About the 30-30 challenge
How did this all start?
This all started as a "30 runs in 30 days" game that a few obsessively fit triathletes got going. If you're interested or are considering doing a run focus over the 30 days, the good folks over at Endurance Corner have some useful information for you.
If you identify as a runner (even a relative beginner) I would highly recommend the 30 runs in 30 days, especially during your "off" season. It's a significant and attainable challenge for anyone.
Why 30 for 30?
Motivation can be hard to come by in January. It can be helpful to have a group of peers - even if only "virtual friends" - to "compete" with.
Consistency is a killer. In my experience, consistently maintaining a workout regime over time is an extremely difficult thing to do. The longer the timeframe, the more difficult this can be. 30 - 30 can help motivate participants to workout consistently.
The 30 day timeframe is totally arbitrary. Depending on your perspective, a month can be a short or long timeframe. Any way you slice it, if you can maintain 30, half-hour workouts every day for 30 days, that's pretty remarkable. And some habits will be changed, or formed in the process.
Framing this objective as a competition whether with yourself or with others can be an effective way to help maintain motivation and consistency.
The 30-minute workout duration puts you at 210 minutes per week, which is over the 150 minutes per week recommended for adults by Health Canada (pdf).
What if I'm not a runner or not really athletic?
Even though this started out as a 30 runs in 30 days challenge a few years ago, it's evolved to have a broader focus to make it more inclusive. Any activity involving a cardiovascular fitness component counts.
The goal is relative fitness through consistency. - at the end of 30 days, YOUR fitness relative to YOU, 30 days earlier. You WILL be fitter after completing the challenge.
The goal is not to run a 30 minute 10k every day, or ski 3 hours a day for a month. Consistency is rewarded, not speed, or duration. You don't have to start off as the fittest person, or run the farthest, or workout the longest every day to accumulate the most points. A 30 minute run earns the same number of points as a 2 hour ski.
What are the points all about?
Just a fun way to keep track of consistency. The maximum number of points is 90. If you do two, 30 minute works per day for 30 days in a row you'll earn 90 points. Everyone who earns 90 points gets a prize. Not sure what that could be...a scale reproduction bust of themselves made of cheese? Perhaps. You'll just have to earn 90 points to find out.
What do I get if I workout each day for 30 days in a row?
60 points.
And maybe your name listed in the 30-30 Club.
This all started as a "30 runs in 30 days" game that a few obsessively fit triathletes got going. If you're interested or are considering doing a run focus over the 30 days, the good folks over at Endurance Corner have some useful information for you.
If you identify as a runner (even a relative beginner) I would highly recommend the 30 runs in 30 days, especially during your "off" season. It's a significant and attainable challenge for anyone.
Why 30 for 30?
Motivation can be hard to come by in January. It can be helpful to have a group of peers - even if only "virtual friends" - to "compete" with.
Consistency is a killer. In my experience, consistently maintaining a workout regime over time is an extremely difficult thing to do. The longer the timeframe, the more difficult this can be. 30 - 30 can help motivate participants to workout consistently.
The 30 day timeframe is totally arbitrary. Depending on your perspective, a month can be a short or long timeframe. Any way you slice it, if you can maintain 30, half-hour workouts every day for 30 days, that's pretty remarkable. And some habits will be changed, or formed in the process.
Framing this objective as a competition whether with yourself or with others can be an effective way to help maintain motivation and consistency.
The 30-minute workout duration puts you at 210 minutes per week, which is over the 150 minutes per week recommended for adults by Health Canada (pdf).
What if I'm not a runner or not really athletic?
Even though this started out as a 30 runs in 30 days challenge a few years ago, it's evolved to have a broader focus to make it more inclusive. Any activity involving a cardiovascular fitness component counts.
The goal is relative fitness through consistency. - at the end of 30 days, YOUR fitness relative to YOU, 30 days earlier. You WILL be fitter after completing the challenge.
The goal is not to run a 30 minute 10k every day, or ski 3 hours a day for a month. Consistency is rewarded, not speed, or duration. You don't have to start off as the fittest person, or run the farthest, or workout the longest every day to accumulate the most points. A 30 minute run earns the same number of points as a 2 hour ski.
What are the points all about?
Just a fun way to keep track of consistency. The maximum number of points is 90. If you do two, 30 minute works per day for 30 days in a row you'll earn 90 points. Everyone who earns 90 points gets a prize. Not sure what that could be...a scale reproduction bust of themselves made of cheese? Perhaps. You'll just have to earn 90 points to find out.
What do I get if I workout each day for 30 days in a row?
60 points.
And maybe your name listed in the 30-30 Club.