Fear of Failure

Tomorrow is the big day! The first day of fall and, therefore, the first day of my Cookies Fall Challenges. I'm so excited :) (I love that comparison photo above of my weight loss--isn't it awesome?!)

This is my first time hosting a challenge in the fall, and I decided to do not just one, but THREE. Something for everyone!

1) The checklist similar to Cookies Summer Run/Walk Challenge--a list of items to complete during or after running or walking. It's a way to keep running or walking interesting.

2) A mileage competition. Runners and walkers can log their mileage (you must sign up by 11:59 PM ET tonight!!). I am going to post a leaderboard each week, showing who has run/walked the most miles that week and overall. Hopefully, this will inspire you to get in some miles!

3) Cookies Fall Hard Challenge. This one is tough! And it's MEANT to be tough--hence, the "hard". The "rules" are modified from the 75 Hard challenge. There are six rules, and each of them individually seem do-able. And they are. Putting them all together is going to be HARD. 

I've heard from more than a few people that they would like to try it, but they are worried that they might fail. 

I have a lot to say about this and I hope I'm able to put it into words. Let me try to explain...

Two months ago, I started the 75 Hard Challenge. I was going full strength, 100% effort, until I learned I may have been doing one of the rules incorrectly (it was stupid). But I let that get into my head, and eventually I started slacking on a rule here and there.

I've most definitely not followed all of the rules since the beginning, and according to the entire 75 Hard Challenge, I am supposed to start over every time I make a mistake. 

Am I a failure?

On one hand, yes--I failed at doing the 75 Hard Challenge as written. However, I have walked (or biked a couple of times) for 45 minutes twice a day EVERY SINGLE DAY since July 20th! I can honestly say that I have never deliberately exercised this much in my life. Is that failure?

My "diet" for 75 Hard was intermittent fasting with a 20:4 ratio. For about 95% of the time, I've done great! But I've also had a few days where I ate way outside my window--not because I was hungry, but because I was stressed out and I just wanted to eat. While I ate on plan for 95% of the time... did I fail because it wasn't 100?

Another "rule" for 75 Hard was to read 10 pages of a non-fiction inspirational book every day. I did this, for a long time. But after I finished my second book, I just couldn't find another that interested me. I don't enjoy self-help books! But did I fail, even after reading two full books? I continued to read books, but not the inspirational ones specified in 75 Hard.

There is a rule for drinking a gallon of water a day. For me, this isn't very hard to do when I'm focused on it. However, on some days, I was too busy or too stressed to care, and I "only" drank 96 ounces of water instead of 128 ounces. Did I fail?

For 75 Hard, it's also required to take a progress photo every day (I do a full-length mirror selfie). Call me vain, but this is actually something I've excelled at! I haven't missed a single day. 

So, my point is this: While I was "supposed to" do this challenge strictly by the book, without fail--and believe me, I tried!--I didn't do it perfectly. I "failed" at the 75 Hard Challenge, and I should have started over several times by now.

Instead, I chose to just keep doing the best I could do. While I might have "failed" at the challenge, I am still a million times better off than if I'd quit the very second I made a mistake. 

It reminds me of this quote, "Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you'll still land among the stars."

It sounds corny, but it's true! My friend Dean (who I met via my blog and became good friends with) taught me this lesson. He always aims for goals that seem way out of reach. While a lot of people would say not to aim for something that high, because there is a good chance you'll fail, he chose to think of it this way: Aim higher than you "expect" to do, and even if you don't hit that particular goal, you'll still do better than if you aim for a lower goal. You'll never realize your potential if you never push yourself way past your comfort zone!

If I had thought 75 Hard was "too hard" and I decided to modify the exercise portion to be 30 minutes once a day, I would still think that was hard for me to do. Exercising every day, without fail... that's hard for me! But I aimed WAY out of my comfort zone and shot for 45 minutes twice a day. Something that seemed impossible for me--someone who couldn't even stick with 30 minutes 3 times a week for a long time.

And I'm actually doing it!

However, EVEN IF I was to "only" do the first workout every day, I would still be MUCH better off than if I just didn't attempt it at all. Or even if I committed to 30 minutes a day! If I'd committed to 30 minutes, I'd only do 30 minutes. But by committing to 45, I'm pushing myself for 45. And if I happen to only do 40 minutes, or I only do one workout a day, etc? I'm still "landing among the stars" and doing much better than I would if I hadn't even tried.

Dean is such a great example of this!

I'll try to give you the quick rundown:

I first learned of Dean when he submitted a Motivational Monday post for his first 5K. I followed along as he lost weight, ran a 10K, reached 100 pounds lost... I called him Dean the Machine. And I invited him to join a Ragnar team that my friend John and I were putting together. Anyway...

