Welcome and Challenge Details -

Hello Zen Squirrel Challenge Runner/Walker,

Welcome to the 6th Annual Zen Squirrel Running Challenge! Prepare for a health-focused month of fresh air, fun, and personal accomplishment. The goal of this challenge – run (or walk) anywhere and accumulate 28+ TOTAL miles during the 28 days of February. LET’S GO!!!

Here’s the challenge info email, which should answer most of the questions you might have about this event. The information below my signature is on the challenge website/reg page. Consequently, this email is long, but I wanted to include it here so you could refer to this message to get answers.

Communication: I will send three additional ‘official’ emails during this challenge, on 2/10, 2/20, and 3/1. These emails will include updates and winners of giveaways – and those will be shorter:) Additionally, I will send some short check-in emails sporadically throughout the challenge, so keep an eye on your inbox. Also, please check out our Facebook and Instagram (roadless.races) pages for occasional posts with challenge happenings, photos, swag reveals, etc.

Swag: Your registration includes some sweet Zen Squirrel swag – a soft and comfy short sleeve or long sleeve tee (or hoodie upgrade), a head wrap/neck gaiter, and a beautiful medal that doubles as a drink coaster. Also, you can earn extra swag by completing additional challenges-within-the-challenge, referring friends, or racking up the most miles (top 5 individuals and teams). See ‘Earn Extra Swag’ below for details. All included and earned swag, and any giveaways won during the month, will be shipped at the conclusion of the event.

Charity Partner: With this challenge, we are donating $3/participant to the National Breast Center Foundation to support their mission of removing barriers that prevent women and men from getting proper screening, diagnosis, treatment, and education about breast cancer. Your participation in this challenge is supporting this great cause, so THANK YOU! I would also like to extend a huge THANK YOU to those that donated additional funds during registration – $1566 so far (as of 1/31) – NICE! Donations will be accepted until the end of the February. Donation progress updates will be included in the update emails.

The challenge begins TOMORROW – LET’S DO THIS! I’m excited to kick-off this journey with you and can’t wait to get started. Stay motivated, have fun, and let’s crush some miles together this February!

If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out.

Jim

Jim Harman
Event Director
Roadless Races
571-251-6034
jim@roadlessraces.com

THE SCOOP – HOW THE CHALLENGE WORKS

Run and Track: Run (or walk) anywhere, at any time from 2/1-2/28, with the goal of accumulating 28+ miles (28 miles is the default but you can change your goal in the online platform). Take as many runs/walks as you need to reach your mileage goal. Track each effort on your GPS device, watch, phone, map, measuring wheel, odometer, etc.
Record Your Miles: From your device or computer, log into your profile on runsignup.com and click on the results tab. After each run, record your distance into the online platform (THIS IS SUPER SIMPLE – just follow these directions – details below also). You may also record your elapsed time, elevation gain, and any comments about each run. Results must be posted by February 28th @ 11:59pm (Hawaii – Aleutian Standard Time), which is 4:59am Eastern Standard Time on March 1st.
Follow Your Progress: Each run’s progress is added to the totals of all earlier efforts to make up your one month total. After each run, watch the progress bar grow as you get closer to your goal (which is fun, rewarding, and motivating). Throughout the event, you will earn digital badges for achieving milestones of accumulated miles and consecutive days running/walking (again – fun, rewarding, and motivating:). At the end of February, download your digital finisher certificate with your stats.
Share (optional): Post photos from your runs/walks on the runsignup platform (super easy). You may win a prize!
Celebrate/Giveaways: We will randomly select winners of giveaways on 2/10 and 2/20 – keep an eye out for an email with the winners. And, on March 1st, I will send a final email wrapping up the event, awarding prizes, and drawing the final giveaway winners. Giveaways and prizes include nice stuff like Goodr sunglasses (thank you, Fleet Feet Carrboro!), gift certificates for free month-long passes (in-person or virtual) to FIT4MOM (thank you, FIT4MOM Chapel Hill), and Zen Squirrel swag. All participants will be automatically included in the giveaway drawings. Giveaways and prizes will be mailed to the winners along with their swag at the conclusion of the event.

RECORD YOUR MILES

From your device or computer, go to the Results page.
Click on ‘Submit Virtual Results’ and search for your registration. if you are not logged in, you can verify by your phone number or email.
Click on ‘Log Activities’.
Enter your mileage. You may also enter elapsed time and your elevation gain if you like, but those are both optional data points. After each run/walk, log in and add your latest results, which will be added to all previous results to make up your totals.
Don’t forget to post your photos from your runs/walks. You may win a prize!
Results must be posted by February 28th @ 11:59pm (Hawaii – Aleutian Standard Time), which is 4:59am Eastern Standard Time on March 1st.

