(Five At Five challenge post.)
What’s the big deal about Primal Stride challenges?
Each challenge is only seven days long and has two parts:
- Exercise – Each challenge will include a physical element. A certain distance to cover, number of crunches, plie squats, or possibly sitting still and watching TV (unlikely).
- Health – From food to friendship, body image to sleep, we’ll be tackling a different side of health each week!
Instead of trying to make a change for an entire year, Primal Stride challenges will give you the opportunity to try something new for a week. If you like it, you can keep doing it! If not, that’s okay. We’re trying to discover what works for us as individuals, not create another rule book.
HUGE NOTE: This is a community thing. If enough of y’all decide you want to take a week for a single challenge, we can give that a try. I really want to avoid challenges that are directly weight-related though.
What are the rules?
Some general rules:
- Each challenge is seven (7) days long.
- Each challenge will include an exercise and general health task to be completed each day.
- You get one free pass each week to use in case the sky falls and you can’t complete one of your tasks. If you don’t use the pass, it cannot be carried forward to the next week.
- Sign up for each challenge is done by leaving a comment on the challenge post on http://primalstride.com.
- Daily check-ins are not mandatory but strongly suggested. If you are blogging about your experience, make sure to leave a link in your comment so we can come fiiiiind you! If you’re not blogging but want to keep up with each challenge, I’ll be publishing a challenge post each day that you can update with your progress.
- You may customize the challenges to work within the limitations of your life. When you leave a comment to sign up for a challenge, just make sure to include your changes so we can hold you to them for the coming week!
Individual challenge rules trump those listed above in the case of a dispute.
Make sense?
Now, for the challenge:
Primal Stride Challenge 2 – Double Crunch!
Begins: 12:01am Friday, January 8th, 2010
Ends: 11:59pm Thursday, January 14th, 2010
THE CHALLENGE:
Exercise: 250 crunches per day. Split them up however you like. 250 crunches every 24hrs will do it.
Health: Eat a different green vegetable each day. Suggested modifications include eating a different fruit each day or preparing a green vegetable in a different way each day. It’s up to you! Be creative!
Remember: You can customize the food and amount of crunches to suit your needs. Just make sure to include the changes when you sign up by leaving a comment!
Please remember, Jell-O is NOT a vegetable no matter how green yours might be.
THE RESULT:
It’s possible that by day 7 you will either be grinning or groaning. Perhaps both. No matter how you feel, if you are able to complete this challenge you will have solid proof that you can follow through on things you promise yourself.
Additionally, you’ll meet other cool people, perhaps make a new friend, and have joy in the knowledge that you’ve made a real effort to improve your health.
Will you join us?
Update: I misspoke in the video and said the challenge started on January 7th when I should have said the 8th. Sorry about that!
I’m in again,and with NO modifications on this one. I’M EXCITED! I’ll be blogging at http://mywhimsey.blogspot.com and I’m on twitter as @babscampbell.
Thanks again! This is a GREAT idea!
Glad you shared your Twitter i.d. I’m @SherryinAL. I’d love to follow others of you, if everyone would give your @names. I’ve started a Primal Striders list.
I’ve got a list too, so you can grab some names off of it: @LoneWolfMuskoka/primalstride. I’ll check yours too to see if I’ve missed anyone.
I wonder if I can subscribe to your list in mine?
I am so in. Here’s my customization:
* Repeating Five at Five. I’ll take morning and afternoon walks that will total at least 5k.
* I’m not a morning person, but recently I’ve been waking very early. My problem is getting to bed at a decent hour. For this challenge, I will be in bed by 11:00 p.m.
* I can’t do crunches yet, so instead, I’m facing my demon – the stairs! After last week’s tumble, the stairs are causing some sweats (and making me feel pretty silly). I’ll do 250 extra stairsteps – I won’t count the usual ones – and I’ll hold on tightly.
* 7 different greens is a perfect challenge for my family. We’ve been trying to expand our variety of vegetables, and this will give me the impetus to try something new. Expect to get out the wok if you try my recipes!
Sherry, I love your spirit.
I would really enjoy reading about the vegetables you find and how are you going to prepare them.
And I take my hat off to you repeating the 5 at 5 plus this new challenge.