Dean mentioned to me that he decided to shoot for a sub-2:00 half-marathon, and he wanted to know my thoughts as a running coach. He had just finished a half in about 2:15, so I told him that I didn't want to be discouraging, but I thought he should aim for more like 2:10. He thought about it, and then told me that he was going to shoot for sub-2:00 anyway--which would require shaving 15 minutes off of his time in just 4 months!

And you know what? Come April, at his goal race, he ran 1:57! I was shocked, but very excited for him. That was a huge improvement! Next, he told me that he was going to sign up for his first marathon to take place that fall... and that he was going to aim for sub-4:00. Again, I didn't want to discourage him, but I never recommend having a time goal for one's first marathon--it's challenging enough just to finish, let alone worry about pace. But Dean is honestly the most determined person I've ever met...

In October 2014... Dean ran his first full marathon. His time? An insane 3:52:43!

He explained to me this concept of "shooting for the moon" (although he didn't call it that, I promise, haha). He aims for goals that are BEYOND what he really hopes, because even if he "fails", he'll still do better than he would if he'd aimed for something that seemed very "do-able".

Take goal weight, for example. I didn't tell anyone this, but when I was hoping to get down to 133 for my goal weight, I was secretly "aiming for" 125. That way, if I got down to, say, 130, would it mean I failed? Hell no!

If I'd been aiming for 133 and I actually got to 133, I'd have met my goal--but I would have stopped there because I met the goal. If you aim higher than your goal, you'll still be better off than if you just aim for something "do-able". We want to be better than "do-able"! 

When I was training for the Chicago Marathon in 2013, my goal was to "finish strong" (basically, to have a good race and not feel like shit when I finished). I also wanted to PR--that meant running under 4:51:51 (my previous marathon time at the Detroit Free Press Marathon).

When I trained? I trained as if I was going to run a 3:55 marathon. I followed the Hansons Marathon Method and I ran my training runs as if I was going to finish in 3:55. Deep down, I knew I wasn't even going to try to run sub-4:00 (I didn't really desire to), but I also knew that aiming for it in training would make my "easy marathon" feel good! I finished the race in 4:16:23, and I was THRILLED. I honestly believe that if I'd wanted to run 3:55 that day, I could have. But my goal was to feel good throughout the race.

If I had "only" aimed for a PR (less than 4:51:51), then I would have succeeded if I'd run 4:51:50. And yes that is still excited, but I wouldn't have hit my potential. I never would have DREAMED I could run 4:16:23!). 

I found this sign taped to the house when I got home from Chicago, hahaha. I LOVE IT.

Anyway, I realize this post is all over the place, but I am hoping to convince you that you CAN do the "Cookies Fall Hard Challenge". Yes, it's hard. Yes, you may "fail" at some of the guidelines. But even if you succeed at one of them, isn't that better than nothing?

Even if you only do it for ONE DAY, isn't that better than ZERO days?

So, I encourage you... if you are thinking of doing the Cookies Fall Hard Challenge, but you are worried you are going to fail, just give it a try! Shoot for the moon!

You can find all the information on this post: Cookies Fall Challenges (Official Rules and Sign-Up Sheet).

I'm very excited to start the challenges tomorrow. Yes, I'm aiming for all three! If I only aim for one, then I might succeed at one. But if I aim for three, maybe I'll succeed at one. Or two. Or all three! Who knows?! :) 

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Summary of How I Did With My Cookies Summer Run/Walk Challenge

This year marked the fourth annual Cookies Summer Run/Walk Challenge--a checklist of 56 items to work on completing throughout the summer. The challenge start on the summer solstice and ends on the fall equinox. 

Each year, I say I am going to do ALL of the checklist. I start out strong and then just forget about it a month in. I've always done the running challenge (it's the same either way; but I always chose to run instead of walk).

This year, I chose to walk, and I think that is what helped me the most. I didn't complete the entire checklist, but I'm super impressed with how many of the walks I *did* check off! Here is my list:

Aqua Jog  - Walk/jog in a pool or lake (or any body of water you choose)

✔ Beach Walk  - Find some place that you can walk along a body of water

✔ Bridge Walk - Walk over a bridge of some sort

✔ Early Bird Walk - Start your walk before 6:00 AM

✔ Even Split Walk - Walk 3+ miles with mile splits of less than 5 seconds difference (I couldn't do this again if I tried! Look at how close these splits are)

✔ Evening Walk - Start your walk between 5 PM and 7 PM

✔ Explorer Walk - Walk in a city you’ve never walked in before

✔ Fartlek Walk - Vary the speed of your walk by “walking very fast to the mailbox”, “strolling to the tree”, “walking hard until you see a red car”, etc. Make it up as you go along—it should be spontaneous and fun.

