Neeley Biggest Loser

Final Standings!

2011-08-09T18:40:00.001-04:00

CONGRATULATIONS, SHARKS!

On the last day of the challenge, the Sharks crossed the finish line, earning an official 2nd place finish in the challenge. Also, Linda won the award for going the most number of miles, and Vicky was the runner up. Great work!

And just a final congratulations to everyone who participated in the challenge. I hope you had a great time!

Stay tuned for details on the next family challenge.

Race Standings Week 11

2011-07-20T09:16:00.000-04:00

The teams were a little lax in reporting this week. Since the Ninjas were the only team to report on time, I awarded them an extra 5 miles. (I think the Gimps may be lost somewhere.) We have just a little less than a week left in the challenge. Who will be able to cross the finish line before it’s over?

Water Bugs Week 11

2011-07-20T08:22:00.001-04:00

Sarah = 15
Alison = 15
Todd = 10

Total miles = 40
Virtual miles = 400

Total miles = 6,390

Sharks Week 11

2011-07-19T10:38:00.001-04:00

Linda: 40
Victoria: 30
Megan: 10

Total: 80
Virtual Total: 800
Cumulative Virtual Total: 6920

Megan and Todd don't have a computer right now.

Ninjas Week 11

2011-07-18T13:12:00.003-04:00

Liz 30
Kristin 13
Shannon 36

Total 79
Virtual Total 790
Cum Virtual Total 6020

Race Standings Week 10

2011-07-13T14:18:00.019-04:00

CONGRATULATIONS, Happy Campers!

Sometime last week the Happy Campers crossed the finish line and are now merrily hanging out in Holden Beach, NC a full three weeks early! (Aunt Vicky is actually literally hanging out there...) Each member of the Happy Campers was incredibly consistent week after week, and their efforts have paid off: they have won the first-ever Neeley Family virtual race! I will have a special prize for each of them at the Family Reunion.

The rest of teams are making great progress! Who will come in 2nd? Now that there are no mileage limits it's any team's race!

Here is where are teams stand:

This week, I will start with the Gimps: Eleanor took full advantage of elimination of milage limits and logged an incredibe 39 miles! (GREAT job, Eleanor!!) Her team is now 15 miles past Jamestown, ND (home, you may remember, of the largest buffalo statue in the world). They are currently in Urbana, ND, apparently named after its "sister city" Urbana, Illinois. It seems that today, the North Dakota Urbana is considered a ghost town consisting only of three houses/farms, an abandoned school, and a grain elevator. It is said to have a population of "7" although I am not sure if my source meant 7 people or 7 ghosts...Either way, if I were the Gimps, I would move on quickly.

A few miles up the road, the Triforce Ninjas are currently in Ashby, Minnesota,whose motto is, "You'll like Ashby." Ashby is on the eastern fringe of the Red River Valley, which was carved out by ancient glaciers. As a result, it is nested in gently rolling hills and [special note to JoAnna and Uncle Keith] many good fishing lakes, the most prominent of which is Pelican Lake directly south of the city. And good news, Ninjas: the "Asbhy Appreciation Days" are being held this weekend (complete with a 5K run/walk) if you want to stick around.

The Water Bugs, who are right on the heels of the Sharks (or would be, if Sharks had heels...) are in Bronson, Michigan. Bronson, a small town of about 2,500 people, was named after the first settler in the area, Jabez B. Bronson, who moved there from Ohio in 1828. Today, the City of Bronson has a diversified population including many of German, Polish and Hispanic descent. The surrounding area apparently also has a large number Amish. It's sister city is Moryn, Poland and Bronson is having a Polish festival later this month.