There’s so many inspiring people here. Thank you for starting this Seth!
Thanks, Patricia. I’m also looking forward to hearing how others will prepare vegetables. I could use some new ideas!
So, you are okay? I’m so glad. I fell down bleachers in high school and have slipped on stairs a couple of times. I am very nervous around those things.
Happy you are still in.
I’m in… difficult to believe that I’m signing in for another 5m week… but this is exciting… even if you are leaving jell-O out of the possible alternatives… what about blending some unflavored jell-O to one of your green smoothies and transforming it into a mousse that can be spread over a 12 grain toast? That could be done, do you agree? Well… I will enjoy thinking about the cooking possibilities.
I’m in. Are there 7 green vegetables? @debworks
Broccoli, green beans, peas, brussels sprouts, artichokes, cucumber, asparagus, zucchini celery, and more leafy ones like spinach, kale, collard greens, swiss chard =D. There are lots more, but thats a start!
Sherry and Patricia,
YAY! Let’s do this! I love your modifications Sherry, I think that’s a GREAT idea to add the stairs in place of crunches.
Patricia, could I get that jell-o recipe? ha ha no, that’s ok. . really. I’ll stick with a new veggie each day.
Oh,and don’t forget to use the hashtag #primalstride on twitter so we can find your posts.
I’m in for the Double Crunch… I’ll do 250 crunches per day and attempt to be out of bed at 5am. I’m skipping the veggies for now, dietary reasons.
Of course I’m in. I’ve got to figure out my modifications, though, because there will be modifications.
Give me a few minutes… 
I’m @LMAshton on Twitter.
Um, Seth…
I guess I should tell you, if you haven’t already guessed, that I’m a nitpicker. Sorry about that. It’s my nature.
Here’s the thing. In the challenge post, you list the Health challenge as waking up at 5am. You don’t mention the green vegetables except as random comments after. I think you might want to do some editing so it reflects what you think it says…
Oh, good, I wasn’t losing my mind. I noticed that as well.
At least, not losing your mind in that way…
I’m glad you noticed. I grabbed a portion of the text from the first challenge so I wouldn’t have to retype it and forgot to change the part about health. I was in a rush and haste, as we know, makes waste. I’m sorry for that.
It’s fixed. Thanks so much for letting me know! I really appreciate it. 5am be hanged. We’re eating vegetables next week! =)
Of course. I frequently copy and paste bits – saves on typing and keeps my framework of thoughts in place.
I figured that’s what you did. 
Who’s to blame you after a week of getting up so early and staying up so late? I’m amazed at what you have done with this site and challenge.
Seth, I think you miss-typed. You did mean the vegetables and not the 5 am, correct? I’m in for this. Not sure how many crunches I’ll be doing, but will find out asap =D. Thinking about continuing my 3k as well!
I’m @celiacteen on twitter. Oh, and my blog is http://www.celiacteen.com =D.
The joys of the internet… fixed. =) Thanks for having my back. I should have been more careful.
I’m glad you’re game for this week! I think we’ll eventually end up with so many modifications and continuations that we’ll have to break down and call this a “better living community” not to be confused with a “senior living community” … which is quite different. =)
Better Living Community is great!
Yes! Love the better living =D.
250 crunches – can do.
Veggies – I don’t think I can manage a different green veggie every day because of those wild offspring, but I can definitely do a green veggie daily. And it won’t all be salad.
I’m going back to my old 6:30 wake-up, but I’m going to continue the daily walking. At least, that’s the plan…
twitter.com/goodyscrivener
I’m in ! But, I’ll only be doing 100 crunches per day along with the 5K walk. And since I’m not really in charge of my own food, I can’t guarantee the new vegetable each day .. but I can try eating a salad with lunch every day .. that for me is a challenge because I’m not salad’s biggest fan .. I’ll even include lettuce (which I truly dislike !)
Alright, I’ve got it figured out. I have no idea how many crunches is reasonable for me (bad back and, well, okay, just a totally broken body.) So…
Exercise: Do as many crunches as I can the first day, then increase by 5 each day.
The vegetables thing – we already eat nutrient-dense with veggies every day, and grocery shopping has been done for the next week. I regularly experiment with news ways of cooking everything, so that’s not really a challenge for me, especially since I already cook everything from scratch anyway. So…
Health: Add aloe vera to my morning juice each day.
