Over the weekend, I decided I needed something to motivate and inspire me to keep moving– A virtual challenge.
Earlier this year, I had decided to train for and walk in the Komen 3 Day walk for breast cancer research since I had trained and walked in the Avon 39 a few years ago (Check out all my posts about that journey HERE). I knew the training would be long but so extremely rewarding, and I was all in.
But then coronavirus happened, and all Komen 3 Day events were canceled until next year. Bummer. I would have thought they would still hold a virtual 3-day, but I digress.
So, I half set out to find something else that would give me inspiration, accountability, and a SMART goal (a specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and timely goal).
What is a Virtual Challenge Event?
Like a virtual race, participants who sign up for a virtual event register online and easily choose their own route, starting line, and finish line. Whether you use a treadmill, a neighborhood street, or a local forest preserve, you get to choose your adventure. You run, walk, swim, skip, etc. the race or challenge distance, upload your finishing time, and a few days later, you are mailed your finisher medal.
Virtual Challenge and Race Benefits
There are many people who would love to take part in a physical race or challenge but are unable to due to distance, family obligations, taking time off work, or, more recently— a global pandemic. With virtual challenges and races, you do not have to deal with travel accommodations, bad weather, or unforeseen schedule conflicts that would otherwise cause you to miss a physical challenge or race. Everything is self-paced and self-planned.
What I’m Doing
Friday evening, this ad comes across my IG for The Conqueror Challenges. These are virtual challenges that let you virtually run, walk, bike, swim (or whatever exercise you want) in cool locations like the Appalachian Trail, the Inca Trail, the Grand Canyon, and more.
The cool thing is that you get to set your own deadline, get virtual postcards along the way when you meet certain milestones, see Google street views of where you are currently on the route, and when you finish, you get a cool medal and T-shirt.
I chose the Camino de Santiago challenge. The Camino de Santiago (the Way of St. James) trail is an extensive system of ancient pilgrim routes extending across Europe and convening at the tomb of St. James in Santiago de Compostela in northwestern Spain.
I had heard about people making pilgrimages on this trail in the past, and I was intrigued. When I saw that this was one of the challenges, I jumped on the chance. If you ever saw the Martin Sheen and Emilio Estevez movie, “The Way,” then you have seen the Camino de Santiago.
My Route
The route that my virtual challenge is taking me is along the most popular route—the Camino Francés. This route stretches about 480 miles (772 km), which stretches from St. Jean-Pied-du-Port near Biarritz in France to Santiago.
With this challenge, I was able to set a goal to complete the entire route. I set a goal of 12 weeks to complete, but I’m hoping to finish it earlier. Luckily, I was able to backdate my walks a couple of days since it had started last Wednesday. So, after today (the app hasn’t updated my Apple Health/Endomondo info yet), I’ll have completed 50 miles out of 480.9 miles.
My SMART Goal
Specific: My mission is to walk the entire length of the Camino de Santiago
Measurable: The distance is 480 miles (772 km)
Achievable: If I walk at least 6 miles a day, 5 times per week for the next 12 weeks then I can complete my mission
Realistic: While it may be tough, it is sensible that I will be able to do this since I have walked farther distances in the past.
Timely: My goal is to complete my mission within 12 weeks
Stay tuned next week to see the (virtual) places that I have gone and where I will be going next.