This week, the Sharks find themselves in Detroit, Michigan. There are so many things I could write about Detroit: its historic significance; the church cannery I spent many hours at as a youth (and where I vowed to forever avoid canned chili); it's tragic economic and population decline; politics & scandals; it's many notable residents; the automobile industry; Motown; things to do there; gangs, drugs, and crime; it's sad sports teams; the crazy airport--but in the interest of time, I have decided to just copy and paste the first paragraph from its Wikipedia page: "Detroit is the largest city in the state of Michigan and the seat of Wayne County. Detroit is a major port city on the Detroit River, in Midwestern United States. It was founded on July 24, 1701, by the Frenchman Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac. Its name originates from the French word détroit (for strait) in reference to its location on the river connecting the Great Lakes."

I would also like to refer you to this kinda cool 4-minute YouTube Video entitled "Detroit City". The quotation at the very beginning is hard to make out, but I believe it is from a poem by Jackson Solo:

There's gold
in the hills
of California.

But, my son,
there's God
in the alleys of Detroit.

And finally, back to my top story: the Happy Campers have arrived in Holden Beach, NC. Holden Beach is a seaside town in Brunswick County, North Carolina and one of my favorite places. It is named for the Holden family, whose connections to the island go back to before the American Revolution.

Since (I think) all of us will be spending some time there this summer, I thought you may be interested in a rough history of the Holden Beach:

1756: The island is purchaced by Benjamin Holden. (At the time it was between his plantation and the ocean.) Benjamin and his sons use the island for fishing and cattle grazing.
Early 1920s. John Holden, a great-grandson of Benjamin, runs a commercial fishery on the island and builds a hotel.
1924: John surveys a section of the island which he calls "Holden Beach Resort." It becomes the first subdivision of beach property in Brunswick County.
1925: John builds a bridge from the mainland to the island.
late 1920s/early 1930s Bridge is destroyed when the Intracostal Waterway undergoes contruction. John lobbies state of North Carolina for a public ferry.
1934: Public ferry begins opperating (John did not live to see this.)
1936: Intracostal Waterway is completed
mid 1930s: Luther S. Holden, John's son, opperates the old hotel that his father built and starts development of the property nearby. (He becomes a permanent resident of the island in 1946).
1940s: John F. Holden (Luther.s son) and his wife Johnsie M. Holden begin developing Holden Beach as a resort community. John and Johnsie starting building homes to rent to vacationers and to sell. (In the early 1940s one could buy an oceanfront house with the land for about $600.)
October 15, 1954: Hurricane Hazel hits the island and causes a lot of damage. At the time, the island has has about 300 homes and a turnbridge. The rebuilding is slow.
February 14, 1969: the island becomes an incorporated town.
May 13, 1986: the Town of Holden Beach dedicates a new high-rise steel and concrete bridge, allowing better access to the more than 1900 homes on the island.

As an interesting side note, according to Wikipedia, John and Johnsie's two sons, Lyn and J. Alan, currently both live in Holden Beach making them the 7th generation of Holdens to live there. (And Alan's son and his family apparently also live on the island). I can't wait to be there myself! (Both virtually and physically.)

triforce ninjas week 10

2011-07-12T06:48:00.001-04:00

I'm sorry team - don't hate me too much! Shannon asked me to post this week and I forgot.
(I don't really know how the penalty works, so Alison will just have to take it off.)

liz: 18
shannon: 8
kristin: 19
total: 45
grand total: 524
virtual total: 5240

Penalty = 5 miles
Total virtual miles = 5235
(Edited by Alison)

Water Bugs Week 10

2011-07-11T23:53:00.000-04:00

Alison:20
Sarah:18
Todd:7

Week Total:45
Week virtual total:450

Total:5990 miles

Sharks Week 10

2011-07-11T11:12:00.000-04:00

Linda: 15
Victoria: 15
Megan: 7

Week Total: 37
Total Virtual: 370

Total Total: 612
Total Virtual: 6120

Happy Campers Week 10

2011-07-10T17:26:00.001-04:00

Vicky: 31
Justin: 27
JoAnna: 24

Actual miles this week: 82
Virtual miles this week: 820

Total actual miles: 801
Total virtual miles: 8,010

The Gimps Week 10

2011-07-10T17:21:00.001-04:00

Eleanor: 39
Josh: 11
Ruth: 28

total miles: 78
virtual miels: 780

Total miles = 507.5
Total virtual miles = 5,075

Race Standings Week 9

2011-07-05T20:18:00.002-04:00

After 9 weeks, the Happy Campers find themselves 310 miles away from the finish line. It seems likely that they will clinch their win this week. The Sharks furthered their lead over the other teams, and now that there is no longer a 30 mile maximum, seem likely to pull farther ahead. But, we shall see.