Forrest Gump Walk - Walk without a predetermined distance—just walk until you feel like stopping. Arrange ahead of time for a family member or friend to pick you up when you’re done.

✔ Generous Walk - Leave a few quarters in random places on your walk for others to find (it’s always fun to find a quarter!)

Heads or Tails Walk - Flip a coin every 2 minutes during the walk. If it’s heads, walk fast; if it’s tails, walk slow.

Hilly Walk - Find a hill, and walk quickly up then walk down 6-10 times

Multi-City Walk - Map out and walk a route that takes place in two cities

Night Owl Walk - Finish your walk after 10:00 PM

✔ Opposite Walk - Walk your favorite circular route in the opposite direction

✔ Park Walk - Go for a walk in a park

✔ Penny Pincher Walk - Find a penny (or other coin) on the ground while you’re walking (I find at least a penny on almost every walk I do!)

✔ Photogenic Walk - Stop and take 4 scenic photos during your walk

✔ Podcast Walk - Download a new podcast and listen to it while you walk

✔ Progression Walk - Walk 3+ miles with each mile faster than the previous

✔ Race - Enter a race (any distance) and walk it (official virtual races count)

✔ Rainy Walk - Go for a walk in the rain

✔ Rover Walk - Go for a walk with a dog (if you don’t have one, call a local animal shelter and ask if you can take one for a walk)

✔ Walk in the Dark - Go for walk when it’s dark outside (wear reflective gear and a headlamp for safety)

✔ Fast Walk/Stroll - Do 50/50 intervals of walking very fast and strolling

✔ Lunch Walk - Start your walk between 12 PM & 2 PM

✔ Runventure - Map a route that you’ve never done before, and walk it

Scavenger Hunt Walk - Create a list of 8 items you must search for on your walk; then take a photo of each to document your findings.

✔ Scenic Walk - Choose a pretty place to walk, and walk slowly enough to really pay attention to all the views

✔ Selfie Walk - Take a mid-walk selfie (carefully, so you don’t trip!)

✔ Silent Walk - Walk without headphones or a speaker of any kind

✔ Stone Age Walk - Walk without any sort of technology (not even a watch!)

✔ Sunrise Walk - Start your walk before sunrise, and end it after

✔ Sunset Walk - Start your walk before sunset, and end it after

✔ Tempo Walk - Walk slightly faster than your easy pace—it should feel uncomfortable, but not miserable

Track Walk - Walk on a local track (indoor or outdoor)

✔ Trail Walk - Walk on an unpaved nature trail

✔ Treadmill Walk - It doesn’t have to be boring! Hop on the treadmill and vary the speed and incline for an interesting indoor walk.

✔ Zoo Walk - See if you can spot five different types of animal species on your walk

✔ **Solstice Walk - Start your walk in spring, and end it in summer (June 20, at 5:43 PM ET, marks the beginning of summer)

✔ **Creative Ice Cream Flavors Walk - Walk for ice cream on Creative Ice Cream Day (Wednesday, July 1). Share a picture of your most creative ice cream concoction!

✔ **Independence Walk - Walk 4 miles on the 4th of July, wearing red, white, and blue.

✔ **Buck Full Moon Walk - Walk on the night of the Buck full moon, which takes place on July 5 at 12:44 AM (ET). If the moon is visible, it counts! (Despite the time)

✔ **Chocolate Walk - Go for a walk on World Chocolate Day (Tuesday, July 7) and enjoy something chocolatey later to celebrate

**Embrace Your Geekness Walk - Wear your nerdiest outfit for your walk on Embrace Your Geekness Day (July 13)

**Emoji Walk - Describe your entire walk with nothing but emojis for World Emoji Day (July 17)

**Friendship Walk - Go for a walk “with a friend” on International Day of Friendship. If we are still practicing social distancing, give a running friend a phone call after you each walk and discuss how it went. (July 30)

**Watermelon Walk - Eat some juicy watermelon to refresh after your walk on National Watermelon Day, Aug. 3

✔ **RUN FOR COOKIES! - Celebrate with a yummy chocolate chip cookie on National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day, Aug. 4

✔ **Beer Walk - Go for a walk on International Beer Day (Friday, Aug. 7) and finish with a cold beer; Or for an alcohol-free option, walk for a root beer!

✔ **Corn Full Moon Walk - Walk on the night of the Corn Moon on Sept. 2 at 1:22 AM. (If the moon is visible, it counts—despite the time!)

