Running and Kenken

Lumosity is a company that sells subscriptions to a host of games intended to challenge the customer's mind, memory, attention, and more. I admit that it's fun and challenging, and I get a kick out of trying to best my high scores. But Lumosity has got me wondering what else is out there that can do essentially the same thing.

Any challenge is good for you, be it mental or physical. Seriously, challenge yourself. Like, right now.

For the physical side of things, I'm training for a marathon which is admittedly a lot more running than I'm used to, but it's okay. I'm currently in Florida, so I chose a marathon that was convenient to me and my schedule. I run nearly everyday, and have already done my big run of 24.5 miles to break in my body. My next big run will be the marathon itself.

For the mental, I like Kenken, so I go to kenkenpuzzle.com and try to solve a small puzzle as fast as possible. If you've never done Kenken, it's great! I prefer it to Sudoku because it involves basic arithmetic as well as the spatial part of the puzzle solving. In a 6x6 grid, for example, you have to fill in every row and column with the numbers 1 through 6. You'll notice that the grid is also sectioned off with thick bold lines. In each section, you'll see a number and an arithmetic sign. This is shorthand for "using all the hidden numbers in this section AND the given sign, calculate the given number." So if a box of two hidden numbers has "12X" written in it, you can deduce that these numbers are "4,3" or "6,2".

So I'm going to take my own advice and solve a kenken puzzle right now, then go for a run. I hope you do something like it too!