DIGITAL MILESTONE BADGES
Throughout the event, you will earn digital badges for achieving milestones such as accumulated miles, overall runs/walks completed, and consecutive days with a run/walk (EVERY DAY CHALLENGE). Check out your Trophy Case in your Individual Result Summary Page to see your badges. Here are the badges you can earn:

10, 20, 28, 50, 75, 100, 150, 200+ Miles (how far will you go?)
28 Run/Walk – 14 runs/walks completed (multiple activities/day are all counted)
28 Run/Walk – 28 runs/walks completed (multiple activities/day are all counted)
Every Day Challenge – 14 consecutive days from 2/1-2/14
Every Day Challenge – 28 consecutive days from 2/1-2/28

EARN EXTRA SWAG
Earn extra swag in the following ways:

CONSISTENCY: Earn a Zen Squirrel head wrap (with different design) by completing the EVERY DAY CHALLENGE – log at least one activity each day in February.
HEALTHY COMPETITION: Earn a Zen Squirrel running gloves if you are one of the top five individuals or top five teams with the most accumulated miles (all team members will receive gloves). A little healthy competition is a fun and motivating way to push yourself even more!
BONUS CHALLENGES: Earn extra surprise Zen Squirrel swag by completing bonus challenges introduced on Day 10 and Day 20 (sent to you via email). This swag may include items such as Zen Squirrel beanies, additional head wraps, stickers, etc.
REFERRAL REWARDS: Earn a Zen Squirrel Pom Hat if you REFER ONE PERSON, a Zen Squirrel Car Seat Cover if you REFER THREE PEOPLE, and receive $25 cash back for EVERY FIVE PEOPLE YOU REFER. To qualify for these referral rewards, the new participants must use your unique referral link included in your confirmation email.

All earned swag will be sent with included swag (and any giveaway items you win) at the conclusion of the event. Shipping is included.

FAQ

Can I walk to meet my mileage goal?
Yup – for sure!

You guys are Roadless Races, do I have to run/walk on trails for this challenge?
Nope, run anywhere – trails, roads, sidewalks, beach, greenways, gravel, a track, on the treadmill in your garage, etc. Of course, we think trails are the bee’s knees and encourage you to explore and discover the tranquility, beauty, and health benefits of running on trails. But, this is a personal challenge, NOT A RACE. So, challenge yourself, have fun, and RUN MORE – that’s what this is all about!

Can I count my normal daily activities as walking miles for this challenge?
The intent is really what we are going for. In the spirit of the challenge, you should be intentional with the runs/walks that you record. If you choose to walk somewhere instead of driving to accumulate some walking miles, yes this counts. Walking around the house, the office, or grocery store do not count:)

Do I have to complete all 28 miles on one run?
No, no, no – ACCUMULATE those miles during the month of February. Of course, if you want to grind out those miles all in one go, have at it!

What happens if I miss a day of inputting my results?
No problem. You can input results after every activity, every day, once every few days, etc. Just make sure the date is correct for each inputted activity. This is important if you are going for the EVERY DAY CHALLENGE.

What is the EVERY DAY CHALLENGE?
In addition to your main mileage goal of 28+ miles, you may choose to challenge yourself to run or walk EVERY DAY during the month of February. If you achieve this goal (by logging miles and inputting at least one activity/day during Feb), you will earn a digital badge and an additional item of swag (a second head wrap/neck gaiter – different from the included head wrap). Woohoo!!!

What happens if I surpass my mileage goal?
We have set up the results so you can surpass your mileage goal of 28 miles (or whatever you choose). Run as much as you can during February and if you surpass your mileage goal then ‘good on ya’ and we will celebrate with you!

What happens if I do not complete my miles?
Life happens and sometimes, in spite of our best intentions, we fall short of our goals. Do your best to meet your mileage goal and if you do not succeed, hey, you gave it your best shot and that’s an accomplishment in itself. FYI – you can always reassess your goals and change goals if you like.

Can participants sign up after the start of the challenge on Feb 1st?
Absolutely, February 9th is the deadline to register. Those registering after Feb 1st can still log activities from anytime after February 1st.

How do teams work?
Adventures are more fun with friends so create a team and invite your friends to join you in this challenge. Teams can have up to 10 members. Track the progress of your teammates and cheer them on! See how many miles your team can accumulate and compare with other teams entered in the event. Awards (Zen Squirrel running gloves) will be given to each team member of the TOP FIVE teams with the most overall miles

NOTE: This is not a relay so all team members will still be shooting for their individual goal of 28+ total miles. Again, you may change your mileage goal when you input your results.

How do I create a team or join a team?
During registration, you will be asked if you would like to create or join a team. Click yes and follow the instructions. You can also create or join a team after you register by logging into runsignup, going to your profile, selecting the manage registration link in the Zen Squirrel Running Challenge section under upcoming races, and choosing the groups/teams link in the top navigation.

What are the giveaways all about?
All participants are eligible to win random giveaway prizes distributed at three intervals (on day 10, day 20, and at the end of the challenge). Giveaways include great stuff – Goodr sunglasses (15 pair – 5 pair/giveaway period), gift certificates for free month-long passes (in-person or virtual) to FIT4MOM, and Zen Squirrel swag.

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