After my post in search of a Challenge Buddy, Daniel Feinberg, sent me an impressive and detailed email. His email meant business and he also had fun with it (I didn’t have the heart to tell Daniel this isn’t a paying gig). The effort and time he put into it was really great and I appreciate it. Here is a snip-it of his email so you can get an idea:

Why am I applying?

1) I would love to get into shape and drop a few pounds
2) It’s for a good cause
3) I need an outlet and something that will help motivate me to quit smoking
4) I would love to wear bright pink shorts.
5) Having someone help push you through something is annoying as hell, but it works, and I like that.

Daniel since you do live in the New York area I would love to still run with you when you are in the city. I definitely want to see #4 put into action with Dailybooth pics! I know you can do it and I have a plan that can help you reach your goals.

C25k
The C25k stands for Couch to 5k. It is a running program put into place for people that are not usually runners. It has a fantastic schedule that shows you how to run in baby steps. There are a group of people in New York that are going to do this together and do a 5k at the end of the running program.

Joe Sousa
Joe is someone else that talked to me about doing the Affiliate Summit Challenge. He is an awesome affiliate marketer and great friend. Joe also recently got engaged! The reason he wants to join the run besides the good cause is to get fit for his wedding. This is why I have decided to pick Joe as my Affiliate Summit Challenge Buddy! I want everything to be perfect on his big day and I am sure it will be.

We'll call this The Before picture

Still Over Thinking Instead of Running?
For those of you thinking about joining the Affiliate Summit Challenge or the C25k I want to take a moment to say: Just Do it! I am going to post the easy running schedule below that shows you how to ease into it. This program has been proven to work for anyone especially couch potatoes and I think is great for online marketers that are sitting in a chair all day. Let’s get active and if you did not already see it in my previous post when I was in search of my buddy, Affiliate Summit will donate $1 to the Avon Breast Cancer Crusade for each mile run (up to $5,000). What more encouragement do you need to be healthy for yourself?

Let's Fight Breast Cancer Together!

What Now?
Now that you have a running buddy you need to make sure you have your tracking equipment. I picked up a Nike+ iPod Sport kit for $30 at the apple store. It works with any shoe since I have new balance. Then you register for Nike+ and for the Affiliate Summit Challenge. Once you are signed up on Nike+ friend me: http://my.nike.com/microsteph.

Got My Nike+ Gear

Goals
Once you have the equipment and everything else set up you need to have goals. Joe and I have decided to follow the C25k program because it works for the level of running we are at. It involves running three times a week but begins at a slower pace and builds up. You should pick what works best for the level you are at.

9 Week Program
I am going to list the progress that Joe and I make. I will start by posting the first 3 weeks so you can get an idea of the kind of work we will be putting into getting fit and fighting breast cancer as we run. Joe and I have decided to start running the schedule this Monday. I will let you all know how it goes! Each week the schedule stays the same and you do the workout three times per week.

Week 1
Brisk five-minute warmup walk. Then alternate 60 seconds of jogging and 90 seconds of walking for a total of 20 minutes.

Week 2
Brisk five-minute warmup walk. Then alternate 90 seconds of jogging and two minutes of walking for a total of 20 minutes.

Week 3
Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then do two repetitions of the following:

* Jog 200 yards (or 90 seconds)
* Walk 200 yards (or 90 seconds)
* Jog 400 yards (or 3 minutes)
* Walk 400 yards (or three minutes)

Track Your Progress
Since the program is 9 weeks I will do my best to post our progress at least every 3 weeks. With the help of Joe as my Challenge Buddy I know we will meet our goals. I am also lucky to have many other friends in New York including Daniel who I am sure I will be running with as well. Since Joe is not in the same city his job is to keep me accountable as I will do with him. This is going to be well what it is named a Challenge but one that I am very up for!

Have Fun while You Run

Feel Good
With this new mindset of being healthier I am bringing it into other aspects of my life like drinking more water. Sometimes we get so caught up in work, family or friends that we forget that we need to make the time to take care of ourselves. Take care of yourself make healthy choices for you even if they are little. The little things can start to become habits and even turn into a healthier lifestyle.

Good Luck
I hope everyone that is running for a good cause and for their own health has a good time with it. I hope you all meet your personal goals because I am sure they are different for everyone. Lastly, thanks to everyone who told me they wanted to be my Challenge Buddy. Now let’s see who can run the most from now until Affiliate Summit East!

Loving the city and exploring central park with my sis.

When I get to New York this week of course my life is going to get real active. It’s a main reason why I love living in this city. I find myself contemplating on whether or not to join the Affiliate Summit East Challenge. And the question I ask myself is: Why not?

Hmmm...good question!

In case you are not sure what I am referring to. This Challenge was number 6 on the top ten things on my mind post this month:

6. Just Do It, Affiliate Summit Challenge 2010
You know Missy Ward walks and runs for boobies. Now you can be a part of it with this new Nike+ Challenge. This is a great cause and also a good way to stay in shape. I like how Shawn and Missy made this competitive and fun for the participants. If you partake they will donate $1 to the Avon Breast Cancer Crusade for each mile run (up to $5,000).

