Last spring, I joined a web site called Fitocracy. It is a social network for people who like to exercise, or are struggling to build a healthy lifestyle and are looking for motivation and support. On Fitocracy, you build a profile and track your workouts. Fitocracy awards points based on the difficulty level of the exercise done, and awards points accordingly. You can also win points for completing "quests". For instance, when I completed the half ironman, Fitocracy awarded me an additional 2,500 points for the "Half Ironman" quest on top of the points I earned for the exercise involved. As you earn points, you "level up".
All of this seems kinda cheesy, and it is. But the cheesiness is part of what I like about it. Most workout tracking sites/apps are just so BORING. This is a fun way to score when I exercise. The site recognizes and rewards new personal bests. And then, there is the social aspect to it.
Other Fitocrats can choose to "follow" you. And you can choose to follow others. You can join groups and find other site members with similar interests. I joined several triathlon, running, biking, and swimming groups and found other people doing similar workouts. People from all across the globe. Fifty seven people are currently "following" me. They cheer me on when I track a workout, and I cheer other people on, too. There was a young high school graduate heading off to college and planning to join the college swim team, wondering if there were any body weight workouts she could do because she couldn't afford a gym membership. I gave her a link to a workout pdf I found online that was just what she needed. I've had other swimmers say they want to 'steal' my swim workouts. I've gotten ideas for workouts from them. I've cheered new runners as they faced their first ever 5K, and I had a dedicated cheering section when I faced the half ironman. I watched a young man ride his bike across the country all summer long as part of a group that was building humanitarian houses while riding from sea to shining sea. I'm cheering someone in the Cozumel Ironman.
There is a doctor in Colorado who started a 100 day sugar challenge. He started following me sometime in the late summer. He was several levels below me, at first, but he quickly caught up because he was doing monster-high-point workouts. Before long, we were at the same level... then he passed me. I simply can't rack up the points like that. But the point earning rivalry that sprung up drove me to get to the gym on days when I would otherwise have talked myself into staying home.
His 100 day no added sugar challenge got me thinking. I am not willing to go sugar free (especially not for the holidays!), but I realized that maybe this was just the challenge I needed to get off of soda for real. I have quit soda many times in the past, always short lived. Right now, I am addicted yet again. I can tell I am addicted when I stop on my way home from work to get a soda on almost a daily basis... and when I can't fall asleep at night because there is too much caffeine in my system. And when the scale starts to creep back up to ugly numbers I never wanted to see again.
So, I accepted the challenge. Rather than 100 days sugar free, I am striving for 100 days soda free. Yesterday, December first, was the first day. March 10th will mark the 100th day. Hopefully when I reach that mark, I will be a much more lean and fit version of myself and I will have mastered my cravings and desires. By then I will be in full marathon training mode and a soda free body will be just what I need to succeed!
So, day two. I know the first 21 days will be the worst. It will take a week or two for the caffeine in my system to work its way out, and the cravings will take a while to subside. Right now, I am facing headaches and fatigue, but I won't let that stop me. Day 3, here I come!
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