Athletic
- Push-ups: 50 push-ups in a row
- Pull-ups: 15 overhand pull-ups in a row
- Dips: 20 dips in a row
- Run: 15-mile run
- Bike ride: 100 mile bike ride in 24 hours
- Hike: 20 mile hike carrying a 30-pound pack
- Turtle: Do a “turtle” Yoga move
Recreation
- Fish: Catch a fish in a Minneapolis lake or river; clean, cook and eat this fish.
- Bowl: Roll a 200-point (or more) game of bowling
- Climb: Complete a “lap” at Midwest Mountaineering
- 9-Ball: Break and run a 9-ball table
Culture
- Read: Read a 1,000-page (or more) novel
- Publish: Get something published in a print publication (no paid ads)
- Karaoke: Perform a karaoke song in public
- Perform: Perform something in pulic (non-karaoke)
- State Fair: Get something on display at the Minnesota State Fair
Clarifications
- Not knee pushups
- Must be performed on a firm, flat surface with no incline.
- Any width grip allowed
- Good form must be used including flat back and legs.
- You must complete a full range of motion for each repetition traveling from the top of the motion to the bottom and back. The top position and bottom position are defined below (taken from 1000pushups.com):
Top position: while in the top part of the push up, the arms should be straight, but should not be locked at the elbows. If you don’t allow the elbows to lock, the muscles will be contracting the entire time.
Bottom position: at minimum, you must go down until the inside portion of your elbows are 90 degrees. You may however choose to go all the way down to the floor if you would like to increase your range of motion and strength.
- You must complete a full range motion (all the way down, and chin over the bar at top)
- Must use straight bar or other device designed for chin ups.
- No assistance is allowed.
- No use of momentum (swinging legs, etc.) to complete the pull up.
- Use a dip apparatus or something designed for dips (example: parallel bars.)
- Repetition is completed after completing a full range of motion from top of movement to bottom:
Top of range is when arms are fully straightened; to reach the bottom of the range, shoulders must go lower than elbows, as outlined on stronglifts.com.
- Run 15 miles outdoors non-stop; runner may stop under two exceptions:
To tie shoes
To drink a hydrating beverage
Note: These exceptions were added to allow for practical needs to stop. Neither stop should be excessive in time and should take only as long as it takes to tie the shoe and/or drink the beverage. - Must at least be “jogging” throughout the entire run (be airborne between steps– not walking).
- Ride a bicycle 100 miles (or more) within a 24 hour period.
- Hike (per Mark, a hike is “a brisk walk” (or faster pace)) with a 30 pound pack.
- Non-stop, except for very small breaks for practical concerns (such as tying shoes).
- Pack needs to weight 30 lbs or more throughout the hike— the pack must weigh 30 pounds at the end of the hike (i.e. any food or beverage to be consumed throughout the hike must be packed in addition to the 30 pound pack).
- Hike must be performed outdoors, any route of your choice, over terrain and through weather your choice.
- You must remain on your feet for the whole time.
The picture linked to for this challenge may be a bit misleading, and more represents the most perfect form for this challenge. Challengers can do an adapted Turtle for the purposes of our Challenges– the following criteria must be met:
- Performed without assistance. No apparatus, incline or assistant may be employed in the completion of this challenge.
- Buttocks and chin must be on the floor/mat at the same time.
- Chin must be able to rest on the floor/mat (i.e. a challenger cannot use momentum to bob and touch the chin to the mat for a brief moment).
- Legs must be fully extended, either straight out or spread at an angle.
- Arms may be in any position.
- Your back may be curved.
- Must be performed on a firm, flat surface. Not allowed on excessively thick mats, extremely thick carpet, etc.
- Fish must be caught on a hook and line.
- Fish must be caught in a body of water within the city limits of Minneapolis.
- Fish must be caught, cleaned, cooked, and eaten by the challenger.
- Bowl a 200 point (or more) game of bowling on a regulation bowling lane obeying all conventional bowling rules.
- Climb a complete “lap” in Midwest Mountaineering’s climbing cave. Note: Due the difficulty in describing the “lap” in words, the lap will be shown in person by the Commissioner or any other Challenger who is knowledgeable of the “lap”.
- Complete lap must be completed without coming off the wall.
- “Dabs” are allowed (accidental, momentary brushes of feet, hands, etc. against the ground.)
- Same rules as regulation 9 ball apply (in terms of break, scratch, fouls, etc.)
- Combos are allowed, but the nine ball has to drop last for this competition (i.e. only the cue ball will remain on the table at the end of the challenge.)
- Read a 1,000-page (or larger) novel.
- Novel must be printed using conventional type and margin spaces; pages including illustrations, if any, must not be included in the page count.
- Get an original work published in a print publication.
- Paid ads/classified ads/etc. are not allowed.
- Perform a complete karaoke song in front of a public audience.
- Perform something which is non-karaoke in front of an audience.
Note: This challenge is perhaps the hardest of all challenges to define. I don’t wish to bog down the challenge by creating a huge definition of what a “performance” is. The best practice for this challenge is that the Challenger will create something or hone some skill in preparation for the performance. Some good examples would be singing (non-karaoke), playing an instrument, performing comedy, acting, dancing, reciting a reading/poem/etc., or something else along these lines. It does not need to be a huge performance– in fact, I expect most performances will be performed at open mics or in other public arenas. Any and all performances will be counted; it is a best practice that the performance be similar in style and spirit to what is described above, and that the performance exhibit elements of creativity, practice, and skill.
- Get something on display going through formal State Fair channels.
- No “gorilla” displays will be recognized (i.e. hanging something on a wall on the State Fair grounds on your own.)
- The “thing” displayed may not be a performance (i.e. a talent show performance, etc.)
- Any type of officially displayed item will be recognized: art, food, craft, animal, etc.
