Week 8: That's a Wrap

Füsters!

Hearty are those who see themselves through to the end of a challenge and if you’re reading this than that means you are among the heartiest of Füsters! When all the others have left to imbibe, eat of the sugars and laze around on the hot Summer afternoons, you stayed committed to the battle against your flank meat! GG is so impressed by the elite few who will cross the finish line this Friday . . . truly amazing work and dedication to your own self-improvement! And for your efforts, you’ll be gifted a fairly easy final Week 8 (a nice change to how most Füste events end with blood, sweat, and tears of recrimination). But having said all that, we’re not finished yet! There still remains several very challenging bonuses and some fun challenges for the last few days of the game!

Here’s a summary of Week 8’s details:

  • Daily exercise: 3 Singelts and 1 Doppelt and 1 Trippelt

  • Available bonuses:

    • Long Sümmer Stroll: 12 miles (Trippelt, +9p bonus)

    • So Many Stairs: 120 flights (Doppelt, +6p bonus)

    • Plankenfüste: 3 min plank (Singelt, +6p bonus)

    • Mile for Time: 1 mile (+3p bonus)

  • Special events:

    • Monday, August 25th: final 10h water only fast 6a-4p

    • Thursday: Sunset Pic (+1p bonus)

    • Finalefüste: Friday, Aug. 29th

      • Ice Bucket Auf Wiedersehen (+1p bonus)

      • Final (homework) Exam (+6p bonus)

      • Final Weigh-In

GG will be in contact on the morning of the Finalefüste (this Friday!) with some reminders and instructions on finishing out strong (and compliant). But for now, he hopes you have a great final Sömmer Kamp Sunday and a successful final week of the game!

GG

Week 7: 12 Days and Out . . .

Hallo Füsters!

Even fewer players left this week and we may be setting a record for smallest graduating class from a Sömmer Kamp so GG’s keeping it real simple from here on out! But we’re still going to ramp up the Trippelts cause why not so if you want to finish strong on the Bestenliste, this week’s made for you!

Here’s a summary of Week 7’s details:

  • Daily exercise: 2 Singelts and 2 Doppelts and 3 Trippelts

  • Available bonuses:

    • Long Sümmer Stroll: 10 miles (Trippelt)

    • Mountain Climb #3: 2024ft (Trippelt and if you did the first two, a nice big completion bonus for the series!)

    • So Many Stairs: 100 flights (Singelt)

    • Triplefüsten: Trippelt

  • Special events:

    • Monday, August 18th: 10h water only fast 6a-4p

    • Every other day Homework assignment.

    • Fun Coupon series is retired for the season . . . only one fully weekend of gameplay left so GG figures you can probably make it from here.

That’s it for this Sunday’s update, Füsters. Have a great Week 7.

GG

Week 6: The Third (and final) Periode has Arrived

Hallo Füsters!

Not a lot of us left this go round as more and more players have realized just how hard it is to complete Sömmer Kamp! In a way, this game is always a bigger challenge than Winterfüste, even though that event is much more structured and intense! Which explains why were down to less than 20 players . . . 🧐

Week 6 introduces Trippelts into the daily exercise requirements (don’t worry, we’re starting with only one this week). Remember, a Trippelt is either three separate Singelt workouts (e.g. a 3 mile run + a 15 mile bike + a 1500 yard swim; these workouts do not have to be back to back and can be spread out over the day) OR the completion of a one big workout done a the Trippelt level (go HERE to see what this looks like).

In addition to this (and because of it), GG is backing down the fasting window to only 10 hours tomorrow (sun-up to roughly mid-afternoon). GG’s seeing some research that says going longer than 10 hours may be counter productive and given Trippelts are starting up, maybe being hangry and over-worked is a little much for the final weeks of Sömmer Kamp.

Here’s a summary of Week 6’s details:

  • Daily exercise: 3 Singelts and 3 Doppelts and 1 Trippelt

  • Available bonuses:

    • Before Sunrise: (+3p bonus)

    • Long Sümmer Stroll: 8 miles (Trippelt)

    • So Many Stairs: 80 flights

    • Walk in the Park #3: 6 miles (Doppelt and if you did the first two, a nice big completion bonus for the series!)

  • Special events:

    • Monday, August 11th: 10h water only fast 6a-4p

    • Every other day Homework assignment.

    • Completion of fifth Fun Coupon Bonus Challenge by launching a water balloon ambush on an unexpecting victim(s). Film the ambush (you must hit your intended target at least once) and send over to earn the second to last Fun Coupon of Sömmer Kamp!

That’s it for this Sunday’s update, Füsters. Have a great week closing out the dog days of Summer (no, really, they finish up tomorrow). Three more week of game play and then you’re free for the rest of the year!

