I like challenges and badges

Call it gamification, call it childish, call it whatever you want, but I like challenges and badges. Sportive challenges, that is. 

Call it gamification, call it childish, call it whatever you want, but I like challenges and badges. Sportive challenges, that is.

It’s 9.30 pm. I’ve got a full day. I even have to go and sit behind my desk again for another hour. Yet, I just stepped off the elliptical to make sure I got my 10.000 steps done today. Why? Because I want my Disney Magic badge. I want Mickey Mouse.

 

Disney Magic badge

Well, Sara wants a Garmin Disney Magic badge and I promised to join her. We get it if we record 10,000 steps a day in 10 consecutive days. On my running days that’s easy, but on the days I don’t run, it’s a little harder. And on days like these where I just work from early morning till late at night, it’s a serious challenge.

Yet, the good thing is, I do step on the elliptical, just because of the Disney Challenge Series. It motivates me to be active even on days I don’t have time to be active.

 

Yoga in Italy

I think we all have those days, on which you have more work than hours to do the work. Sara and I spent a month in Italy to teach yoga. Great, but it does mean we didn’t sit behind our desk for a month. Sure, we did some work being on the road, but not as much as we do when we’re at home. That’s the problem of having a small company; when you’re not there, nobody does your work.

Don’t get me wrong, I wouldn’t change my work for any other job, but it does often mean a lot of extra hours. Last weekend was a working weekend because we had a yoga teacher coming over to film a new course for our yoga platform. Coming Sunday is a working Sunday, because another yoga teacher is coming. She’s staying up until the Saturday after, so that’s a working day as well.

 

Skipping training

All that filming often comes on top of the normal work, meaning long days, like today. Skipping training becomes very tempting, especially because I don’t function very well if I don’t sleep enough. On those days the sportive challenges are great. They force me to be super efficient, so I can squeeze in some extra time on my feet. Even if it’s a cross training like the elliptical today. So long live Mickey Mouse.

Today's training

Today
Yin Yoga for Runners
1 hour

Strength training: Triceps, Back, Lower Back, Calves
45 minutes

Elliptical
17 minutes

Tuesday, July 4
Combination Trail Run, with Sara (Run & Leg strength)
6,52 kilometer in 44 minutes and 55 seconds

Monday, July 3
Vinyasa Flow Yoga
63 minutes

Morning Meditation & Pranayama
24 minutes

Strength Training: Shoulders, Biceps, Lower Back, Abs
32 minutes

Core Strength - Aussi Abs
8 minutes

Disney badge walk, with Sara
5,3 kilometer in 54 minutes

 

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John Kraijenbrink

The Running Dutchman

I run. Trails mostly. I am Dutch. That makes me The Running Dutchman.

I am also a massage therapist, yogi, sports science nerd, and journalist/writer. Everything I learn and research about trail running, I share here, on this website, with you.

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