Thursday, March 31, 2022

Sleepless in St Paul and A Day of Icy Roads and a LOTR Walking Challenge - Yippee

We're right at the point of freezing - within a degree or two. With the wet rain/snow we had yesterday (shoveling wasn't fun) and the overnight temps possibly actually going below freezing, the roads might be a skating rink today. I'll have to be very careful on my drive over to the YMCA today, as well as getting to work and my work parking lot. 




Petra was the first challenge I did. I found out 
that I really loved doing a virtual challenge like 
this. I track my mileage through swimming and 
on the treadmill anyway, I figured I might as well 
"see" new parts of the world while doing it. The 
medals are spectacular. I'll be signing up for the 
"Lord of the Rings 5-quest bundle" today. Guaranteed. 



When I returned to working out at the Y, I also changed the location where I park. I remembered days like today, parked next to Rosemary in the South lot. There's a slight slope from the building down to that lot, and there were times when I walked it in fear of falling the whole way. So, when I returned to the gym after Covid, I decided to change my parking spot to the West lot. It's actually closer to the entry, has most of the handicapped parking spaces, and is a straight shot to the doors, so no slopes to deal with. I'm very happy with my new location. Jack usually parks directly behind me, and Sherry parks in the handicapped lot, so of the four early birds, three of us park on this level. 




The second quest I walked was the Giza Plateau. Anyone 
who knows me at all well knows Egypt is where it's 
at for me. The medal is spectacular, and mirrors my 
head tattoo. My photo of my tattoo and medal garnered 
more than 1200 likes on the Challenger facebook 
community. 



I'm going to be glad for that parking spot today. I might even put cleats on my shoes. I have a set that would work well, and I'm sure the parking lot at work will also be a challenge. I'll probably have to sprinkle salt on my part of the sidewalk at work, just to keep people safe. 



The Inca Trail was one of my shorter challenges, but 
walking to Machu Picchu sounded like something 
that would be beautiful and a lot of fun. It was all 
of that. 



On a different note, have you heard of the Conqueror Challenge? I've been doing these challenges since the year started and having a great time. I've got my medals for Petra, the Giza Plateau, the Inca Trail, Easter Island and Yellowstone, and I'm currently working on the Great Wall of China (only nine towers, not the full length). I also just finished one where all monies raised went to Ukraine - we didn't get medals for that one, but that was just fine. Why mention Conqueror? Their newest ones which officially launch today ... a Lord of the Rings 5-challenge bundle. 




I purchased a 5-pack of quests after those first three,
and got Easter Island for free as a bonus.
It was a fascinating walk with some great
photos. I was quite happy with the walk as
well as the medal at the end. 



I've walked the Eowyn challenge before, but this will be a huge difference. Since it's new, I don't have a lot of information yet, but I guarantee I'll be signing up for this challenge. No question. I'll let you know when I have more details. I decided to feature my Conqueror Challenge medals in today's post. They're a special treat when you finish a challenge, and they're quite fabulous. 




Yellowstone is the latest challenge I've completed (except 
for the Ukrainian challenge which was totally for raising 
funds to help Ukraine - no medal awarded for it). The 
Yellowstone medal has a lever that will cause Old 
Faithful to erupt. Quite fun. BTW - On the Ukrainian 
challenge, we raised more than $500,000 for Ukrainian 
relief in the five days sign-up was open. Conqueror is
a generous community of walkers, bikers and runners. 



Have an excellent Thursday. I'll be a bit tired - I didn't sleep well last night, although I was exhausted. Oh well, those days are rare, and I'll catch up on some sleep tonight. Enjoy your day and I'll be back tomorrow. 




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