GG

Week 5: Easing out of Periode II

Füsters,

High praise to all those who have made it to the half way point of Sömmer Kamp! The last two weeks have seen a pretty significant drop out rate as folks crack under the pressure of trying to maintain their composure in the face of Summer’s non-Füste friendly offerings (and GG totally gets). But if you’re still here then it means your personal battle with your flank meat supersedes your need for the temporary comforts of alcohol, sugar and recumbency and for that GG celebrates your dedication to both the Füste and most importantly to yourself!

As a little gift, GG is going to ease up this week a bit and let you recover for the final push of Periode III. We’re goign to keep the number of Doppelts at 3 and GG is also reducing the bonuses down to just 3 as well. You’ll still have the first full 24 hour fast (6a Monday to 6a Tuesday) but the rest of the week should be pretty chill. Then we’ll step it back up next week with the introduction of Trippelts and finish strong during the dog days of Summer!

Here’s Week 5’s details:

  • Daily exercise: 4 Singelts and 3 Doppelts

  • Available bonuses:

    • Long Sümmer Stroll: 7 miles (Doppelt)

    • Plankenfüste: 2 minutes

    • So Many Stairs: 70 flights

  • Special events:

    • Monday, July 28th: 24h water only fast 6a-6a

    • Every other day Homework assignment.

    • Completion of fourth Fun Coupon Bonus Challenge: time to celebrate Winterfüste by getting out of the hot Summer sun and onto some ice cold, uh, ice. Strap on those skates at your local ice rink and give GG 20 mintues of STRAVA recorded skating activity to earn this week’s Fun Coupon!

    • Full moon bonus: Saturday night, 8/9 (more details to come)

Short and sweet today. Have a great Week 5 and stay focused and committed as we cross over to the back half of Sömmer Kamp!

GG

Week 4: The Summit Approaches!

Good afternoon, Füsters!

Week 4 is here and with it comes the approaching half way point of the game this Saturday. No cheat day or anything like that but it will give you an opportunity to weigh-in and check your overall progress. By the end of four weeks you should have dropped several pounds or more IF you’ve been following the tenets of the Füste. Moment of truth coming up directly!

Here’s the rest of Week 4’s details:

  • Daily exercise: 4 Singelts and 3 Doppelts

  • Available bonuses:

    • Doublefüsten (counts as a Doppelt)

    • Long Sümmer Stroll: 6 miles (Doppelt)

    • Mountain Climb #2 - 1012ft (Doppelt)

    • So Many Stairs: 60 flights

  • Special events:

    • Monday, July 28th: 12h water only fast 6a-6p

    • Every other day Homework assignment.

    • Completion of fourth Fun Coupon Bonus Challenge: it’s game night! Play a board game or something similar at home or in the world with family or friends. Send GG a pic of the festivities to score your Fun Coupon Bonus!

Nothing else this week so we’ll keep this short and sweet. Have a great Week 4 and stay focused and committed as we enter the mid-portion of Sömmer Kamp!

GG

Week 3: Doppelts!

Afternoon, Füsters!


Week 3 (of 8) is already here and it’s time to step it up (literally)! Because this game is only 8 weeks instead of 9, we’re actually moving into Periode II a little earlier then you’d probably expect. What does this really mean? Nothing much except we’re back in the parks this week again AND we’re introducing a little thing called the Doppelt workout (if you know, you know). For the couple of new players here, a Doppelt is either two separate Singelts or a single workout done to the Doppelt specifications (go HERE to find out what these are for the standard Füste approved workouts). Don’t worry though, there’s only 2 Doppelt days available this week so not a big lift. And on the positive side, Doppelts are worth double punkte at +2p. So there’s that . . . Otherwise, it’s a pretty normal week here at the Füste Sömmer Kamp.

Here’s the rest of Week 3’s details:

  • Daily exercise: 5 Singelts and 2 Doppelts

  • Available bonuses:

    • Long Sümmer Stroll: 5 miles (counts as a Singelt)

    • So Many Stairs: 50 flights

    • Walk in the Park #2 - 5 miles (Singelt)

    • Plank - 1 minute

  • Special events:

    • Monday, July 21st: 12h water only fast 6a-6p

    • Every other day Homework assignment.

    • Completion of third Fun Coupon Bonus Challenge: get a non-Füster to complete a Singelt workout with you (Sponsorfüsten) to earn this week’s Fun Coupon!

GG hopes everyone has a great and successful Week 3 of game play! Have fun and enjoy being proactive and driving yourself to be healthier and flank meat free!

Griswalde

Week 2: Getting in the Füsting groove . . .

