Coast to Coast.. the challenge
 

Good morning-

A group of us are going to log or steps/miles and walk, via the magic of computers, Coast to Coast. We will start out in a small town in Massachusetts, called Hopedale and walk our way to Seattle. Please join us? Together we can do it! Here are the details:

First, please sign up in the "Coast to Coast Challenge...Signup" thread (stickied in the top of the exercise section.)

Then every day or every few days just post the number of steps (or miles if you prefer) that you can contribute for that past day or days.

Please use this format:

Days that the steps or miles were logged:
Steps/miles for that time:
Total number of steps/miles, to date in the challenge:

We are starting in my homwtown and walking to Dance4Joy's hometown via I-90. I will keep track and map our way across the US. Along the way I will research and provide information about where we've just walked and where we are walking. Also anyone that wants to share information or pictures about areas we are walking through, please do share. We'll honor you are we walk through.

I am starting this thread today so we can chat, but need just a few more days for the planning. So please feel free to chat, and we'll start logging with Saturday's steps/miles.

Let's Go!

Yay, we will be off soon! HealthierMe thanks for organizing this... I can't wait for Saturday to start logging in my miles!!

and we countdown to the start of our trek...... :)

Hi Jayde

I look forward to walking with you! :) I am glad you and others are signing up as this is going to be a LONG walk home for me LOL and we will need all the help we can get! :)

Joy, we might all have to stay at your place once we get there.. I'll have to get a plane ticket back... or someone could always carry me home.. hehe

I can't wait to get this started! *bounces* :running:

I just signed up and I am really looking forward to learning about the different places along the way. Right now I am "stuck" on an island and need a change of scenery hehe!
Thanks to all who helped prepare this challenge.

Yay, we are to 10 of us, double digits, woo hoo! the more the merrier.

Dance, no problem. Thanks for all your suggestions. I am excited for the weekend.

No Spring chick, we are glad to have you along for the ride, I mean walk :D

Hello Jayde, welcome to you too! I've always liked countdowns, why should they be reserved for New year's eve only.

Lydia, don't use up all your energy bouncing, we need to save some for this long walk.

Have a nice evening.

Hi there Spring Chick.. and welcome!

I did a little research on Hopedale today. I found out its only about 18 miles from Mansfield.. which is a place I lived when I was a kid.. I thought about "walking" from my old house to Hopedale and meeting all of you there by Saturday morning.. but I would need 8 more miles to add to my warm-up before Saturday. .. so... I don't think I'll do it.. hehe...

Hopedale's weather for Saturday is supposed to be cold and rainy. http://www.city-data.com/forecast/w-...achusetts.html

Better pack some raincoats!

I was also wondering where we are going to meet. The walking tour that goes past the Hopedale Village Cemetary, Draper Field and the Town Center sounds nice even if it will probably be raining.

Thanks for the welcomes on the sign-up thread! I am excited. I am originally from Boston, but think I will be driving to meet you all on Sat.

I walked 2 miles today, but I am not sure if it is exercise as I am required to stop every 5 feet to allow my walking buddy to pee on a bush - OH well...

See you saturday!

Ummmm you DO realize this is a cyberwalk, right? ;)

Glad you are getting in the walking, even with the necessary pee stops LO

And Jayde, yes, tee that is the nice thing about a cyberwalk... you can sort of just "magically appear" at the starting place. :) I will be doing the same since I am the ENDING point and I certainly don't intend to walk 3066 miles tomorrow to "meet" you out there Saturday morning and walk back to Seattle LOL

lol - yes. I guess a well-placed smiley would have been useful there! Thanks for setting this up.

LOL well I figured you did but never know!! :) (Unless you literally want to walk to Seattle LOL). Can't wait to see you on Saturday... and I agree with Jayde... we need a meeting place LOL. Your suggestion sounds good to me... HealthierMe, how does that sound to you; did you have another location planned? LOL makes no difference to me since I don't know the location at all anyway. :)

LOL they are saying not only cloudy with chance of rain... which will make ME happy as can be as I love rain... but chances of SNOW in Hopedale on Saturday. We had best bounce out of bed early and get out of town or we might get caught in a cyberblizzard LOL

So far we have 10 people signed up so that is an average of 306 miles apiece LOL; hopefully more will join soon! (I think they will and this is going to be a huge success.) How do all of you like my new "advertising" ticker LOL? I am planning to redecorate it at big cities and as we cross state lines. It will be fun after Saturday to start filling in the mileage!!

