Got some questions about Awesome August? We answer a bunch of them here.
Aren’t virtual events a bit… lame?
Yeah, they can be. This one isn’t. It’s fucking awesome. Obviously.
You talk about running quite a bit. Is AWESOME AUGUST a running event?
It’s whatever you want it to be. There are no limits. You can set a running goal if you want. You can also set any other kind of goal that will remind you to be awesomer than you already are. It’s totally up to you.
What kind of goal should I set?
How the fuck should I know? You see that ‘unlimited’ bit? Yeah, well, that. You should set whatever goal you think will motivate you to be a bit awesomer. If you’re a runner, you can set a running goal. If you’re a something else, you should set a something else goal.
Does it have to be a ‘physical activity’ goal?
Yes. But no. This challenge was designed around the idea of physical activity and adventure, but who am I to say what is and isn’t Awesome? So set whatever kind of goal you want. If you’re awesome in a whole different way and want in on the action, I sure as shit won’t be stopping you. You could just as easily write a poem or knit a jumper for all I care. The main thing is, when you get your swag, that you feel proud of yourself. What I or anyone else thinks is irrelevant.
Can you give me some examples of goals?
Sure, if you regularly walk or run 10kms in a week, an awesome goal would be to run 50kms, or maybe even 60kms in a month. If you already run 50kms in a month, an awesome goal would be to run 70kms in a month. If you’re a parkrunner, you might decide to run three or four different parkruns in a month. (Or you could just as easily volunteer at 4 parkruns for the month cause that’d be pretty fucking awesome as well!) If you use an activity tracker, you might look at your usual/average step count and set a goal to step about 10-20% more than usual. If you ride your bike, same thing – set a goal that will push you without you killing yourself. Go somewhere you’ve never been. Do something you’ve never done. Go fucking wild. It doesn’t have to be ridiculously difficult or extreme, just something you’ll be proud of. And if you’re into milder activities, maybe you can be more creative or lateral with your goal setting.
What if my goal isn’t awesome enough?
Says who? That’s the whole point of this ya bloody goose! Stop comparing your version of awesome to what others might think is or isn’t awesome! If it’s something you’d feel proud of doing, it’s plenty awesome enough.
How will you know if I met my goal?
I won’t. What I think or know really doesn’t matter. This is all about you. If you get your swag and you never quite made it, maybe have another go at it?
How do I actually enter?
Start by deciding which entry you’ll do. There’s a free one, a $30 one, and a $60 one. Pay for that entry in the online shop, then I’ll personally contact you to see if you’d like to share what your challenge is. You can keep it a secret and tell me to fuck off, share it with me confidentially, or tell me you’re happy for me to share it on here to inspire others. It’s totally up to you.
Who can enter?
This year’s event is limited to people within Australia because… postage. If you’re outside of Australia and hell bent on entering, email me and let’s see what we can come up with. Otherwise, there are no limits as to who can enter. You’re the perfect height, weight, gender.. everything. You literally don’t need to be anything you’re not already. No excuses.
When do I have to register by?
The official cut off if July 31, but I’m a bit late kicking things off, so I’ll likely leave it open til August 10 – unless it sells out first. Which, let’s be honest, is highly fucking unlikely.
When do I have to do my awesome thing by?
By the end of August, of course! Otherwise it would be called Awesome September. Duh!
What happens if I don’t do my awesome thing by the end of August?
Well, if I was a stickler for rules, you wouldn’t get your thing. But fuck rules. So in the spirit of ‘unlimited’, I’ll send you your thing anyway and trust that you’ll get it done soon enough. The truth is, your ‘reward’ is only worth what it means to you. It’s not bloody gold bullion for fuck’s sake, so the value is in what it represents. To you. Not me. So I trust you’ll do what you need to, so that when you look at it, you’ll be proud of earning it.
What does the swag look like?
This.
(These are just computer generated images, so the real ones may look slightly different.)
Will I get my swag as soon as I’ve completed my challenge?
Nope. I won’t start sending them til the end of the month.
When will I get my swag?
I’ll start sending them off at the start of September. So let’s say, probably in September sometime. Will definitely be there in time for Christmas.
Where does the money go?
If you entered for free, there is no fucking money, so I’ll assume you’re asking about the other entries, in which case, it goes towards paying for making the stuff and sending it out to you. If I haven’t fucked up my calculations, which I probably have, I won’t personally make anything out of this – that’s not what this is about. More likely, it will cost me money. But we have the potential to raise a bit of money for White Ribbon, and I think you’ll agree that’s pretty fucking awesome.
If there’s truly no money in it for you, why the fuck are you doing it?
Because I like doing awesome shit. And I thought this could be pretty awesome. And I believe in encouraging others to be more awesome. And this year is a test to see what people think and if I get enough people, maybe I’ll make it bigger and better and raise even more money for charity next year.
Your entry process is a bit of a dog’s breakfast. Could you not have made it better/easier?
Probably. I did my best this year, with limited time and resources. I’ll try and make it better next year.