✔ **Book Walk - Listen to an audiobook on National Book Day during your walk on Sept. 6 

**Labor Day Walk - Put some serious “work” into this walk to celebrate Labor Day on Sept. 7

✔ **Rock Walk - Look for a pretty or unique rock during your walk on Collect Rocks Day (Sept 16)

**Appreciate a Friend Walk - After your walk, write a “real” letter (on paper!) and mail it to a friend for National Women’s Friendship Day on Sept. 20

**Fall Equinox Walk - End your summer by running into fall at 9:30 AM (ET) on Sept. 22.

So, as of today, I've checked off 41 out of 55! The final walk (#56) will be on Tuesday. That walk will count as the final walk for the summer challenge AND the first walk of the fall challenge!

Even though I didn't do all of the walks on the summer list, I'm pretty impressed with myself for what I did do. 

And I'm very excited to get started on the (three!) fall challenges! You can check out the details on this post--for the mileage challenge, you must sign up before tomorrow at 11:59 PM ET. I hope you'll join in!

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Saturday Night Bullets

Whew! What a day. I don't know if my back has ever been this sore.

I've had a bad back as long as I can remember--even when I was as young as eight years old. It's super frustrating because NOTHING helps it, and I've seen several specialists, done the therapies, etc. Nobody can really tell me what's wrong or how to fix it, ugh.

Anyway, I was ready to collapse by 2:00 PM today. I went for my morning walk after chatting with Jerry when he got home from work at 6:30 AM. Then I worked on the front porch until 1:00 PM. Then I went for my second walk and was feeling the pain big time by the time I got home. Then I sat down with my heating pad. I hate having chronic back pain!

I don't have a lot to write about, so here is a little of this and that...

**I started tearing down the front porch. It all started with a teardown and bonfire...

(The Lowe's bucket on the right is full of water in case it got out of control--that was a big fire!)

**It's been SO HARD to find pressure treated lumber (it's treated with some sort of chemical for outdoor use so that it doesn't break down from the weather). Because of the wild fires in the Pacific Northwest, lumber has tripled in cost and is very hard to come by.

I will post pictures of the porch when I finish it. I'll probably finish it tomorrow or Monday.

**I'm so sad that my most favorite place I've ever visited is being destroyed by fire. And I don't say this lightly! Every time I've gone to Oregon/Seattle I've gone hiking--I LOVE the trees and clean air and everything about the atmosphere there.

I went to the Toledo Lowe's (the one closest to me didn't have anything in stock) and was able to buy most of what I needed. The 2x6's were out of stock, but I was able to get them later. When I went to the Lowe's in Toledo, I brought along my circular saw, tape measure (which is affectionally named the M.W.--inside joke), pencil, safety glasses, and speed square. I was fully prepared to cut down the long boards in order to fit them into my Jeep Renegade.

I had to buy a lot of lumber, and I fully expected to be cutting it down in the parking lot for an hour or more. But a super sweet (and very easy on the eyes!) male employee helped me out and cut everything for me. I knew Lowe's would cut plywood down, but I wasn't sure about the long 5/4 boards (the Lowe's nearest to me won't cut treated lumber because of the fumes).

Because everything was cut down to less than 6 feet long, I was able to fit into the Jeep, no problem! I even got a few stair stringers.

**Joey and I have a new favorite walking route in the mornings. During a typical route, I decided to turn into what I thought was a small park area but turned out to be a pretty large open park. It's in the middle of the peninsula--we used to walk the perimeter of the peninsula on the road, but the park is in the center of the peninsula with the road going around it.

Our usual route on the road:

And walking the center, where he can go off-leash. I usually circle this twice--it's 2/3 of a mile around:

I can let Joey off leash, which is awesome! It's surrounded by a canal, so even if he was to disobey me and run off--he never does; he's actually REALLY good about staying nearby--he would be stopped by the canal. I've been using the walks as a way to train him--when I whistle and hold my arm up, he runs to me immediately and I give him a small treat. Sometimes I'll tell him to sit and stay while I walk way ahead to where he can't see me, and then I'll whistle. He's great about staying until I whistle!

**I think Jerry got tired of seeing my "boob money" on the counter in the bathroom. We call it "boob money" because whenever I find change while I'm walking, I tuck it into my sports bra. When I get home, I set it on the counter in the bathroom--and I've collected quite a pile! Today, I saw this on the counter where my pile of change usually is... BAHAHA! (It says "Not Political" on the side, because I'm "Walking 4 Change" for my own benefit, I guess! 😂)

**As I write this, Duck is TOTALLY passed out to the world. He's sitting on my lap while I sit on the couch (with the heating pad on my back!) and I've never seen him so limp and lifeless. It's hilarious. (I have to pee so badly, but I don't want to get up and disturb him--I know you other cat-lovers can empathize!)