Good morning everyone-
We can use Jayde's suggestion as the starting point. I think it's so cool that people even know where Hopedale is, since even alot of people that live is other parts of Mass don't. I actually live about a few hundred feet from Draper field, LOL. :D

I got my daffoldils from the American Cancer Society, and that means spring is here. We can't possibly have snow. Didn't you know about that rule?:)

I love the ticker Dance, thanks for recruiting.

LOL HM you won't have much of a journey to get to the starting place! We had another new sign up this morning so that is 11. Hey HM just a thought but you might want to put a link on the sign up thread so people make their way over here for chat.

Thanks for the promise of no snow. I am in Seattle so a little RAIN won't phase me LOL :snow4:

WOW! I even found a website with pictures of Draper Field so I can see where I am going LOL! This is great! I am impressed by all the stuff about Hopedale on the Internet!

My warm-up walk has taken me from my old house in Mansfield to the intersection of 495 and Hartford Ave... 15 miles... I am about 5 miles short..

So... someone pick me up.. I'll be the one standing on the side of the road with a big smile on her face.

Really if I could do five more and get there on my own I would.. but hey.. someone is going my way, aren't they? ;)

See you all in Hopedale...
 

I'll be starting out a 5 am in the morning, so for all you that sleep in.. you can catch up later in the day! :)


Dee

Jayde, I would be glad to pick you up but I got a direct airline flight tonight from Seattle straight into Hopedale! I was amazed that there was an airport there big enough to land a jet, wow! But I would think surely there is someone here who could spot you and give you a lift on in. Bailey said she is driving so maybe she could stop for you.

Dee I often start around 5 AM too but I can see you are going to have me beat... because that would only be 2 AM if I was back in Seattle, and I will probably have jetlag so it will SEEM like it really IS 2 AM!! So you will probably be in Milford before I get started (assuming that is the town we are going to LOL I don't know that area at all and just looked at Mapquest). Also tomorrow I work at a food bank part of the day so may not be able to get off to a very good start on the miles.

By the way there was one drawback to the direct flight... it doesn't actually LAND in Hopedale but in Boston. So if you see a jet going over Draper Field, look up and wave... I will be the one jumping out with the parachute. They promised to drop me right over the field!!!

Oh... and since I do not really like to be called Dance4Joy but prefer "Misti" I will sign myself as that... somehow the other got started from my sign in name which is old old old LOL. I am sure I will get addressed as both but here among friends I would rather be Misti. (As in Misti in Seattle).

Misti

Hey this is great!!!!

http://www.hopedale-ma.gov/Public_Do...A_Parks/photos

Be sure to click on "Draper Field Today"

See you there bright and early tomorrow LOL

Here is the starting lineup so far:

HealthierMe - Hopedale MA
Michele - Iowa
Jayde - West of the Atlantic
Lydia - San Antonio TX
Kathy - ?
Bailey - MA
No Spring Chick - ?
Apple Blossom - Sacramento CA
Dee - Florida Keys
Lala - Central Florida
Misti (aka Dance4Joy) - Seattle WA

Misti

A start, at least....
 

Well guys... the heel pain is really getting me today, but I got 1.5 miles in, and plan on doing more later today. I guess I'm going to have to get a cortisone shot in that heel after all, OUCH! Hope everyone has a great morning and a great day.. I'm going to be at my kid's hockey games this morning, but then I'm going to attempt to walk home.

Dee
3/25- 1.5 miles so far

OH, and Misti, good luck on that parachute landing.. if it is as windy in hopedale as it is in the keys today, it may be a rough one, :)

Great start, Dee! Hope your heel gets better! I understand, as I have plantar fascitis (sp?) and bone spurs... not always easy to get these bodies i shape!!!

It is 4:40 back home Seattle time and I just landed safely in Draper Field... whew you were right; that wind was rough!!! :) I am just now changing into my walking clothes and ready to hit the streets!!!

Will meet up with the rest of you a bit later!

Misti

ready to WALK this way?
 

The first thing that I should tell you is that Joe Perry from Aerosmith is from Hopedale. They played their first gig at Nipmunk Regional High Scholl, up the road. When they were inducted into the MTV Hall of fame they actually wore Nipmunk shirts. So it's befitting to listen to a little Aerosmith music if you'd like. Now the historians would argue that this fact is not the most important one.

Today Hopedale is a small community with about 6,000 residents, it is 31 miles SW of Boston. The first recorded settlement was based around a mill that was set up to grind corn in 1669 by Benjamin Albee. Then in 1842, followers of Reverend Adin Ballou, would were looking to combine christian values with relgios freedoms, formed a community. They combined farming and manufacturing and took strong social stands again on many pressing issues such as women's rights. The area was called Hope Dale, it had formerely been called just The Dale.