The Next Step
Here is what Missy posted on her blog. In order to participate in Nike+ activities, you will need to follow these simple steps:

* Get Nike+ Tracking
* Register for Nike+
* Join the Affiliate Summit East 2010 Challenge
* Start Running and Sync Your Runs

My Own Step
I want a Challenge Buddy. This is like a gym partner that when I want to sit down and watch tv calls me to meet them at a boxing class. I cannot let down my gym partner or keep them waiting so I get up and head to class. In order to keep me amped up I am in search of someone that can keep me in check.

I prefer someone that has not already started the challenge so we begin with the same miles. I am only going to pick one buddy. I would like for us to set goals and I will blog about our experience. My ideal challenge buddy would be someone close to my physical abilities and that has a desire to improve their healthy lifestyle. If you think this is you please let me email me my full name at gmail. I can’t wait to get this challenge started!

Drinking water on the way to the beach not after a long run lol. I think it

So will you be my Challenge Buddy?
I can’t wait to see all of you at Affiliate Summit East in my city. I truly think this challenge is a great idea. It is also a bonding experience for those who partake in it. It is for a good cause and you get healthier as you do it. So what are you waiting for? Just do it!

(Post Update) I have chosen my Affiliate Summit Challenge Buddy Winner!

10. Buzz is better than Wave! (that was easy)
There are many people raving about Google Buzz. I am not in love with it but have made some adjustments to better use it. To make Buzz a more enjoyable experience I removed my Twitter sync, turned off notifications in gmail, and kept the people I follow to a minimum. Come with Buzz with me.

9. Dailybooth pics on Facebok
Dailybooth is a photo sharing social media platform. What I have noticed is I rarely get responses directly on the Dailybooth site. I started posting my Dailybooth pics on Facebook and it has been more effective. If you ever get sick of playing fishville and want to venture out; come play on another social media platform besides the typical ones and add me on Dailybooth. Some other affiliate marketers you may know on Dailybooth are @mikebuechele @affiliatetip @trishalyn.

Dailyboothing

8. What is snow?
I guess I can’t call myself a New Yorker. So many of my friends are complaining about the snow to me. I am sorry that I have been in tropical warm places for the past couple months. Please do not hate on me because I don’t understand the true meaning of winter. I will be back next week to see what everyone has been talking about. Thankfully I have tips that will help me from two New Yorkers…

@MikeBuechele Smashes the Snow

@affiliatetip shovels it away..

7. ABW Best of 2009 Awards
The yearly ABW awards are always interesting. I have been lucky enough to be nominated a couple times. What I like about these awards is that they are very hands-on. Not only can you nominate but you also vote for the winners. My favourite part of the awards last year was the addition of the best tweet award. This was my nominee I can’t imagine how they did not win: http://twitter.com/affiliatetip/status/1004061289. Maybe people did not vote so this time around go vote you have until this Friday.

6. Just Do It, Affiliate Summit Challenge 2010
You know Missy Ward walks and runs for boobies. Now you can be a part of it with this new Nike+ Challenge. This is a great cause and also a good way to stay in shape. I like how Shawn and Missy made this competitive and fun for the participants. If you partake they will donate $1 to the Avon Breast Cancer Crusade for each mile run (up to $5,000).

5. CO Senator Brophy backs up Affiliate Marketers in a powerful way!
Please take a couple minutes to watch this video. He shares some great examples as to why the advertising tax is harmful for small businesses. Thank God there are some people like this Senator that get it! If you want to thank him add him on Twitter @SenatorBrophy.

4. How Social Media is Affecting Search and Affiliate Marketing
I have put together a panel of entrepreneurs for SES NYC. Since this is a Search Conference I wanted to tie what is going on in the search engines and the world around me (us). Panel submissions closed this Monday and I am hoping that ours gets chosen. I think it is a relevant topic and look forward to discussing it.

3. Live Stream of the Colorado Advertising Tax hearing
It didn’t matter where we were in the world, we lived that hearing together. I felt like I was a part of history. We were all listening full of interest, passion, and suspense. We were truly defending what belongs to us, the right to be affiliate marketers.

Jen and Jeannine :)

Jen Goode and Jeannine Crooks shined. There were many affiliate marketers that stood up for themselves in the Colorado fight. Over 100+ people showed up to the hearing. The ladies that outlasted and spent countless hours I would like to thank are these two. If you are in another state going through this take it from them one person can make a difference! Thank you for what you did! Check out some reactions from other Affiliate Marketers.

2. Add the Awareness Badge on your site
Joel Garcia from GTO Management created what we like to call the Awareness Badge. I have it on the right hand side of my blog here. You can place it on your blog or site to show your opposition to the advertising tax. I encourage you to add one to your site today and show your opposition. Find the one that fits best on your site here are different available sizes.

1. Taking the Fight Against the Advertising Tax Up a Notch!
It is very important to me that we beat the advertising tax. As of late, it has started coming up in numerous states. This is why I have decided that I am taking the next couple weeks to focus on the advertising tax. For up-to-date news follow the new hashtag on Twitter #noadtax. If you have questions about the advertising tax and your state please feel free to post in the comments or ping me.

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