Here is where the teams currently stand.

Oh, just a side note: Last week, I reported that the Happy Campers were in Fremont, Ohio. Perhaps it was my love of Fremont that clouded my math skills, but in reality the team was closer to Buffalo, NY (recently named the “10th best place to raise a family in America.”)

But no matter, I am back on track with my arithmetic and mapping skills and this week, I can definitively say that team is in Mount Airy, North Carolina, a small town in North Carolina near the Virginia border that I would guess everyone has probably driven through on their way to the beach.

Mount Airy was the birthplace and childhood home of American actor Andy Griffith, and is widely believed to be the inspiration for the fictional community Mayberry, the setting of The Andy Griffith Show and its sequel, Mayberry RFD. To honor this legacy, the community holds an annual "Mayberry Days" celebration during the last weekend of September; 30,000 attended in 2009, and 50,000 were expected for the show's 50th anniversary in 2010. The University of North Carolina at Greensboro estimates the town receives $5 million each year as a result.

In 2nd place, the Sharks are near Milwaukee, the largest city in Wisconsin. The first Europeans to pass through the area were French missionaries and fur traders, but in the 1840’s and following decades, large numbers of German and other immigrants helped increase the city's population. Until very recently, Milwaukee as seen almost exclusively as a brewing and manufacturing powerhouse, but at least according to Wikipedia, Milwaukee's image has changed with the decline of industry in the region. (Although personally, I didn’t realize its image had changed; I had still had been associating it with beer and manufacturing…they should maybe get the word out more…)

Anyway, also according to Wikipedia, In the past decade, major new additions to the city include the Milwaukee Riverwalk, the Frontier Airlines Center, Miller Park, an internationally renowned addition to the Milwaukee Art Museum, and Pier Wisconsin, as well as major renovations to the U.S. Cellular Arena. In addition, many new skyscrapers, condos, lofts and apartments have been constructed in neighborhoods on and near the lakefront and riverbanks.

The Water Bugs, who were penalized 5 miles because not all of their team’s scores were reported on time (Sorry team! I felt like I had to penalize us…) Alexandria, Minnesota, the county seat of Douglas County, MN. According to Wikipedia, it was settled in 1858 and “named after Alexander and William Kinkead.” If this is true, I sure think William got shafted. The motto of Alexandria is “easy to get to, hard to leave” which actually seems more threatening to me than welcoming. (Maybe it reminds me too much of the Eagles’ “Hotel California”). But ominous city motto aside, the city is apparently known as a tourism center due to its many lakes and resorts. Tourism events include:

a Grape Stomp hosted by the Carlos Creek Winery every September
an Apple Fest in October
the Douglas County Fair every August
"Art in the Park" every July
the annual Vikingland Band Festival parade marching championship
A museum housing the controversial "Kensington Runestone," thought by some to indicate that Vikings had visited the area in the 14th century. Outside the museum stands Big Ole, a 25-foot-tall statue of a Viking originally built for the World's Fair in New York in 1964

The Triforce Ninjas, who seem to be steadily catching up, are in are in Glendive, Montana: population 4,935 (according to the 2010 census). Glendive, the seat of Dawson County, is located in South Eastern Montana and is apparently considered by many to be “the agricultural hub of Eastern Montana.” Having driven through Glendive, and being somewhat of an expert in agriculture, I am not sure exactly how it could earn this distinction, but I will try not to judge. The town itself is tucked between the Yellowstone River and the Badlands—an amazing part of the country named for its rugged terrain and jagged rock formations. I really love the Badlands. The Ninjas are very close to one of my new favorite places (just discovered last year): Theodore Roosevelt National Park—I hope they enjoy it (at least virtually) as much as I did.