**Don't forget, I posted about the Cookies Fall Challenges, so if you're interested in doing those, make sure you check out this post before it starts on September 22nd!

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What I've Been Reading, Watching, Listening To...

Yesterday, I posted the Cookies Fall Challenges (there are three!) so if you're interested in participating in those, you can find the details on yesterday's post.

One of the challenges is very similar to 75 Hard, which I've been doing for... 50-something days now. Because of 75 Hard, I've listened to several audiobooks lately. I've also been reading a bit and have watched a couple of things worth mentioning.

(Links in this post are Amazon affiliate links--just meaning that if you were to purchase through the links, I may get a small commission)

Reading

'The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes' by Suzanne Collins - This is the prequel to The Hunger Games series. I really enjoyed this, but nowhere near as much as The Hunger Games. It took place 60-something years before The Hunger Games, when the Games were only going on for about 10 years.

'Where the Crawdads Sing' by Delia Owens - I LOVED THIS BOOK SO MUCH. I hadn't been so engrossed in a book in well over a decade. I heard great things about it, but the synopsis didn't interest me.

Finally, I wanted to read something so I just decided to give it a try and after a chapter or so, I was hooked. I literally couldn't stop reading it! I carried my Kindle around with me, reading whenever I had a spare second. Definitely don't let the synopsis turn you away; it doesn't do it justice at all!

'If You Tell: A True Story of Murder, Family Secrets, and the Unbreakable Bond of Sisterhood' by Gregg Olsen - I apparently read one of his other books, 'The Last Thing She Ever Did', and I really liked it. I loved that he wasn't afraid to be graphically descriptive of uncomfortable things (hmm, I wonder what this says about me?).

'If You Tell' was the same. (Trigger warning of child abuse.) This is based on a true story (which is shocking).  I discovered that I really like this author--I just started another of his books.

Watching

'The Social Dilemma' on Netflix - Holy smokes. This is scary as shit. It's a documentary about social media and the "behind the scenes" things that the social media companies are tracking about each of US.

There are interviews with former high-up employees of the companies who won't even let their children use social media because they know that your privacy is GONE before you even blink. I made my kids watch this documentary because I wanted them to see the power that is behind these "harmless" apps like Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, etc. I think everyone should watch this!

'Girlfriends Guide to Divorce' on Netflix - This is a guilty pleasure drama that I only watch while on the treadmill. And since I do 99% of my walks outside, I've only watched about eight episodes or so of this show. Nevertheless, I love it! I know that if I didn't have the "rule" about only watching it on the treadmill, I'd binge watch all the seasons in a matter of a couple of days.

Listening To

I've been listening to audiobooks while I walk. And I walk a quite a bit--90 minutes a day. I usually listen to the audiobooks on 1.2-1.5x speed, so I get through them a little faster. I really love listening to memoirs--particularly addiction, mental illness, or survival memoirs.

I do want to mention that I'm very picky about the narrators of audiobooks--I won't listen to them if I don't like their narration in the first minute or so. But the following books are ones that I very much enjoyed the narration, and if I recommend an audiobook, it means I liked the narration. Here is what I've listened to recently...

'Drunk Mom' by Jowita Bydlowska - Wow. This book was VERY raw and honest. A new mother tells her story of her addiction to alcohol and the path that it led her down. She describes all of the poor decisions she made while under the influence and it was very hard for me to to fully grasp how she could justify them--but I really did love how honest it was. I feel like some memoirs gloss over the very bad times to keep from sounding "too bad"--but this was just the opposite.

'Dry' by Augusten Burroughs - I loved his memoir 'Running With Scissors', and I was very interested to listen to the audiobook (narrated by himself) about his path to sobriety from alcohol. It was very funny and I adored his narration. Because of his narration, I actually think this would be a better audiobook than if you were to read it. He has a great way of writing about sensitive topics in a lighthearted way.

'SEAL Team Six' by Howard E. Wasdin and Stephen Templin - After reading 'Can't Hurt Me' by David Goggins, I really wanted to read/listen to a memoir that was similar. I've always found military snipers fascinating--the amount of detail and mental calculation that they have to do in fractions of a second is mind-boggling to me--so this book interested me.

It's the memoir of a former sniper in the Navy SEAL Team Six (the elite of the elite). He writes about his training (which literally made my jaw drop a few times while I was out walking--I couldn't believe what goes into their training!) and then missions that he participated in (learning about the "behind the scenes" stuff was very interesting). 

