Taking the fitness challenge – virtually by ANNETTE JOYCE Every winter, when cold weather sets in, I forget about exercising and basically go into hibernation. February is the worst month, when my favorite place is on the couch, buried under a stack of blankets while I wait for spring to arrive. The results of that behavior are always the same – depression, lethargy and many unwanted pounds. Figuring things would only get worse in the midst of the pandemic, I decided last December that I needed an extra push. Ads for a virtual challenge – “Running from 2020” – kept popping up on my social media. I was intrigued. The idea behind a virtual challenge is that you log your mileage from any location you choose. Most challenges give you the option of running, walking or biking and some offer other alternatives. Miles are logged online, where not only can you track your progress, but you’re usually able to virtually compete against others. Although “Running from 2020” started early last October, I didn’t sign up until December. I was able to choose from several distances, starting with a 5K and going up to 250 miles. Needing a heavy-duty challenge to get me through the winter, I went with 250 miles and started walking. I finished March 30, managing to log in over 100 miles in February alone. For me, the virtual challenge was the motivation I needed to keep moving. In fact, I enjoyed it so much that I joined another one – the “Blue Ridge to Beach Challenge” – this past March. For this challenge I have six months to walk 475 miles, which is the distance from Asheville to Wrightsville Beach. Along the way I’ve acquired virtual trophies as I pass through different cities, the first one being Charlotte. As I write this, I’m just outside of Wilmington and plan to hit my destination in early August. Taking on these challenges has kept me moving and motivated, which has positively impacted both my physical
and mental health – so much so that I’m already searching for the next challenge to keep me going. While virtual events have been around for a while, they became even more popular during the pandemic, when onsite races from 5Ks to ultramarathons were cancelled. Besides the challenges that extend over several weeks, there are also races, such as 5Ks, 10Ks and marathons, that mimic the actual event day minus the hordes of people. A member of Kernersville’s Burn Boot Camp, Val Kepley of Oak Ridge became interested in virtual challenges when the center put together a team of about 30 women to complete “Run OBX,” a 300-mile distance that virtually traverses the Outer Banks beginning at Bald Head Island, North Carolina, and ending in Sandbridge in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Participants in the OBX challenge could travel the 300 miles only on foot – running, hiking or walking – or they could choose the freestyle option, which allowed other exercise possibilities. Kepley chose the latter category and opted to include paddling and biking. Her challenge started in April and ends Aug. 1. Although she was able to log in some miles on the Outer Banks in Corolla, North Carolina, most of her mileage was done at Oak Ridge Town Park, where she recently finished her trek. “I joined the challenge for the accountability it gave me, but mostly for the swag,” Kepley said with a smile. As for the swag, most challenges offer a medal, T-shirt and racing bib. Not to be outdone by the medals presented at actual events, the people producing these virtual alternatives have come up with heavy-weight, brightly colored medallions that are both impressive and brag-worthy. OBX went one step further and threw in a summer survival kit that included sunscreen, lip balm and towels. Kepley also liked that OBX partnered with North Carolina Aquariums to give participants a glimpse of the sea life and Northwest wildlife thatThe inhabit the area. Observer •
“As we reached different milestones, we were able to learn more about the coastal inhabitants and the type of work that goes on at the aquariums,” Kepley said. “It was an interesting aspect to the experience.” One thing Kepley said she didn’t enjoy about the virtual challenge was logging in her mileage, especially since she kept procrastinating. Photo by Annette Joyce/NWO
“It was not fun when I sat down at the beginning of July and realized I hadn’t entered anything for nearly a month,” she said.
Val Kepley committed to her first virtual fitness challenge for the accountability – and the swag.
Martha Pittman and her husband, Benny, who live in Oak Ridge, did the “21 for 21 Workout” challenge this past January in which participants committed to completing 21 miles in the first month of 2021. “Greensboro Parks and Recreation sponsored the challenge to encourage people to get outside,” said Pittman,
who has a passion for the outdoors. The 21 challenge was a relatively low-key, low-tech production that allowed participants to walk wherever and whenever they wanted. Rather than relying on computers or phone apps to log their mileage, the Pittmans simply tracked it
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