IT'S BACK(-TO-BACK)!... GATOR FITNESS CHALLENGE XIV!!! Our fall GFC ends next Sunday, January 3! That means it's time to commit to the 13 week winter GFC that begins the following day on Monday, January 4! As we do every winter, we'll expand the time durations a bit. Also, due to the continuing limited options for swimming, special "GFC Pandemic Rules" will still apply... i.e. If you are unable to get the swim part done, you can substitute additional running or cycling/spinning time in to compensate. If you are in, just post an "I'm in!" reply (or feel free to go crazy with emojis, animated gifs, etc) and we'll add you to the roster! If you have been out of the GFC loop and are wondering "What on earth is the Gator Fitness Challenge?!?!", here are the FAQs... • What is it? It's a fun contest with no reward except for self-satisfaction (plus shout outs on our FB group) that involves a weekly set of two challenges... The SBR Challenge and the SCF Challenge... where you can earn a point for each completed challenge each week. • When does it end? On Easter... Sunday, April 4! • What is the SBR Challenge? Each week you are required to completed a minimum of 40 minutes of swimming, 40 minutes of biking (spin and trainer sessions count), AND 40 minutes of running (treadmill counts) to earn the SBR Challenge point (this is an extra 10 minutes on each above the fall commitment). Due to some COVID-19-related pool time limitations, for this one challenge, we will also support achieving the SBR Challenge point by completing an extra 40 minutes total of biking and running to fill in for the swim time (but we really do want you to get that swim in whenever possible... otherwise we'd have to call it the BR challenge and we already have enough "brrrr" this time of year). • What is the SCF Challenge? Each week you are required to complete a minimum of 45 minutes TOTAL (i.e. all one or any combination of the three that gets you there) of Strength and/or Core and/or Flexibility work to earn the SCF Challenge point (this is an extra 15 minutes above the fall requirement). • How are reported challenge completions certified? By you... This is a totally self-policed activity! • How are completed challenges reported? Each Monday (GFC weeks run from Monday through Sunday) we do a "Roll Call" via our FB group where we ask anyone who completed at least one of the weekly challenges to report in so that their completed challenges can be recorded on the tracking sheet that we'll post every couple of weeks. • Why do we do this? Besides the fun aspect (which cannot be underestimated), it seems to provide some motivation to "Gator done" during the traditional "off season"... Since the challenges are fairly minimal (i.e. with a minimum of 2 hours of workouts/week, you can earn both points), you can still have an off season/recovery period AND not go completely cold turkey on your training. Full disclosure... I've been at the Y pool on several Sundays shortly before closing to get in my weekly swim so I can earn that week's SBR point... and I'm not the only one. That's it. Any questions?... Ask... With that said, who is in for the 14th edition of the Gator Fitness Challenge? And is anyone up for the extra challenge of going 14 for XIV?