know she is safe. Because the schools are mandated through the state for only so many practice days throughout the summer, she can only officially practice with her team through the month of June. Running for a team means that when my daughter is competing for her school she isn’t allowed to enter any other competitions. However, her season begins in August, so this leaves her the month of July to stay fit for the season on her own. Her coach encourages them to enter 5k races through July and this brought about a challenge. Thinking that signing up for a 5k myself would give me motivation and a goal. There is no way I could commit to one per weekend, although I will go to support her for any she decides to enter. Through searching for a 5k in our area, I coincidentally ran into this group called Moon Joggers. This is a pretty neat group. They provide a mileage log for you to track your progress and your miles are added to the groups to meet the goal of the year. Every year has a new goal where they are seeking to “run “ to a planet. This basically means the total mileage of the whole group effort is the mileage to that years planet. Participants get shirts, and awards for their entry fees as well as the group donating to a chosen cause. They have virtual 5K going on right now that is called the Full Moon 13 Mile Run. This is a virtual run that celebrates each of our Full Moons in the year 2018. You can either run all 13 miles at once or run one per full moon. You can also run these miles ANYTIME during the year. Therefore, you don’t have to sign up at the beginning of the year. I am choosing to sign up with only 8 Full Moons left and I want to actually run on the days of the Full Moon for this challenge. So, I will have to log over a mile for each moon to complete this. 15% of the entry fees will be donated to Soles4Souls and upon completion you earn a nice medal and bib. This charity raises funds for people all over the world in need of shoes. Before seeing this, I had never heard of a virtual 5k or virtual run. At first, I didn’t even like the idea of it. It is all based on an honor system, so you log the miles you say you have ran. BUT what if you have someone lying about their mileage? That’s not fair, right? This really made me second guess this whole virtual thing. HOWEVER, I got to really thinking this through and realized that people would only be cheating themselves. You are paying money for this, even if it’s for a charity. You can buy a medal online if you only want a medal. I think for most people, it is about accomplishment. What is a medal if you don’t actually earn it? You are really only racing against yourself anyways. I think that local 5k’s definitely have their place. But, I think something like this give you challenges, motivation, and goals for those of us not yet ready for that 5k or in between big races while still helping out a cause. So, for those of you wanting to find another way to get out and enjoy our Full Moons, draw off its energy and even find it easier to meditate during exercise, this may be a good option for you. You can log running, swimming and even biking miles so cross trainers are even included. Photo Credit: https://www.flickr.com/photos/earthdog/5051254946/
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Keri Nichol
Founder, Artist, Herbalist, and Writer Archives
August 2018
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