Afternoon, Füsters!

The first week of Sömmer Kamp ‘25 is wrapping up tonight and it’s been a pretty successful week for almost everyone. Main focus is just to remember to report each day so you don’t lose out on all the punkte you’re earning by grinding out the daily workouts and denying yourself the sugars and drinks!

One thing GG wanted to brief everyone on is the Bestenfüste category at the end of the game. Sömmer Kamp is often the sand box where GG works out structural issues and experiments with how this thing called the Füste is designed and played. This year will be no exception. After last Winterfüste’s insane 12 player tie for first place, GG is going to experiment with a new idea around how best to identify and crown a single game winner (this has been a challenge for years). So here’s what we’re going to try . . . Any player that finishes the game with all possible earned points will be crowned “Bestenfüste” (as per normal game rules). But in addition to this, GG is creating a new singular category called the “Überfüste” and for this there can be only one winner! While the game will still end the evening of August 29th, if you’ve earned the title of Bestenfüste and you want to make a run at being the first ever Überfüste, you will need to complete a three part competitive event on the following Saturday or Sunday. On one of those two days, you will need to complete three separate challenges:

  • A 13 mile walk/run

  • A timed plank (the longest plank wins)

  • Mystery category

All three of these challenges will be “handicapped” based on age and overall performance during Sömmer Kamp to make this final competition as even of a playing field as possible. Points will be awarded for each of the three challenges. Whichever Bestenfüste finishes this FInalefüste Überkompetition with the highest point total will win the vaunted title of ÜBERFÜSTE. And this won’t be a participation trophy kind of thing; you either beat all other competitors and take the title or you retire out as a Bestenfüste and call it a game! So, we’ll see how this goes come late August as GG has no doubt there’s a couple of maniac players among us who fully intend to score all possible points this Sömmer Kamp and GG really wants to push them to perform at the next level!

And one quick note on Fun Coupons . . . remember, you need to earn the 3 daily points each week Monday through Friday AND complete that week’s Fun Coupon Challenge (see below for this week’s details on the Challenge). Once you’ve earned a Coupon, you can use it immediately that weekend OR hold on to it and use it later in the game either on its own or coupled with other Fun Coupons. When you do choose to use it, you need to let GG know that morning so he can mark it off your tracking sheet. Then you can enjoy whatever it is your hard work has earned you!

That’s it for updates for Week 2, now let’s finish up with a simple summary of this week’s full gaming requirements.

Here’s what Week 2 looks like:

  • Daily exercise: Singelts

  • Available bonuses:

    • Long Sümmer Stroll: 4 miles (counts as a Singelt)

    • So Many Stairs: 40 flights

    • Mountain Climb #1: 506ft (Singelt)

    • After Dark (Singelt)

  • Special events:

    • Monday, July 14th: 12h water only fast 6a-6p

    • Every other day Homework assignment.

    • Completion of second Fun Coupon Bonus Challenge: go out and play a round of miniature golf, a classic summer time activity. Send GG a pic from the course to score you Fun Coupon!

GG hopes everyone has a great and successful Week 2 of game play! Have fun and enjoy being proactive and driving yourself to be healthier and flank meat free!

Griswalde

Sömmer Kamp '25: Open for Business!

Hallo Füsters!

Let GG be the first to congratulate you on your personal fortitude and dedication to the never ending cycle of self-improvement that is the Füste! Not many players have it in them to take on the Summer-based game so give yourself a pat on the back for really putting the pressure on your flank meat! And for the handful of new Füsters here, GG welcomes you into the fold and hopes you have a unique and impactful experience as you challenge yourself over the next 8 weeks with personal accountability and intense game play!

Some general game updates:

  • Sömmer Kamp is not quite the same game as Winterfüste. One of the primary differences is that GG allows for the occasional break from the game’s daily grind of the food, drink and exercise requirements (because GG gets that it’s Summer and this is a hard game to play when on vacation or invited to a friend’s backyard barbecue etc.). Every year he tries something a little different around this issue and SK25 is no exception.

    Here’s how this is going to work for SK25: GG is introducing the concept of the Lustiger Gutschein or “Fun Coupons”. Each week you can earn one Fun Coupon by scoring all your daily required food, drink and exercise points Monday through Friday. You must also complete the Fun Coupon Bonus Challenge for that week. If you do both of these things, you’ll be awarded that week’s Fun Coupon for use starting that Saturday. Fun Coupon’s can either be used individually at any point in the game or banked and cashed in as described below:

    • 1 Fun Coupon: one free Drunkenfüste point (means you can take a day off from the game’s no alcohol requirement)

    • 2 Fun Coupons: one free Schmerzenfüste point (day off from the daily exercise requirement; this can only be used to replace a Singelt workout activity)

    • 3 Fun Coupons: 1 free Foodenfüste point (day off from the game’s food requirement)

    So, basically, if you know you have something coming up over the next eight weeks where you most likely will break from the tenets of the game, you now have a way to preplan and EARN that digression! On the flip side, there is no actual requirement to use Fun Coupons and you can (and are encouraged to) just play the game as normal and avoid all the temptations listed above but it’s ultimately up to you!