The aloe vera is great for my gut, helps with my IBS, and improves my brain function. I was taking it for a while, then got off it, but need to start it up again. Next challenge is a great time to add it in.
Aloe vera juice is a challenge, for sure! Good for you
i’m in! i’m okay with the crunches. for the vegetation, i’ll try to cook them differently or eat salads- which i NEVER do.
I think I can handle this one without mods — except that I can’t count past 10 without taking off my shoes and socks 8=)
It will be interesting to go with the 7 green veggies. Maybe for day 8 I can put together a 7 veggie jello salad …
Stride On!
IT’S ON LIKE DONKEY KONG!
I’m gonna start out with 100 crunches and if I feel comfortable work my way up…
I am soooo in on the veggies and I’m going to try one’s I’ve either never had or have only had once or twice, see if my taste buds have changed their minds =)
I’m in for week 2, Seth! And I’ll do the whole 250. Abs of steel, I’m just a little bit closer to seeing you
I’ll be blogging about my progress here http://meatymatron.wordpress.com
I’m @lucindaemilie
I totally faltered on week one
But i did run both mornings on my holiday break away, and got up earlier to do that.
And my bed, it’s still made.
I’m up for this challenge too. I’m trying to think of seven different green vegies, I eat spinach every day, time to branch out!
I’m in – and blogging at http://girlxoxo.com (twitter @gyrlxoxo). I’m doing the 250 crunches and probably a different vegetable every day (won’t all be green though). Love the challenges so far Seth.
Hey Seth! So glad you’re doing this but sad I missed the 1st week =( I’m going to be doing it with these modifications:
*Crunches – I try not to work the same muscle group 2 days in a row, so I’ll do a full abdominal workout (Upper and lower abdominals, internal and external obliques and opposing muscle groups) every other day.
*Vegetables – We eat a lot of left-overs in my house (we try to eat economically) so it may not be a different one everyday but there will be one!!!
Cheers!
Since we all need to find new ways of cooking green vegetables this week, I’ll start the recipe-sharing with my favorite healthy way of cooking almost any veggie – stir-frying. I start with a little olive oil in the wok (if you don’t have one, a large skillet works) on medium-high heat, then toss in some minced garlic. Careful: it cooks fast and burns easily. When it’s lightly browned, start adding fresh vegetables and tossing, beginning with the ones that take longest to cook, like carrots, and ending with those that cook fast (i.e., mushrooms and cabbage). Toss the ingredients often, and take the stir-fry off the heat while the veggies are still a little crisp. I season with lemon-pepper and sometimes squeeze a little fresh lemon on when it’s served.
I like to use a variety of veggies and make it colorful; I never make it the same way twice. It’s a great end-of-the-week way to use the rest of several vegetables. Remember, it’s like visiting a salad bar: the mixture always gets bigger than you expect.
Here are some of the green vegetables I’ve used in a stir-fry: broccoli, asparagus, cabbage, bell pepper, green beans, snow peas, zucchini, and green onions. If I liked them, I’d also use celery and leeks. Next week I’m going to try it with brussel sprouts.
Sometimes I serve this as a side dish, but I also like it as an entree served over rice. You can add small pieces of chicken (cooked separately, then added to the mix), or grill a piece of fish to serve on top. Be careful of seasonings: don’t add a bunch of salty or sweet stuff. A little low-sodium soy sauce is another option. Don’t drown the taste of the vegetables!
Thank you! This is a great idea.
I’m in this week with no modifications. I’ll be blogging at http://fithungrygurl.com
I’m in. I’ll see if I can do 250 on Friday, if not, I’ll increase each day by 5 like Laurie. Kale is in the fridge and ready to go.
I too have 100 lbs to lose. And you are the very first person to inspire me. I’m in for crunches and veggies. Good luck with your journey!
I am in. I need to variety to help me get motivated.
I’m in. I’m nervous. I’ve never done more than 40 crunches in a day before. I didn’t do 250 crunches in all of 2010.
Vegetables are easier. I aim to eat 5 every day anyway. I’ve eliminated meat for January anyway as my own personal challenge. (Will guest post about this on the Eating Journey blog soon.)