'Fast Girl: A Life Spent Running From Madness' by Suzy Favor Hamilton - This book was not at all what I was expecting--but so good! I'm kind of embarrassed to admit that I had no idea who Suzy Favor Hamilton is--she was an Olympian runner back in the 90's. I should have known that, right?!

This memoir is about her "secret life" as an escort in Las Vegas. There is so much that goes into it--her eating disorders as a teen, undiagnosed bipolar disorder, and her very public career with a very private personal life. Her descriptions of her personal life are jaw-droppingly honest and had me thinking, "I would never share that!" Hahaha. I love the honesty.

'On Call in the Arctic: A Doctor's Pursuit of Life, Love, and Miracles in the Alaskan Frontier' by Thomas J. Sims - This book was a random pick when I was desperate to find something to listen to, and I am SO glad that I chose it! It was one of the most fascinating memoirs I've read/listened to.

It's about a doctor fresh out of medical school that avoids the military draft by voluntarily going to Alaska to serve as the primary physician at a very small-town hospital. The equipment and "technology" are pretty much archaic and he has to improvise in just about every situation, making the best out of what he has to work with. He tells the craziest stories about his time there!

Warning--this is not a book for the squeamish. He is graphically descriptive of his medical procedures and if you are at all squeamish about that kind of thing, this is not the book for you!

I've just started listening to 'The Cuckoo's Cry' by Caroline Overington and I've started reading 'Lying Next to Me' by Gregg Olsen. I'll let you know what I think when I do another post like this!

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Cookies Fall Challenges! (Official "Rules" and Sign-Up Sheet)

Thanks so much for the feedback regarding what sort of challenge to do for fall. Ultimately, I've decided to do a few challenges at the same time! (And thank you for your patience while I work this out--I had no idea it was going to take me so long to put this post together.)

I have loved hosting the "Cookies Summer Run/Walk Challenge" each year, and I've gotten requests every year to make a fall challenge. I've always planned to do so, but never took the time to put it together. So, even though it's in the eleventh hour, I am going to post a few options for a fall challenge!

Many of you were interested in 75 Hard, but thought it was a little too difficult... so I made a few changes that I think are do-able for pretty much anybody (note: I said "do-able", not "easy"). 

For those of you that prefer the traditional checklist of runs/walks, I am posting a checklist (similar to the summer checklist) of runs or walks to accomplish this fall. For this challenge, you simply keep track of the runs/walks that you complete--there is no competition or anything, unless you create one with friends.

For those of you that enjoy a friendly competition, I'll also have a mileage challenge. You can run or walk as many miles as possible to reach the top of a leaderboard. Steps taken throughout the day don't count--the miles must be done in a minimum of 20-minute increments.

You can do one, two, or all three of the challenges--it's up to you.

First up: The "Cookies Fall Hard" challenge. Yes, I realize the name is kind of dumb, and Jerry and I laughed about it, but it is what it is! Haha. I will list a set of rules below, which are very similar to the 75 Hard challenge, and they must be followed without exception. No excuses, no exceptions, no "cheat days", etc. It's *supposed* to be hard!

[*Someone in the comments mentioned that it is hazardous in Oregon to go outside right now because of the wild fires. It hadn't occurred to me when I wrote this! I was just assuming to enjoy the fall weather. Obviously, risking your health is NOT something I'd recommend for the sake of the challenge.

Also, some of the items on the checklist may not pertain to you (for location, culture, etc.) so just skip over those ones, or come up with something fun on your own! And then share it with me for next time :)

Please use your judgement when it comes to what is safe/healthy--and get the okay from your doctor while you're at it!*]

COOKIES FALL HARD CHALLENGE

Here are the rules:

1. Follow a diet of your choice--write out your "rules" prior to starting the challenge. You cannot change them midway through, so make sure you choose rules that are challenging but not so hard that you will quit. They may NOT include "cheat days". These rules must be followed without exceptions or cheat days for the entire duration of the challenge.
2. Exercise 60 minutes a day, with a minimum of 30 minutes outside (*see note above). You can split the workout into two workouts maximum or just do it all in one go. They can be very tough workouts or very easy--your choice--and you can decide these on a day to day basis. You cannot add up steps throughout the day to count them as a workout--the workout needs to be deliberate and done in one or two goes each day.
3. Drink 1 gallon (4 quarts) of water a day. You can add a squeeze of lemon or lime, but coffee, tea, flavored waters, etc, don't count. I use this Nalgene bottle (Amazon affiliate link) to keep track--I drink four of them a day. 
4. Read 10 pages of a book (any book you'd like) every day.
5. Write in a journal once a day--even if it is just one sentence. I LOVE my "Some Lines a Day" journal! (affiliate link)
6. Take a progress photo once a day--a mirror selfie, or ask someone else to take one for you. Preferably a full-length photo. You don't have to share these with anyone; they are just for you.