Week 1’s Fun Coupon Bonus Challenge is to drop off a Summer inspired gift on a friend’s porch (yes, this is the same thing as the Lucky Friend Bonus Challenge from Winterfüste). Just a small gift, nothing fancy here. Send GG a pic to check the box and position yourself for Week 1’s Fun Coupon success!

  • For Week 1’s daily exercise requirements, we’re at Singelts only. If you need a reminder of the daily exercise parameters, go HERE for a quick review.

  • For details on Week 1’s bonus opportunities, go HERE to review what’s available (also summarized below for your convenience).

  • Tomorrow, Monday, July 7th is not just the Startenfüste but also your first Fastentag of the game. So that means you’ll suffer a 12 hour water-only fast between 6am and 6pm. GG can feel your excitement from here! Remember, complete all 8 of the game’s fasting days and you’ll earn the Hungry Ghost Fasting Completion ÜberBonus worth +15p!

  • After doing some intensive off-season research, GG is making a change to the “Daily Homework” requirements. Moving forward, this will be an “every other day” event to allow for rest and recovery. So basically, you’ll do the Homework four times a week instead of seven (or, as just stated, every other day). Go HERE to review!

For your ease of mind, a new addition to the Weekly Updates this Sömmer Kamp will be a simple summary of that week’s full gaming requirements.

Here’s what Week 1 looks like:

  • Daily exercise: Singelts

  • Available bonuses:

    • Long Sümmer Stroll: 3 miles (counts as a Singelt)

    • So Many Stairs: 30 flights

    • A Walk in the Park: 4 miles (Singelt)

    • Run for Time: 1 mile

  • Special events:

    • Monday, July 7th, Startenfüste weigh-in: first thing in the AM, get on a scale and weigh yourself. Text GG a pic of what the scale says as your official game weigh-in.

    • Monday, July 7th: 12h water only fast 6a-6p

    • Thursday, July 10th: Full Moon Event (details released that day)

    • Every other day Homework assignment.

    • Completion of Fun Coupon Bonus Challenge.

That’s it for Week 1. Game play starts tomorrow at sun-up! A link to your Daily Reporting Tool will be sent to you tomorrow afternoon and your first report to GG is due on Tuesday, July 8th by noon.

GG hopes you have an outstanding Sömmer Kamp experience and remember he’s always here to answer questions or to provide guidance or clarification on anything that doesn’t make strict sense.

See you tomorrow on the Speilbrett and may the Füste be with you!

Griswalde Grolar

Sprüngenfüste Final Update

Hallo Füsters!

As everyone is aware, Sprüngenfüste is in the books and you can now return back to your normal lives. SF25 was an interesting experiment for GG on a number of fronts and he appreciates your time and energy (and patience, as it was far from a perfect experience on a number of fronts; GG’s pretty sure he won’t do this again without a dedicated app etc.). Congratulations each to Ringtail, Giant Pacific Octopus and Pocket Gopher for playing (yet again) a perfect game and winning the title of Bestenfüste (BF Prime goes to Ringtail with her 11+ single day in first place victories!). GG again apologizes for some mix ups on the DRT and won’t go into the details on how that sort of thing happens but clearly it does. So thank you for playing along this Spring and hopefully you still got something good out of the experience (like reduced flank meat!). Here’s hoping you have a great rest of your Spring and hopefully we’ll see you again on the Spielbrett somewhere down the road!

Danke and may the Füste be ever with you!

Griswalde Grolar

Week 6: That's a wrap . . .

Füsters,

We’ve made it to the final week of Sprüngenfüste and not a minute too soon as Sömmer is right around the corner!

As time is of the essence, here’s your last updates:

  • Gameplay ends next Saturday, the Finalfüste. All bonuses and exercise points are available for completion until the bell rings at 5pm PST.

  • Week 6 offers you the chance to complete three Singelts, two Doppelts and two Trippelts (only six days in the final week).

  • Final Fastentag tomorrow . . . you know the drill. If you completed all six fasting days then you’ll earn the completion bonus!

  • Final set of weekly bonuses are HERE. Go check ‘em out!

That’s it for tonight. GG will check in with you all on Friday, the night before the final day of gameplay.

Have a great week!
GG