The numbers are a changing.

We've made it halfway through the year.

My exercise competition with Jenna is going strong.  As we've done quite often, we've modified a few things.  The last I talked about it I detailed the addition of the 7 Minute Workout as well as a daily stair requirement.  It would be no fun if things didn't increase each month, right?  I mean, how else are we supposed to continue to improve... or beat the other?

As of the end of June, we are tied for the number of months won.  It's been a close competition most months.  There have also been a couple months where the winner reached the goal more than a week ahead of the other!  Want to know why?  Because they were beat the previous month.  Back when we first started this competition (over 2 years ago!!) we would check in daily once we completed our water intake and let the other know where we were on our miles.  It was a great motivator.  It helped me to keep pushing.  Now, we don't talk about it at all.  It's become more of a motivator to NOT know and keep pushing as hard as possible.  That, and we don't want the other to know how close we are getting to the goal.

As the title states "the numbers are a changing".  As we've progressed through we have found areas that needed to be modified in order to keep us on a more appropriate workout schedule.  The rule used to be the first person to the monthly goal won.  No specific requirements other than to reach the goal.  That worked great until we discussed the fact that neither of us wanted to non running/walking workouts until the goal was met.  We both can go much further than 2 miles in an hour which is what the minute equivalent is.  So the first change we made was a minimum number of miles achieved in minutes, no matter how many actual distance miles were already completed.  I know this made a huge difference for me!  I didn't feel guilty for missing my Strong class on Wednesday mornings, and my yard work started picking back up a little.  The next change we made, effective this month, is the 7 Minute Workout is no longer a requirement.  It was great, don't get me wrong!  It served it's purpose well and had me doing exercises I wouldn't normally have done.  The reason we changed it from being required, other than we both were cussing it every day, is that the exercises it was having us do we both were doing anyway with the classes and trainings we were doing at our respective gyms.  I still will highly recommend it to anyone who asks for an app to help them start working out.  I will actually still use it, especially on the weekends when I don't get to the gym.  But this past weekend knowing it wasn't required was such a sigh of relief!  Removing that element from being required meant we needed to modify how mileage was earned as it was tied in with our daily water intake requirement.

For a recap here is how we earn our miles:

Miles ran OR walked count the same

30min workout = 1 mile
Bike riding 3:1 (3 miles equals 1 mile credited because of coasting times)

72oz of water consumed by 5pm = .25 mile (if not met must subtract .25 miles)

Flights of stairs = .25 (minimum) or .5 (suggested) (if not met must subtract .25/.5 miles)

And here are the monthly requirements: 

January                                    February                                        March

60 miles total                            60 miles total                                 70 miles total

4 flights of stairs daily               6 flights of stairs daily                    8 flights of stairs daily

72 oz water & 7MW daily         72 oz water & 7MW daily               72 oz water & 7MW daily

April                                          May                                               June

70 miles total                            70 miles total (20 in minutes)        70 miles total (20 in minutes)

10 flights of stairs daily             12 flights of stairs daily                 14 flights of stairs daily

72 oz water & 7MW daily          72 oz water & 7MW daily              72 oz water & 7MW daily

July                                            August                                           September

80 miles total (25 in minutes)    80 miles total (25 in minutes)         80 miles total (25 in minutes)

8 min/16 max stairs daily           9 min/18 max stairs daily               10 min/20 max stairs daily

72 oz water daily                       72 oz water daily                            72 oz water daily

October                                      November                                      December

70 miles total (20 in minutes)     70 miles total (20 in minutes)         60 miles total (15 in minutes)

10 min/20 max stairs daily         10 min/20 max stairs daily             10 min/20 max stairs daily

72 oz water daily                        72 oz water daily                            72 oz water daily

We *may* have been told a few times that we are obsessed and a little crazy, both of which we already know. The spreadsheet we use to keep track of all of this is extensive and detailed but very necessary.  I may have a good memory, but not good enough to remember all of this off the top of my head.

This is year 3 for us, and I've not yet won a year so I'm pushing extra hard.