I've got a medal! Well, eight actually!

[dizzojay]

Over the last eighteen months, I've been doing some virtual challenges to help motivate me to be more active.

I have no interest in exercise and really struggle to exercise for the sake of exercising just because someone with a 14 inch waist tells me it's good for me. But give me a gorgeous blingy medal and an app where I can follow myself along a famous route, and a target to try and beat and I'm there!  Even better, the challenge company that I use plant a tree every time you complete 20% of a challenge.  So the added satisfaction of knowing that five trees are planted every time I complete a challenge is just the icing on the cake!

Since I found the Conqueror Challenges, I've completed eight distance challenges (and I'm currently working my way through another one). My challenges are all completed just by counting Fitbit steps, as well as indoor and outdoor cycling.

And today, we finally got around to putting my lovely medals on display!

The medals are for:
Ring of Kerry: 124 miles
Inca Trail: 26 miles
Great Ocean Road: 149 miles
New Zealand Alps to Ocean: 180 miles
English Channel: 21 miles
Hadrians Wall: 90 miles
Lands End to John O'Groats: 1,083 miles
2020 miles for 2020: 2,020 miles

They're mounted above the desk where I do a lot of my artwork, so I can be inspired by their gorgeous creativity and colour!

Comments

[amberdreams.livejournal.com]

That's a great way to display them — and plenty of room to expand your collection!

[dizzojay.livejournal.com]

Yes, I've got two more of those honeycombs ready to hang when I have medals to go in them. I'm doing the Icelandic Ring Road at the moment. It's 828 miles, and I'm abut 300 miles in!

[zannes.livejournal.com]

I do these, too! I agree with the bling being my main motivator to keep exercising. I've been biking daily since starting this and if I can't bike, I walk.

I'm currently doing Cabot's Trail. They recently released a bunch of new gorgeous medals, but I've got to finish this one and the Grand Canyon before signing up for any more with this site. I also just finished the 100-mile Sesame Street challenge. It feels like I'm paying myself to exercise, but it's keeping me moving!

[dizzojay.livejournal.com]

Ah brilliant, good to meet a fellow Conqueror! I'm doing the Icelandic Ring Road at the moment: I've just cleared 40% on it.

I gifted the Cabot trail to my husband because he loves puffins and the medal has puffins on it. I believe there's even a postcard with puffins on it too!

Good luck on your challenges - you're right that we are technically paying to exercise, but that's no different to a gym membership I guess. Whatever works, right?? :)

[fanspired]

Congratulations on all your achievements! I have my alps to ocean medal now, and a couple of t-shirts. I've started the Great Ocean Road. I was tempted by the Ring of Kerry. I might do that next :)

[dizzojay.livejournal.com]

Ah, well done on your Alps to Ocean; how far have you got on the GOR?

There's some gorgeous scenery on the Ring of Kerry, I reckon you'd enjoy that!

[fanspired]

Just 27 miles so far. I just passed the Devil's Elbow :D

[kiramaru7.livejournal.com]

Congrats on all your medals! I like how you've displayed them! :D

[dizzojay.livejournal.com]

Thank you — I saw these honeycomb displays on the Facebook page for the challenges, and I thought 'I'm so doing that!!' :D

[kiramaru7.livejournal.com]

You're welcome! :D Cool! :D