Sadly, there were disagreements that ended in bankcruptcy in 1856. Two followers of Ballou, George and Ebenezer took over the land and eventually started making textile machinery. These machines were sent all over the world, and many believe that those shipments by the Draper Mill were what resulted in the textile industry moving to the South.

The mill has long since closed, so Hopedale does not really have an industry. In fact there is no bank, no supermarket and but one gas station. We do have a small airport and a small golf course. Other things you need can be found in nearby Milford or Bellingham.

So, we are walking out way to I-90, which is about 11 miles away

Glad you made it Dee and Misti!

More to follow.....

Wow thanks for all the good info, HM! It is neat that I am also learning about the country. In researching Hopedale I found it fascinating! It sounds like a wonderful place to live!

I am logging in my first 3 miles!!!

I will be looking for a church to "attend" tomorrow so am hoping we can make it to Milford in time LOL

Misti

This sounds like fun! What a good idea. A great incentive for me to get off my butt and go for a long walk or job. I'm going to go and sign up!

Misti, you forgot about Lena!

I'm off to a slow start already. I blame it on jet lag!

Welcome, Odaley… so this makes us 13 now, doesn’t it? Or did I miscount?

Days that the steps or miles were logged: March 25
Steps/miles for that time: 3.2 miles
Total number of steps/miles, to date in the challenge: HM… we are putting cumulative miles for the whole group here, right? If so, it is 7.2..counting what I just logged in.
We need 3.8 more miles to get us to I-90..

HM thanks for all the info on Hopedale. It seems like a peaceful place to live. I saw a picture of part if the old mill wall… buried in the woods.. it reminded me of an old house foundation I came upon as a child wandering in the woods..

I am absolutely sore today.. last night I could barely move.. so I am surprised that I got on the treadmill.. let alone stayed on it.. after the first half mile I was ready to quit.. I kept the incline as usual.. but think my next spurt might be a walk on flatter terain... But I feel great.. sore but great.

I am confused... I thought we were starting to count the miles for the coast to coast today, 3/26. I only show 4.5 miles... but LOL, HM is keeping it all in a database so will see what she shows and make mine match it. :) Good thing we have an official milekeeper since we (or at least I) are confused before we even get out of town... LOL poor HM!!! :)

Yikes, how did I miss Lena?? LOL sorry Lena... I did know you were here!! Humbly begging your forgiveness! :fr:

LOL Jayde that is one thing about living in Seattle... I can forget about the idea of walking on flat terrain. There isn't any!!! When I first moved back from Fort Lauderdale (flat flat flat) it took me a while to get my "Seattle legs" back LOL

Misti

Good Morning! Just stretching and getting ready to get started but...did you all leave without me? :lol: I am walking right now will be back with miles..Did we start today Saturday or Did I miss it yesterday...Oh well I could maybe run a little :rofl: and catch up.....Blyn

Nope we started today, Saturday! You are right on time! A couple of us early birds were out at 5 AM so got a bit down the road but we will wait for the rest of you to catch up so we can all stay together LOL

Misti

Updated list:

LENA - Midwest USA :hug: :)
HealthierMe - Hopedale MA
Michele - Iowa
Jayde - West of the Atlantic
Lydia - San Antonio TX
Kathy - ?
Bailey - MA
No Spring Chick - ?
Apple Blossom - Sacramento CA
Dee - Florida Keys
Lala - Central Florida
Misti - Seattle WA
Odaley - Canada
Blyn - South Dakota

That makes 14 so far! Great group!

Misti

Hey! Wait for me! :D (Puff puff puff, as I run to catch up) I've got to go get my pedometer today, but I'll toss in my steps/mileage as soon as I can. I wish yardwork counted for miles... :snail:

I should cue up the Aerosmith on my iPod whilst I dig!

-Lala

Now I'm confused!
 

We started today, 3/25 and I get 7.7 miles (1.5 + 3.0 + 3.2), so far.

Ummmm... it CAN if you wear your pedometer while you are doing it and get steps... 2000 steps = 1 mile. I wear mine all day and count them!

Misti

Welcome Blyn and Odaley, so glad you could join us!

Fast approaching I-90
 

So with Michele's 3 miles we are at 10.7, just about at I-90. Yeah, watch out for the cars, you know what they say about us massachusetts drivers, LOL:)

Whew...just did 2 mile WATP for Abs also!!! 4724 steps and counting.....

Thanks HM... now I have the mileage straightened out LOL. :)

Wow we are getting really close to I90! Thanks for the caution!!! Actually we would be there except I was only reporting mine in .5 increments; I actually had almost another mile but I will log that in with the next update so as not to confuse things any more LOL.

HM great advertisement!!!!

Misti