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Getting Started in the CHALLENGE 2016 Program

By January 1, 2016Challenge 2016

CoachJenny's-Challenge2016-3

Happy New Year!

Welcome to the CHALLENGE 2016 program! Every month, you’ll receive an email that announces the Challenge of the Month, the Healthy Habit Focus, the Grand Prix stats and more! Make sure to add this email address to your address book. The details will also be posted in the Challenge Training Center on my website (learn more about that below).

Below you’ll find all the details you need to get started in the program, as well as this month’s challenges.

Here we go!


Facebook

Step 1: Join the Private CHALLENGE 2016 Facebook Group

If you haven’t done so yet, click on the button below and ask to join us in the private CHALLENGE 2016 Facebook Group. This is where you can post your activity, keep your motivation flowing with the accountability of the Challenge Nation, ask questions and stay in touch with what’s happening with the program. This is also where the love happens…

Ask to join Facebook Group here.


CH Membership

Step 2: Create your CHALLENGE 2016 Training Center Membership Account

As a Challenge member, you have access to Coach Jenny’s Training Center which includes a library full of training plans, training webinars, how-to videos, the CHALLENGE 2016 details and postings, and more to come!

Please follow the instructions below to set up your CHALLENGE 2016 Training Center Account. Although this is an optional step, you’re not going to want to miss this one.

First – Register for a unique username and password. Click here to register as a New Member. You will be taken to a private registration page where you will assign a new username and password to the CHALLENGE 2016Training Center members-only area. You now have access to this program through December 31, 2016! Once you login, you will land on our Dashboard page which hosts Coach Jenny’s complete Training Program Library, Webinars, Videos, Guides and all the CHALLENGE 2016 events and downloads.

Next – Bookmark your login details. This is so important I’m repeating it again – bookmark your login details. After you register for your own unique username and password using the link above, you will receive an email that contains your login url, username and password.

And Finally – Please bookmark that email (or just write down your login information as you register) so you have constant, easy access to the CHALLENGE 2016 Training Center.


rules

Step 3. Honor the Group Etiquette Rules and Challenger Code
The Facebook Group is like our living room. It’s where we share, where we care, and where we connect with one another. Our mission is to keep this group inspiring, fun, informational and supportive. We’ve set a few ground rules for the Challenge Group Etiquette in order to keep this community a pleasant one to be a part of and to retain the value the members feel it provides. Please read the rules of proper posting etiquette below.
In this group PLEASE DO:

  • Introduce yourself to the group.
  • Post your goals and workouts.
  • Support other Challengers with positive comments and likes.
  • Join in the discussions if you want.
  • Be helpful. If you can help someone asking for some advice, please do so. It’s part of what makes this community so good, but please keep it to personal experience rather than providing coaching or medical advice.
  • Share running, walking and activity experiences and pictures.
  • Have fun and create active friendships.

In this group PLEASE DO NOT:

  • Spam the group with promotions for events, challenges, programs, training, religious or political posts.
  • Post blogs promoting personal or professional benefit. Articles and blogs that are related to health and fitness are okay.
  • Refrain from soliciting medical advice and from providing coaching advice. It is fine to share your experience, but please avoid giving advice.
  • Troll the group, message group members with spam or personal messages or add members into your personal group or page unless you have approval with them to do so.
  • Sell outside services or products. We’re not here for that.
  • Solicit donations or anything else for your fundraiser, social profiles, programs.

This may sound harsh, but it’s all about keeping the flow of communication fun, easy and inspiring. We hate banning people, but spammers and chronic rule-breakers will be banned. Again, welcome to the group. We look forward to connecting with you.


Grand-Prix-Circle-Logo

Step 4. Start your engines for the January Challenge!

Once you’re set up, it’s time to get going on this month’s Challenge and have some fun! This month is all about getting back into a regular exercise routine, and kicking off the Grand Prix Challenge that will run all year long.

Here’s how it works:

  • The Grand Prix is a year long challenge where the goal is to exercise at least 30 minutes a day, most days of the week. We’re dedicating January to kick off this Challenge and get back into a consistent exercise routine.
  • The mission is to earn points to move across all seven continents and around the world. In order to do this, you’ll need to average five, 30-minute exercise sessions per week. Challenging and doable, but not insane. 🙂
  • Note: this isn’t about perfection (7 days a week), it’s about averaging five sessions per week. So some weeks you may end up short, and some weeks you may hit all seven days. Some of us may cross some continents, others may do all seven. The fun is in seeing how many you can cross this year.
  • Scoring: It’s on your honor, and a little old school. Every time you exercise for a continuous 30 minutes (not 10,10,10, – it must be all 30 minutes all at once), you earn 1 point for the Grand Prix.
  • Every continent has a different number of points. For instance, our first continent is Australia (and New Zealand) and includes a total of twenty points, so in theory, you could earn your first continent this month!
  • Note, this is not about volume or who can earn the most points. It’s aboutconsistency. Therefore, any exercise time 30 minutes or more will earn 1 point. If you run 20 miles, you earn 1 point. If you run 30 minutes, you earn 1 point.
  • Mix and Match: It’s also fun to note that any exercise counts. It’s an equal exercise opportunity Challenge, and therefore your yoga, cycling, strength, running, walking, elliptical, dancing counts!
  • Tracking: We’re going old school and using coloring sheets to track the points. Download the first continental coloring sheet (Australia) below and get started on creating your global adventure. At the end of every month, simply submit your points using this form and Badassador Fran Libasci will tally your points along the way (we will post it in the Training Center and in the Facebook group too). If you reach the total number of points before the end of the month, simply submit your points in the form and you’ll receive your new continental coloring sheet.
  • Special Badges: You’ll earn a special badge for every continent you cross this year! You must submit your points using this form to receive the badges.
  • In short, this month’s Challenge is to exercise at least 30 continuous minutes, five days per week. Move, color, move again, color again, and at the end of the month submit your points here.
  • In long, we’ll aim to carry this on throughout the year focusing on progress, not perfection.

On your mark, get set, GO!

DOWNLOAD the Coloring Sheet Here

SUBMIT Your Exercise Points Here


Step 5. The Healthy Habit Challenge #EatingWell

The definition of a habit is a routine of behavior that is repeated regularly until it becomes almost involuntary (like brushing your teeth).

Health happens slowly over time, and with repeated healthy behavior. The purpose of the Healthy Habit Challenge of the Month is to focus on key areas of health and wellness, focus on choosing one small habit, and slowly create healthy change.

It’s also important to mention that what works for me won’t necessarily work for you. I’ve learned in my coaching career that some folks do well on an all-or-nothing approach (ie. Sugar Detox), while others do best to make changes in moderation (ie. remove the sugar from my coffee).

You won’t find a specific habit you’ll follow each month. Instead, you’ll find a healthy habit focus of the month and a few ideas to get your juices flowing to identify a habit that works for you.

This month’s Healthy Habit focus is eating well. Your homework, should you choose to accept this challenge, is to identify one small habit to focus on this month, and then hit the repeat button. Here are a few ideas to get you thinking:

  • Keep a food journal for a single week, or all month. This can be an extremely effective way to get real with your food choices, discover the nuances of your eating habits, and see where you might make change. You can use a piece of paper, a journal or go high tech and download an app like MyFitnessPal or Fitbit. Research has shown that people who use food trackers for a week, lose twice as much weight as those who do so once or not at all.
  • Reducing sugar in your daily diet. I talk about this in my podcast. A great way to educate yourself on the benefits of a low sugar diet is to watch the documentary, Fed Up. It is a fascinating view on the science of sugar in our body, how it affects our metabolism and encourages it to store more fat, and unveils where sugar lies in the foods we choose. From there, you’ll find inspiration to reduce or remove added sugar (not fruits or veggies) from your diet. You can go full throttle like me and do a sugar detox this month, or go in moderation and choose one sugary food to remove.
  • Prepare meals. One day per week, prepare meals that you can pack and eat all week long. When I’m on track, I’ll make a list, check it twice, head to the store and prepare meals for the week. This makes like much easier, and reduces the resistance for reaching for unhealthy, quick and processed foods.
When we change our habits, we change our health and our life quality. DOWNLOADand this handy Habit Tracker Sheet to keep track this month.

ASK COACH JENNY
There are a lot of fun, new additions to this year’s CHALLENGE program. My mission to is help coach you to your best running year ever. One of the ways I aim to do this is to answer as many of your training questions as possible in the Facebook group. I may not get to all of them, but I am sure going to try.I ask, that you ask coaching specific questions in the group in the comments section of the pinned post. You can find the pinned post at the top of all the posts in the group. Simply post your question in the feed, and tag me if you can. I will respond and answer and everyone can follow and learn together.Please note, there may be times when I’m off the grid and unable to answer efficiently. In these times, I will get to them when I return.

And finally, if you’ve made it this far in the long email, give yourself a high five! Every month I’ll be chatting with Badassador Andi Fairbanks about all things running, fitness, health, and answering your questions. Give us a listen. We’re every day mortals talking about how to run your best life this year is an easy to listen to format (with a little singing too).
You can listen on Soundcloud or iTunes on your next run.
Let’s get this party started! Happy New Year! Thank you for being a part of the CHALLENGE 2016 Program.

One Comment

  • Beth Hoerstensays:

    I’m logged in and am trying to get back on track. I did all of my Australia continent in January but never submitted my points. When I click on “Submit Your Exercise Points Here” it responds with “This form is currently private and cannot be viewed by the public.” At the top right of my screen it says “Howdy, Beth Hoersten” so I know I’m logged in. How do I submit my Australia points so I can continue on with the challenge?

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