Finally, the Gimps are in my VERY favorite National Park: Yellowstone. No matter how many times I visit Yellowstone I am still amazed by it. The only place I have ever been even remotely similar to Yellowstone is Iceland. By my calculations (which I would understand if you were skeptical of…) the Gimps are right by Old Faithful. Old Faithful was named in 1870 during the Washburn-Langford-Doane Expedition and was the first geyser in the park to receive a name, because of the predictability of the geysers eruptions. It was so faithful that in the early days of the park, it was apparently used as a laundry: “Old Faithful is sometimes degraded by being made a laundry. Garments placed in the crater during quiescence are ejected thoroughly washed when the eruption takes place. General Sheridan’s men, in 1882, found that linen and cotton fabrics were uninjured by the action of the water, but woolen clothes were torn to shreds.”

The time between eruptions has increases since the time the geyser was first discovered, but apparently has become even more predictable: with a margin of error of 10 minutes, Old Faithful will erupt 65 minutes after an eruption lasting less than 2.5 minutes or 91 minutes after an eruption lasting more than 2.5 minutes.

Great job teams! Just as a reminder, as I mentioned above from this point on there is no restriction on miles. This should make my mom very happy.

The Gimps Week 9

2011-07-04T23:15:00.001-04:00

Eleanor: 17
Josh: 12
Ruth: 30

total miles: 59
virtual miels: 590

Total miles = 429.5
Total virtual miles = 4,295

Happy Campers Week 9

2011-07-04T23:07:00.001-04:00

Happy Fourth!!! :)

Vicky: 23
Justin: 27
JoAnna: 30

Actual miles this week: 80
Virtual miles this week: 800

Total actual miles: 719
Total virtual miles: 7,190

Ninjas Week 9

2011-07-04T23:06:00.002-04:00

Liz 30
Kristin 20
Shannon 7

Total: 57
Cumulative Total: 479
Virtual Cum Total: 4790

Water Bugs Week 9

2011-07-04T21:04:00.003-04:00

Todd:20
Alison:7
Sarah:21

week total: 48 miles
virtual week total: 480mil

virtual total:5540 miles

Sharks Week 9

2011-07-04T18:22:00.000-04:00

Linda: 23
Victoria: 15
Megan: 16

Weel Total: 54
Week Virtual: 540

Total total: 575
Total Virtual: 5750

Race Standings Week 8

2011-07-03T23:08:00.002-04:00

It’s hard to believe that we have completed the 8th week of our challenge. The Happy Campers are within sight of the finish line, but all the teams are on pace to finish the challenge before the family reunion. Here is where the teams currently stand:

The incredibly consistent Happy Campers have made it to Fremont, Ohio. Fremont is a city in and the county seat of Sandusky County, Ohio. A designated "Tree City." Fremont has a population of just over 17,000 people. For a small town, it has been home to a surprisingly large number of famous people. For example, former President of the United States Rutherford B. Hayes lived in the city for a period of time and dedicated a library to the town. Additionally, Fremont is also the hometown of UFC Legend Mark “The Hammer” Coleman; NFL players Charles “Poochie” Woodson (who was in Shannon’s gym class), Rob Lytle, and Bob Brudzinski; TV fitness personality Tony Little; and of course, Alison, Shannon, Kristin, and Megan.

In second place, the Sharks find themselves near Fergus Falls, Minnesota, a community of 13,500 friendly people, many of whom are of apparently of Scandinavian descent. Fergus Falls is the seat of Otter Tail County and is located approximately 180 miles northwest of Minneapolis, near the fertile Red River Valley. The vast number of beautiful clean lakes and wooded areas near Fergus Falls is a major attraction for people interested in vacationing in the area. In fact, with more than 1,100 lakes, Otter Tail County has more lakes than any other county in North America. Fergus Falls has been recognized as a “Tree City” for 31 years, making it the longest standing “Tree City” in Minnesota.