Those are the six rules. They have a little more flexibility than the original 75 Hard is by Andy Frisella (you can find the original here--it looks like a huge sales pitch, but it's a long explanation of it), but I wanted them to remain "hard". If it was easy, it wouldn't be a challenge! The whole point is to build self-discipline.

(If you'd like to print out the rules, I've made a printer-friendly version here, including a checklist for each of the items)

On that note, however, this is just a challenge--you can obviously change the rules however you'd like to fit YOUR lifestyle. I'm not going to be policing anyone! I just feel that the "rules" are do-able for pretty much anyone--some harder than others.

For this challenge, I would highly recommend the phone app called Habit Share. It's totally free, and you can keep track of your habits there. Best of all, you can add people as "friends" who will be able to see your habits as well!

So if you add me, I'll be able to see if you're keeping up with the challenge or not--and you'll be able to check in on me as well. It's great for accountability. If you'd like, you can share your own account with other people in the Facebook group so that they can add you as well.

You can search for me with the email katie (at) runsforcookies (dot) com. Or here is my QR code:

I haven't been keeping up with it lately, but I plan to start it over with when the challenge officially starts. But feel free to add me and I'll add you as well. It's great for accountability! (I'm not affiliated with the app in any way)

You do NOT need to sign up for this challenge, since it's not a competition. But the accountability from the app and Facebook group is great!

And here is a link to the Facebook group: Cookies Fall Hard 2020

COOKIES FALL RUN/WALK CHECKLIST

There isn't going to be a sign-up for this checklist, either. This will be just like the Cookies Summer Challenge--you can print out a list of runs/walks to complete throughout the fall season and try to check off as many as possible. I will have a Facebook group just like the Cookies Summer Challenge group, where you can post photos of your runs/walks. This challenge is meant to make running or walking a little more fun this fall!

Here is the printable checklist for the run/walk challenge. I wish I was able to get more creative with this checklist, but I feel like I used up my creativity with the summer one! Most of these are runs/walks with specific dates, but I added a few new ones as well. If you have more ideas for next year, please let me know :) 

Here is the printable calendar for the run/walk challenge (this just helps you plan out your runs/walks more easily).

Here is the Facebook group for the Cookies Fall Run/Walk Challenge.

COOKIES FALL MILEAGE CHALLENGE

You will need to sign up for this challenge. This will be a friendly competition to see who can run or walk the most miles this fall! You'll log your miles once a week on a Google form. To compete in this and be included on the leaderboard, you must sign up by September 21 at 11:59 PM ET. 

Each week, you'll have to log the number of miles you completed that week. Once a week, I'll post a leaderboard of the results. (Make sure you have proof of your runs/walks--a photo of your running watch, screenshot of your phone app, etc. I *may* do a few prizes at the end, but don't mark those words just yet!)

I have a Facebook group for this challenge as well, so you can post your photos of your daily mileage there and share whatever you'd like about your runs/walks. 

Here is the Facebook group for the Fall Mileage Competition.

Below is the sign-up sheet for the Cookies Fall Mileage Challenge. This is the challenge where you will compete with others to run or walk the most mileage. Depending on how many people sign up, I would like to separate the runners and walkers, but I won't be sure yet. Your name on this form will be what is shown on the leaderboard, so make sure it's unique (but also something you don't mind sharing publicly).

By having the three separate fall challenges, it give the option of doing a simple run/walk checklist challenge (nothing to do with diet or otherwise), a mileage challenge (to push yourself to run or walk farther) and/or a challenge to push your self-discipline in areas other than exercise. You can sign up for one, two, or all three. 

If you are interested in any/all of these challenges for Fall 2020, please join the Facebook group(s) and introduce yourself! I will try to post there as often as I can, but I am terrible about being present on social media. If you really need me to see a post, then tag me in it and hopefully I'll see it!

The point of the Facebook groups is for accountability and to motivate each other to continue the challenge. I find that when I check out the Facebook groups for the Summer Challenge, for example, I am excited to go out and do my walk!

I hope I'm not forgetting anything--I may be in over my head with all three groups!--so please let me know if you notice a mistake somewhere or if I am missing anything.

I plan on doing the challenges myself! So I hope to see you all posting in the Facebook groups :)

By the way, all Facebook groups are PRIVATE, so unless someone is in the group, they will not see your posts. They will not show up in your newsfeed.