No need to be nervous. I was until I realized I was much stronger than I’d expected myself to be.
If you need to, see how many crunches you can do and add a few each day.
I’m in with modifications.
250 crunches every-other day, filling in the between days with 100 calf raises.
(I’ll continue with my walks).
I grabbed my veggies today:
-spinach for daily Shrek shakes
-frozen peas (put in rice, stir fry, where ever I can hide them)
-zucchini (I’m counting them as a veggie even though they’re technically the fruit of its plant)
-lettuce varieties
-bok choy (stir fry)
-celery (peanut butter)
-cilantro and jalapeño (own salsa)
-green beans and broccoli (blanch for snacking)
The peas, cilantro and jalapeño probably don’t count because I won’t eat enough to be a full serving, so I’ll compensate with other stuff.
SHREK SHAKES!!!
=)
I’m glad you’re keeping up with the walking. You’ll win this yet!
Count me in on the double crunch and the greens! I shall be greenly crunching my way through 7 days!
)
~Kellie
I’m going for challenge number two also! I just found the site a day or two ago, so missed out on number one. But this sounds like fun.
My modifications:
Crunches aren’t really for me, but I’ve been meaning to get back to doing Peggy Brill’s Basic Core program, and can make a commitment to do those exercises every day this week (I actually started this morning, since I was thinking about it, and no time like the present…)
And I want to up the ante a bit on the green vegetables, since I’m already doing pretty well there. I plan to eat at least five vegetables a day, with three of them green. I made myself a list of what I could think of for green veggies (asparagus, beet greens, bok choy, broccoli, broccolini, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, celery, chard, Chinese cabbage, collard greens, cucumber, fennel, green beans, green onions, green pepper, kale, leeks, lettuce, mustard greens, peas, snap peas, snow peas, spinach, zucchini), although I’m not sure that leeks and fennel and green onions really count. They’re green and white, so who knows? Anyway, that’s 25. And among my 21 for the week, I want at least 9 different ones. I can just check off the list as I go along.
Thanks, Seth, for putting this together and keeping it going. You encourage us, we encourage each other, it all flows around in a great big community circle. Cool beans!
Okra! How could I forget okra?
I’m not such a fan of okra. Perhaps I’ll learn to be one someday?
Then again, I haven’t tried it in quite some time. This might be the week for another go! =)
I posted my plans here – http://chrispugh.com/P6l6
100 crunches +15 per day. 30 minutes of walking, fruits instead of veggies.
I’m in @jaimieh and will be passing it along on FB
Let’s roll!
My daughter sent this to me. Never did more than 20 crunches in my entire life. I commit to 100 per day and veggies. Of course, some will be salads. Send recipes for veggies!
oops! I think my twitter is tezlade
My facebook account: Nina Howard- blue springs-asked to be my friend: help me stay focus!
I am in! My modifications are that I will see how many crunches I can do and go from there. More than likely will try for a goal of a 100 per day by the end of the challenge. Also I will do a combination of fruits and green veggies daily.You can find me on facebook- Nikie Neeley- Kansas City MO. Help keep me motivated.
Hi Im at @Nikienee on twitter
Hi I’m @BeckaSiegel, and I got this from @JaimieH via facebook. I love the idea of doing a challenge for 7 days! I am a procrastinator, not a plan-ahead kind of person, and I have poor time-management skills. I can handle 7 days! I don’t think I could do more than 100 crunches per day right now, but the veggies are totally doable!
I’m in and with NO modifications. Check out my blog http://www.shellibelly.com and I’m on twitter as @shellibelly_.
Whoops! I forgot to say what I was doing! I’m going to do 50 crunches and 50 reverse crunches each day in addition to having a veggie cooked/prepared in a new way each night!
What is a reverse crunch? I’ll try one! =)
Alright. I’ve given it some thought, and I’m joining the challenge… starting now. I’m thinking the Classic… That will keep me accountable (rather than trying to “modify” it out of any benefits). I’m in!
You’re on the list. Welcome!
Just got this information from FitHungryGirl’s website. I’d like to be part of the challenge. I’m a day late but want to participate whole heartedly.
I will be blogging at http://peacetothegrease.blogspot.com/