July Team Captains Pow-Wow

After giving it some more thought...I would like to ammend my scoring suggestion.  I still like the percentage completion scoring vice a completed/not completed check mark scoring system.  However, I have to change my view on allowing of "extra" miles in one category to makeup for deficits in another.  There would be no fair way to allow bike miles to make up swimming yardage.....therefore here is my suggestion:

- Each person gets a percentage completion for each discipline with a max of 100% in each.
- Those 3 percentages then are averaged for that person for an individual score.
- The Team score is then achieved by averaging the individual scores/percentage of all teammates.

I'm ok with Lane's suggestion. I thought of an oh-so-much-better idea, then thought it and realized it's mathematically the same. :-P

As far as stakes go, charity is ok, but I know I, for one, will have to start decreasing my pledges quite a bit. It just isn't in my budget to start becoming this regular of a thing. I think pride/bragging rights is good enough so long as us captains get some good ol' fashioned smack going....

I don't have a problem with Lane's scoring plan.

The dates should cover 7/1-7/31, since I know that at least one person on my team (me) set his goals based on the whole month...

Time goals, distance goals, fine either way with me.

I agree....dates include the full month of July.  The tiebreaker can be the team with the most # of 100% completions (in all disciplines).  Max would be 24, of course.....8players x 3 disciplines.

As for the winner/rewards, I agree with the charity donation, but this is my first challenge, so those that have been in all challenges may want to stray from that idea.  I am open to all suggestions....but side bets can and should be made between teams.

"Should a person who sets a goal of 500 bike miles and makes it get more points than someone who sets a goal of 300 miles and makes it? Am I way off base here? That's entirely possible..."

A goal is a goal regardless of the miles pledged.  I purposefully set my cycling goal low because I expect that some days I will may be too busy to ride or to tired..  Anyways if I set a goal for whatever reason, that is my goal and if I realise it then I am 100% successful.  Of course if a member usually does 500 miles per month and sets his/her goal at 300 miles that would be unethical.

Lane's calc method is solid.  I agree with doing it that way. 

I think we should continue to PUSH the charity aspect.  Even if pledges are small, we are doing something to help out somewhere, and there's tons of worthy charities out there.  I realize that if this is done every month, then it really starts to add up, but its for such a worthy cause.  Heck...1 dollar...5 dollars...whatever...there's 10 teams in this challenge.  We have a great opportunity to make a difference here.  I feel that I'm competing on someone's behalf that can't compete.  Winning team contributes minimum 50% of their pledge, Losing teams contribute 100% of their pledge.

As far as ties go...worst case is two teams all get 100% achievement.  IMO, they share the podium....both earned it...why take it away from em.

My but you are all being so agreeable!

Ok, so here's what I hear you saying:

• Scoring system is % of teammates reaching their time or distance goals (no extra points for exceeding their goals).
• Challenge dates are July 1 - July 31.
• This is a pledge challenge (seems to be the majority opinion).

I'd like to point out that the Goddesses would have won the June bike challenge had we used this system. I bring this up simply to play 'devil's advocate' to make sure everyone realizes what a difference this system makes. Diff between winning and losing. If you're happy with this system, then that's what we're going with.

What I need from the Captains:

• PM (or email) your team's individual 3 goals and pledges.
• Each Monday, PM to me your team members actual time/distance. You have only 8 or 9 people to track and that is so much easier than me trying to track about 90 people individually. Thanks for your cooperation with this.

I will update the spreadsheet each Monday after 5pm.

PM me with goals by end of day today.

Next Monday, PM me with actuals.

Pledges: each teammate makes a pledge; can be as little or as much as they want. They tend to average $20.

Why not have each team choose their own charity, with the same ground rules.  This way more charities are benefitted.  The winning team would still get bragging rights.  Just a thought.

With respect to hitting Bike goals:

The question has been raised whether spinner and trainer miles can be applied to Biking miles. In the Ride Lots challenges (all 3, I believe), these miles did not apply. Ride miles had to be miles ridden on the bike, outside.

Please discuss and come up with a consensus as to whether you want to change this rule for this challenge.

Who said that we agree with Bear????

Trainers may not be completely accurate, but if you don't think I am getting a good workout pounding away on my trainer at 15 mph (when I would normally be getting 17+ outside), you would be mistaken.  So why would a slower pace and mileage workout not be allowed?  On a treadmill, if you aren't running at an incline %, then you aren't really running at the pace that it says....it is assisting you.....therefore you are running at an easier effort.  Why allow a treadmill but not a trainer?????

I thought this was a challenge to get people to work out!!!  Not a challenge to see who could do the most miles.  If it was just about X amount of mileage, I would agree, but it is not.  If we had a bet to see who could ride the most miles, then I would say that leveling the playing field would be fair!  This challenge is against ourselves....not other people's mileage/time.  What is the difference in me setting my goals with the expectation of using a trainer or treddy.....or....setting a lower mileage goal expecting not to use them???  Either way, I have to meet my goal!!!

Again, just my views.....but if we are not going to allow trainer/treddy workout, let me know and I will adjust my goals!!!

Though I am neither Captain nor participant, I will take advantage of my position as Facilitator to weigh in on this matter.

The bike challenges were RIDE LOTS challenges. The desired outcome was for people to get on their bikes and ride, ride, ride. Therefore, the Miles With Butt On Your Bike rule made sense.

This Tri Challenge is really a TRAIN LOTS & CONSISTENTLY challenge. The desired outcome is for people to improve their tri-game by consistently training in all 3 sports. I think that you should consider allowing trainer and spinner mileage as those directly contribute towards the bike leg of Tri Fitness & Training.

I agree wholeheartedly with Renee.  Training on a stationary bike, bike trainer, spinner, road bike, mountain bike or any kind of bike is training!  After all the whole point of all this is to motivate members to train.  I vote that we accept:

Cycling on a stationary bike, bike trainer, spinner, road bike, mountain bike.

Running or walking, whether outside, on a treadmill, on a stairclimber, or in a pool.

Ok, now stationary bikes are another matter. They think I average 25 mph over a hilly course. I say if you need to do this, just use the time and multiply it by your average speed! I'm also not so sure that stairclimbers are even analagous to running....

How about this: if you use a training analog in which your distance is difficult to determine, you must set time, rather than mileage goals. For instance, I may get injured again from all the running I have planned so I set a goal of 40 miles or 8 hours, should I have to substitute pool running. Make sense? Either that or you should have to multiply it by your avg speed, NOT use what the machine tells you....