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It's almost ready!

I was really hoping to post all the details today for the Cookies Fall Challenge(s), but it's taking much longer than I anticipated--creating new Facebook groups, writing out the checklist/calendar, etc. SO, I'm going to get it posted tomorrow instead. It's going to take me at least a few more hours to finish up, so I'm not going to write a post tonight.

I did decide to do three different challenges, though!

1) A checklist of runs/walks like I do for the summer challenge--only they will be different items.

2) The Cookies Fall Hard Challenge (modified from the 75 Hard Challenge).

3) A friendly mileage competition--a leaderboard of who can run or walk the most miles each week.

You can do one, two, or all three. I would love to do prizes, but I haven't thought that far ahead yet. Right now, I'm just trying to get the details written down before it actually starts on the 22nd! Haha.

And since I don't have a photo for this post, I'll just show you my new Friends pajama pants :) They are SO SOFT!

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It's Soup Season! (My Favorite Soup Recipes)

Fall is, without a doubt, my very favorite season. Not because of the pumpkin spice everything (I'm actually not a big pumpkin spice person) but because I love soup. And thankfully, my family does, too. I know it's not "officially" fall for six more days, but I am so excited to post these now :) 

Sometimes, we'll have soup for dinner five times in a week! And because it's so versatile (you can turn pretty much any favorite meal into a soup or stew or chili of some sort), it never gets boring.

I have so many favorites, it's hard to even make a list. But after much consideration, I've narrowed it down to my Top 12 Favorite Soups (in no particular order--I couldn't choose a very favorite!):

Lasagna Soup

Serve this with crusty garlic bread! It's such a simple recipe, but SO delicious. 

Loaded Baked Potato Soup

I love baked potatoes, but I can never seem to get the texture right. They are either too mushy, too firm, or even rubbery. But this has the perfect texture and combination of all the "loaded" in potato soup and it's seriously SO EASY to make (considering you use frozen potatoes)!

Pasta e Fagioli

This soup has such the perfect combination of flavors--the sausage and garlic being the most prominent (probably because I add extra garlic). Serve topped with parmesan cheese. So good!

Chicken Taco Soup (in the slow cooker)

This is a go-to when I just don't know what to make for dinner and if I happen to have chicken in the freezer. I don't even thaw it--I throw everything into the crock pot (pretty much zero prep work) and the soup is delicious! I always top it with cheese and Fritos :) Also, this is the tastiest way to get some extra fiber into your diet!

White Chili

This is more of a soup than a chili. Don't let the photo fool you into thinking it's bland. It's full of flavor and it's absolutely delicious, especially on a cold day. 

Split Pea Soup

Again, this is a go-to recipe when I need something to throw in the crock pot. Split pea soup may not look pretty, but this is my kids' FAVORITE meal. They literally ask for this every week! Allow a full eight hours in the crock pot to get it nice and thick.

Roasted Tomato & Garlic Soup with Barley

This will make your house smell like HEAVEN. I promise! The tomatoes and garlic roasting in the olive oil will make you want to take a bath in it. (Not really, but it's SO good!)

Copycat Wendy's Chili

I happen to love Wendy's chili, and I used to eat it in college when I was on Weight Watchers. I would always order a baked potato and chili. Anyway, this recipe actually tastes very much like the Wendy's recipe!

Lemon Lentil Soup

This is the most simple recipe for soup you could possibly make (nearly as easy as opening a can!) but it tastes amazing! Even if you don't think you like lentils, definitely give this a try. The red lentils are much different than the green lentils that you typically see at the grocery store.

Mock Max & Erma's Chicken Tortilla Soup

I don't know if I've ever even had Max & Erma's Chicken Tortilla Soup, but I tried out a few recipes for it and I love this one. (I cannot remember where I got it, so if you have the original, please let me know so I can give them credit.) This recipe basically involves opening a LOT of cans. Whenever I've made this, I get tons of compliments and several people ask for the recipe. It's almost embarrassing how easy it is!

Lentil Chili

If you think you don't like lentils, you've GOT to try this! Even meat lovers will enjoy this. In fact, it's one of Jerry's favorite meals! Don't knock it until you've tried it--really.

Turkey, Black Bean, & Corn Chili

This may not look like a typical chili, but it has so much flavor and is super hearty--it's amazing! It's one of my favorite recipes when I'm just not sure what to make--I almost always have all of the ingredients on hand. I like to serve it with sour cream, cheese, and tortilla chips if I have them. But even if you eat it plain, it's so flavorful that you won't miss the toppings!

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