My virtual run across America, and a business idea.

[Rain Man]

So I'm getting over my little knee problem and have started running again, and I thought it'd be cool to plot my progress on a map of the U.S., running across the country. I've always thought it would be cool to walk across the U.S., but I can't figure out how to get my work done in that scenario, so this is my fallback.

And then I thought, "Hmm, this is a pretty good idea for a website. If I started a website, could I get enough people to sell some advertising and stuff and maybe make some money?"

So I went out looking to see if it's already out there. The concept isn't overly innovative, so I see a fair amount of sites out there that talk about it, but they all seem to be pretty lame. Here's a map, print it, color in your progress with a crayon kind of stuff.

What I'd like is a web site where you plot your progress and then see a google maps street view of your location, and then a virtual tour of towns that you walk through, and an atlas so you can pick your route as you go, and an interactive map so you can plot your route. That doesn't exist.

Is there money in this? What's the revenue model? Any web designers out there who would want to collaborate on this?

In my 15 minutes of looking, I found one web site that's actually kind of close, though it's still basic. http://exercise.lbl.gov/index.html is a federal government site, and they do the street view pictures, which is pretty cool, and the online log. However, they only give you one route, an inexplicable Yorktown, Virginia, to Florence, Oregon, route, and you can't vary from that. Also, you don't get local information along your route as far as I can tell.

I signed up for it, though, since it's the best option out there, and am now 11 miles into my journey. I've left Yorktown and am now on this nice road about 2 miles from Williamsburg. Anyone else want to wander along?

[Taco John]

If you run by my house wearing a virtual reality helmet, I'll throw a wad of ones your way for the entertainment of it all. There's got to be a business model in there somewhere.

[ziggysocki]

13.04 mi to Ashland, VA, Hanover County.
My mileage should really pick up now... week 7 of marathon training...
mon-3 mi. , tue-6 mi. , wed-3 mi. and 12 mi. on saturday.

Here is my scenery and relative progress to my CP training partners.

[Rain Man]

I'm at 159.1 miles now, 7.9 miles from Palmyra in Fluvanna County. Virginia is very pretty, but it all looks the same so far.

I think I'm more than 25 percent through the state now, and about 4 percent of the way across the U.S. on this route.

[Rain Man]

Why the heck won't they give me a little of West Virginia or Tennessee? I want to be able to count more states.

[Rain Man]

I've got a little traffic jam going as I enter Lexington, Virginia. I think the horses are slowing things down.

I'm at 271.6 miles since December 27th, averaging about 5.4 miles per day. Within the next two days I should be halfway through Virginia, and am about 7 percent of the way across the U.S.

How are my teammates doing? Y'all getting your miles logged? Ziggy? Rage? Rock? Dart?

[ziggysocki]

Originally Posted by Rain Man

I've got a little traffic jam going as I enter Lexington, Virginia. I think the horses are slowing things down.

I'm at 271.6 miles since December 27th, averaging about 5.4 miles per day. Within the next two days I should be halfway through Virginia, and am about 7 percent of the way across the U.S.

How are my teammates doing? Y'all getting your miles logged? Ziggy? Rage? Rock? Dart?

Man... I have been so busy getting back into the whole university student routine, I have forgot to log the miles... still running, just forgot to log... ill check in in a little while.

[patteeu]

I think I saw a guy who looked just like ziggysocki jogging in place with a bookbag over his shoulder just outside of Ashland.

[ziggysocki]

Ok. I updated my miles, 4 miles to Charlottesville. I don't know how the hell this thing accumulates...
59131 ziggysocki 183.8 mi
59102 RainMan 151.7 mi
59136 Rage 125.2 mi
59338 BrentF 78.4 mi
Sooooo I don't know why mine doesn't show your other 100 miles RainMan. My mileage reflects what I have accumulated with my Garmin (Running only). (btw... Did an 18 miler this weekend at 9 min pace VERY comfortably - I have been training around 7:45)

[rageeumr]

With weather, broken toe, screaming infant... etc, my training has really taken a hit. But I did a 15 miler at an 8:03 clip on Saturday and it felt fantastic. I didn't feel the least bit tired, but my legs were toast by the end. I might get ready for a spring marathon after all.

I also bought a nice Specialized bike that I'll be picking up this week. So I'll be logging some cycling miles before too long. I want to do a couple tri's this summer and see if I like them.

Oh, and I'm showing:
59136 R.J. 116.0 mi
59131 Ziggy 174.6 mi
59102 Rain Man 260.8 mi
59338 BrentF 153.3 mi

[Rain Man]

Originally Posted by ziggysocki

Sooooo I don't know why mine doesn't show your other 100 miles RainMan. My mileage reflects what I have accumulated with my Garmin (Running only). (btw... Did an 18 miler this weekend at 9 min pace VERY comfortably - I have been training around 7:45)

Just a hunch, but if your settings are only for running, I wonder if your system ignores my walking miles and counts only my running miles. That would kind of make up for the difference.

Other than that, I have no idea.

[Rain Man]

I am in California, and the invasion fleet is in training. My mission is to seize high ground on Catalina Island in a 13.1 mile amphibious landing and ground invasion.

I can see the island from my base. The invasion fleet will launch Friday, and the assault will occur on Saturday.

[Rain Man]

Here's the boat to which I am assigned on the invasion fleet. I pray that we will make the beach in one piece.

[Rain Man]

My mission will be to seize the mountain 1,500 feet above the shore, secure it, and then move over to to a nearby lower peak and seize it as well. If I can do it in less than 2 hours and 40 minutes and then return to the landing area, we will control the island. If it takes longer than 2 hours and 50 minutes, the second wave will all surely perish in their Higgins boats. This invasion depends on me and my men.

[Rain Man]

The invasion was a success. I made it in 2:26:59, which was much faster than I was expecting. It was a big haul uphill during the first 5 miles, and parts seemed bigger than was shown on the map. Mile 5 looked like it would be a shallow uphill, but it had some significant slope up and down, as did Mile 8. Add to that the fact that it rained all night, producing muddy trails, and I'm very happy with my time.

I came in 104th out of 204. One ship with roughly 100 runners got in late due to storms and weather, requiring a second start time, so only about 20 of those runners ran. They were the more serious ones since a majority of them beat my time, which knocked me out of the top half of finishers. Bummer. I was still in the top half of my gender/age group, though.

[ziggysocki]

I am way behind in logging my virtual run, but I will get it caught up... main reason I am posting though is that I just got back from a 20 miler. Finished in 2:43:46 averaged 8:11 miles... and I feel great. tired, but no aches and pains so to speak... Now I am going to throw a brisket on the smoker and try and eat the whole ****er myself about 8 pm tonight.