WEEK ONE - LEADER BOARD

So the results are in and the grand total walked by the Ashendon stepping community is a massive 3528.55 KM which is 2192.53 miles which is about a 1/3rd of the way across Turkey. It's amazing where working together can get you! 

So here are the results by team - HEELS4MEALS no pressure for the next 3 weeks then! 

To put this in perspective I have plotted approximately where each team has got to on a walking trip across Britain. Seems in a virtual world anything is possible!

I have been asked by team captains to BIG UP Ethan (Hilltop Hotsteppers) who racked up a massive 18.2 km in one day AND Sue P who put in a sterling effort for Chafing the Dream. 

We are already into week 2 and judging by the little footsteps heard on our driveway, plenty of stepping has been done by trick or treaters this evening. Happy stepping everyone.  

What a Beautiful Day for a Walk

I know bad weather always looks worse through a window but today really wasn't the best day when it comes to walking. I set out for my lunchtime stroll around the field (walking the cat!) only to be beaten back by what I described (to our resident geographer as) "a monsoon" (and was quickly corrected). 

So as I reached the end of an inactive work day, with just 2757 steps to my name, I was struggling to find the inspiration to run on the treadmill. Then, out of the grey,  I received this from Team HeLEX Steps Together. It was taken today (yep really) in South Park, Oxford. 

South Park, Oxford

I'm going to put it on the big screen and imagine I'm there as I trundle along the rolling road. 

If anyone else has photos from their stepping adventures please share them with your Team Captain and let them know you are happy for them to be used here. It would be lovely to share what everyone is up to, and experiencing, along the way. 

What Counts? What Doesn't Count?

I hope everyone had a steptastic weekend and set the pace for the next 4 weeks. 

Ashey's Dashys appear to have got off to a wet and muddy start, whereas Team Utter Poppycock enjoyed an autumnal stroll. 

Well this made the wetting worth it!

To track progress your team captain will ask you to submit your steps or stepped distance at the end of each week by close of play on the Saturday. Results will be published every Sunday.

Every step counts but to keep it fair not all things can be equal, so when you are doing activities please adjust your steps accordingly - here are some ideas:

STEP Count	Distance ÷ 2	Distance ÷ 4	Distance = zero
Walking   Running   Swimming   Ball Games   Dancing	Ice-skating   Roller blading/skating	Cycling   Horse-riding   Cross Country Skiing	Downhill Skiing   Driving   Motorcycling   Flying (including in your balloon on hang-gliding)

 

    

Please help your team captain by being clear about any adjustments that need to be made (or that you have made).

Step into Christmas - Announcing the Teams

We have 12 teams, with a total of 72 members of our community taking on the challenge to step as many kilometres as possible over the next four weeks. 

The roads and pathways of Ashendon and Pollicott are set to be crammed with pedestrians so, if you meet other steppers when out and about, stop for a socially distanced chat and find out about each others teams. 

Here are the teams:

Upper Poppycock - striding out from the hamlet

Step it Up - determined to up their steps

Red Hot Chilli Steppers - definitely hot competition

Step Sisters - watch out for their girl power!

Chafing the Dream -  taking the pain for the ultimate reward! 

Count Steptacular - keen to make their mark on this challenge  

The Hilltop Steppers -  joining together to take on the ups and downs 

Ashey's Dashers - setting the pace

One Step Behind - don't be fooled by their relaxed approach

Festive Footfalls - I so hope they step out in fancy dress!

Heels 4 Meals - doing whatever it takes for the ultimate goal

HeLEX Steps Together - a visiting team inspired by the Ashendon get up and go

If you are not stepping then consider yourself a member of the very important Team Supporters! 

Good luck teams and happy stepping. 

Make Every Step Count

Every step you take over the next 4 weeks will count towards your team total kilometres and progress on the leader board. 

You can measure your activity in steps, kilometres or miles – you can send your team captain a mix of these but don’t double count. Your team captain will convert miles and steps to km*. 

Here are some ways to make sure you never miss a step.

