Inquiry for Possible Future Monthly Challenges

Quasita

Hey All,

I've been thinking about a possible way to orchestrate future monthly challenges. I have a few questions to start off...

1. How many people in the group are using one of the following programs to track your activity:
-Higi (health stats monitoring system found in stores like CVS)
-Nike+
-JawboneUP
-Moves
-FitBit
-BodyMedia Fit
-RunKeeper
-Endomodo
-MapMyFitness
-Omron
-EveryTrail
-FourSquare (used to check in at gyms and health facilities)

2. Would people be interested in challenges that require a small entry fee ($5), where in an automated system would track your activity points from the programs in #1 and award a digital giftcard to the winner? No money would be handled by the moderators of our group.
-Does anyone actively utilize websites like dietbet.com?

3. Would you be interested in monthly challenges, in which you earn points, and after say, a 6 month period, awards were given to people who reach a certain points level? There would be NO COST to participants BUT you would be required to actively participate in every monthly challenge in order to be eligible to receive awards and prizes.

4. Are people interested in utilizing a program that provides a challenge program much like employers use these days? It would be a system that you would need to log into every day, and achieve small tasks as well as long term goals. It would be a 3rd party system.

I'm asking these things because I've been looking at running activity challenges through a site like EarndIt.com (which you should join if you use the programs in #1 regardless of whether we do challenges for RAWR, because you can earn products and discounts) and Achievemint.com (also should join because this particular website enables you to earn points through your activity and your logging on MFP towards virtual cash rewards you can use to treat yourself on Amazon and other sites). There are also websites that provide more structured challenges and competition that I think we could enjoy alongside our forum here.

You may wonder how these things will be funded. Before anything is started, I would bring up any entry costs, such as the $5 entry above. However, I have been considering funding fitness challenges through my small business, as a sponsor for healthy lifestyles... Basically, turning my monetary profits into rewards for you!

Let me know if any of you would be interested and would be dedicated to these types of things. If you have any other ideas or suggestions for fun things we can do to compete and cheer each other on, let me know!

We are a team, but friendly competition can be fun I promise, if we do *anything* that results in rewards for kicking butt, I will do everything I can to make sure it's fair. I want everyone to have a chance to enjoy rewards for their hard work without feeling like it's pointless.

Much love!
Lynn

likitisplit

I use endomondo. I could use 4 Square. I'd be interested in any of the above.

btsinmd

I use RunKeeper and MapMyFitness. I would be willing to use any other app if it's free or cheap (say under $5).

I'm not thrilled with the pay money idea, but would probably go along with it if it weren't too expensive.

I would not want to directly compete against anyone. If everyone who succeeds gets a part of the pot/prize/bragging rights, I'd probably do it, if it was reasonable for my current health and strength level. If there was any direct competition or winner(s) like a fastest, strongish, most active, etc person, then I'd rather just watch. This is true whether I have a good chance to win or not.

PinkNinjaLaura

I use Fitbit, Endomondo, FourSquare & Earndit.

I'm with btsinmd on the rest. I'm more interested in support/accountability than competition. I've done paid challenges in the past, but I tend to find them more stressful than helpful. On Earndit I'm 0-113 on sponsored challenges, so I have an impressive losing streak going. But those are free & just for fun - I'm just getting the points anyway with what I'm already doing. I don't participate in any of the paid challenges on there.

cmbrown32

I don't use any of the programs in #1, not sure about #2 and I'd be interested in #3 & 4.

I think being in Achievement.com is a good idea.

Quasita

I just wanted to thank everyone for your response. One thing that I wanted to clarify is that Earndit has an option to create completely free competitions, and I was thinking about it like, if people wanted to do the $5 thing, I could set up two at the same time, one for people that wanted to jump into a pot and one for those that want to do it for fun.

This is in no way my trying to make us all compete against each other. Frankly, I would lose so bad! It's more about looking at different ways to provide accountability and support through structured activities. Personally, my inclination would be to sponsor Team RAWR on a program designed to give small activities and big goals, that would count points as you completed tasks, providing it to the group 100% free.

In the past (we're talking 2 years ago, when the original group was happening) we had things like team t-shirts available for people who were interested, and I actually used a system like the tasks and activities program I'm talking about to generate prompts for the group.

The group on MFP will always and forever be 100% voluntary and focused on support. I just recognize that some people are probably like me, where having a system that shows a visual representation of progress and activity, such as through points and activity achievements, can help boost commitment and self-competition. Some people thrive on things like dietbet as well. This post is not intended to be a determination of future intent, but more of a feeler, and to present options...

It has been something I've been thinking about for a while, and I will continue to present information on programs and apps that may be helpful to members. There's no requirement to join things... I have found, though, that many people using FitBit, for example, are completely unaware that with a few clicks, they could be earning rewards for themselves without paying any more money than they have.

A couple of free programs I've tried and done a bit with are EveryMove and Striiv. They do sort of require smartphones, and much easier to use if you have cell service.

Ultimately, I would love to get a book deal sold to the point where I could give everyone in the group a Team RAWR t-shirt. Hopefully that is okay with everyone This group is still pretty new, and I want to figure out the best way to help everyone get the best benefit they can from this awesome group!!!

deksgrl

I don't use any of those other tracking tools/sites. I'm not sure that I would want to and not sure that my goals are track-able on those sites, since I don't do much formal cardio and when I do I don't always even log it.

romyhorse

I have Fitbit, earndit, Runtastic and Endomondo (depending on which one is working on that particular day, lol).

I'd go along with btsinmd and Laura. Although I am quite competitive I have a lot of other commitments and would rather offer support than compete.