Winter Warrior Challenge

My sister invited me to be part of her team for the Winter Warrior Challenge.  I'd been feeling the need for something different, although I wasn't sure what that should be.  My Fitbit died weeks ago, and I had decided not to replace it.  Although I loved it at first, as the months and years went on, I wasn't motivated by it the same way I once was.  For example, it would buzz to remind me each hour if I hadn't gotten 250 steps in.  When I first got it, the buzz would startle me; lately, I didn't feel it.

So when my sister suggested that we put a team together, I said yes.  I've signed up for the long run challenge, even though it's quite a challenge from my starting point:  20 miles a week.  The short run challenge is 10 miles a week, which wouldn't be the same kind of challenge.  I had been close to doing that mileage until early December, when my running fell apart.  Or was it November when my running fell apart?

No matter.  It didn't fall apart because of injury, and I did keep walking.  I could have done more to be prepared, but I'll start where I am.  I've covered 4 miles each day of 2021 so far.

I thought I'd be motivated by not wanting to let my teammates down, and that's happened.  But I'm also surprised by how much I'm wanting to maintain my place.  On Saturday morning, I returned home from my run, logged my miles, and checked the results page--I was #2!  And then, as I watched, someone else logged her miles, so I slipped to 3rd place.  My first impulse was to go out and run some more, even though I had just returned from a run.  Later on Saturday afternoon, when I had slipped to 8th place, I thought about going out for a 3 mile run.

Those of you who have read my blog for any amount of time at all will not be surprised to see my competitive streak rise up this way.  I like to think that I'm not competitive, but in fact, I am.  I can be motivated by a good prize, but even when there's no prize at all, I want to prove myself.  But I'm also motivated by being on a team, by not wanting to let my teammates down.  And I can also be motivated if there's a teacher whom I want not to let down.

I'm looking forward to seeing what I can do with this challenge in the next 3 months.