No Technology

You can count your walking steps. Tedious, yes, very!  

If you know how many miles or km you have walked just log the distance. 

Pedometer

If you don’t have technology then a simple pedometer is what we recommend – wear it on waistband all day and keep moving. Every step will count, whatever activity you are doing.

Your Phone

Here are some, simple free step counting apps recommended by Good Housekeeping: 

• Pacer – free to use pedometer
• Fitbit – you don’t need a Fitbit to use the app. for counting steps for free
• GoogleFit – apparently very good for Android
• MyFitnessPal – good for calorie and step counting!
• MapMyWalk – tracks your route, but can drain your phone battery
• StepsApp – a nice, sleek step counter with at a glance checker
• Activity Tracker – a step counter with bar graphs!
• AppleHealth – iPhones only – no need to download

GPS Running Trackers

Whilst there are many more trackers and counters, Runkeeper and Strava are the two apps used by millions of runners and cyclists:

Runkeeper has a wide array of features, accuracy, and is easy to use. You can use the GPS capability to track your distance, pace and overall time, and mix up your running routine by following the pre-created routes. You can set goals and watch your progress to stay motivated. It also syncs with other apps and devices, such as Fitbit and Apple watch. All of these features are available free on iOS or Android.

Strava if you love the social and competition aspects of sports, Strava is the app for you. It allows you to compare times with other members of the Strava community or with your own group of friends to boost your motivation. It also has a safety feature called Beacon, which allows up to 3 people to know where you are running (they don't need to have the app or be Strava members, either). You can use Strava to set up group challenges, such as fastest 5K or most miles in a set period of time, to keep each other going. You can use Strava on any iOS or Android device and Apple Watch.

Fitness Tracker

If you have a fitness tracker the hard work should be done for you. 

If you don’t have one, then here’s some pointers from TechRada.com (who show daily best prices on their website:

Less than £50: Huawei Band 3 Pro; Honor Band 5; Xiaomi Mi Band 4; Amazfit Bip; 

£50-£100: Fitbit Inspire; Garmin Vivosmart 4, Vivofit 4 and Vivosport

Over £100: Fitbit Charge 3 and 4, AppleWatch

So that’s a bit of insight into the world of step counting – I hope you find something to suit you. 

Next up: I’ll add a list of what counts and what doesn’t count for this challenge. 

*In the Ashendon Step into Christmas Challenge your steps will be converted to kilometres at 1,000 steps = 0.8km.

Questions and Answers

Welcome to the Ashendon Step Into Christmas Challenge - here are answers to questions we think you might have. Please add any more to the comments and we will add answers. 

Do I have to live in Ashendon? No, but the challenge is intended for Ashendon folk- students, those with close links to the village are welcome to join in.

What does 'virtual' mean? You will be part of a team that never physically meets. You will be travelling a virtual route (we plan to track progress as a virtual tour of UK capital cities and will publish results showing distance travelled in kilometers, starting from Ashendon to London).

Do I need to be part of a team before I join? No, you will be allocated to a team of mixed activity levels. Admin will mix teams by individual current daily steps and aim to get teams that are equally competitive. 

Can I do the challenge with my family? Yes, if you have younger children then please keep at least one parent with one child. If you have older children it's up to you if you want to stay together or compete in different teams. 

How long does the challenge last? 4 weeks

Who will the team captains be? Admin will ask someone in each team to start as team captain but teams can choose to change their captain if all agree. 

How will teams communicate? that will be up to the team. You can set up a WhatsApp group, email, text, telephone or whatever.

How do I count my steps? you can use any means you have but we recommend you use something to help you count such as a pedometer, a tracker (e.g. Fitbit or Apple Watch) or a fitness app (such as Runkeeper or Strava). The important thing is that you keep track of your steps or distance stepped in kilometers so that you can submit these to your team captain at the end of each week. 

What if I don't do sport or exercise? You don't have to - every step you do each day will count be it conscious activity or just the steps you do in your normal everyday tasks.

Do I have to provide evidence of my steps or distance? No - the challenge is based on trust.