The Water Bugs are in Jamestown, ND, home of the World’s Largest Buffalo. Jamestown is a year-round vacation area, offering a large variety of recreational opportunities including summer activities such as fishing, hunting, and golfing and winter activities such as ice fishing, snowmobiling, and cross country skiing.
Other tourist attractions include:

The Triforce Ninjas are in one of my favorite places: Grand Teton National Park. Located in northwestern Wyoming, Grand Teton National Park preserves a spectacular landscape rich with majestic mountains, pristine lakes and extraordinary wildlife. The park's world-renowned scenery attracts nearly four million visitors per year. The Ninjas are near Colter Bay Village, a really great campground on the shore of Jackson Lake where my mom, Helo, my friend Howard, and I all stayed on our epic road trip last year.

Finally, the Gimps are currently in Lynndyl, UT, a tiny town of about 100 people in Millard County, Utah. I was not really able to find anything super exciting about Lynndyl. Apparently, it began as a railroad town in 1907. Farming in the area began around 1912.

Sharks Week 8

2011-06-27T23:19:00.000-04:00

Linda: 28
Victoria: 25
Megan: 25

Week Total: 78
Week Virtual: 780

Total total: 521
Total Virtual: 5210

Water Bugs Week 8

2011-06-27T23:04:00.000-04:00

Todd:29.5
Sarah:17
Alison:17

Week total:63.5
Virtual week total:635

Total virtual miles:5060 miles

Happy Campers Week 8

2011-06-27T23:01:00.003-04:00

Vicky: 30
Justin: 28
JoAnna: 17

Actual miles this week: 75
Virtual miles this week: 750

Total actual miles: 639
Total virtual miles: 6,390

***and thanks Alison for the week seven post. i was missing it this week and was wondering where everyone was. i know you are busy so we really appreciate you taking the time to make the challenge extra fun and interesting. :) ***

Ninjas Week 8

2011-06-27T23:01:00.000-04:00

Liz 30
Shannon 13
Kristin 13

Total: 56
CumulativeTotal: 422
Virtual Total: 4220

The Gimps Week 8

2011-06-27T22:58:00.001-04:00

Eleanor: 14
Josh: 10
Ruth: 28

total miles: 52
virtual miels: 520

Total miles = 370.5
Total virtual miles = 3705

Race standings week 7

2011-06-27T22:49:00.002-04:00

I apologize for being so late in posting this week. It was an incredibly busy week, and I am still trying to get caught up.

Here are the standings for week 7:

This post will be short this week:

The Gimps made it to Yosemite National Park and are near Siesta Lake, subject of one of Ansel Adams' eerily beautiful photographs:

About 500 miles down the road, the Triforce Ninjas have reached Millard County, Utah (see my extensive write up last week) and are about 30 miles from Hinckley, UT in the middle of the Sevier Desert. It's pretty desolate, so I hope the Triforce Ninjas brought plenty of water.

The Sharks have pulled into 2nd place, but the Water Bugs are close at their heals. Both teams are currently in Livingston, Montana, situated on the Yellowstone River and seeped in Western hsitory: In 1806 Captain William Clark of the Lewis and Clark Expedition camped on the city's present outskirts on the return trip east, following the descending Yellowstone River. The city was inhabited for two decades by Calamity Jane and visited by adventurous traveling members of European royalty.

Today Livingston is a small art haven, filming location (A River Runs Through It, The Horse Whisperer, Rancho Deluxe, and others), fishing destination, railroad town, and writers' and actors' colony. Actors Peter Fonda, Margot Kidder, as well as Saturday Night Live alumnus Rich Hall, musician Ron Strykert, novelist Walter Kirn, and poet Jim Harrison live in the city. Jimmy Buffett mentions Livingston in multiple songs.

The Happy Campers, have made it to Madison, Wisconsin, capitol of the state and home to the University of Wisconsin Badgers. Madison has most recently been in the news as the site for massive protests against a bill proposed by Governor Scott Walker that would remove most (or in some cases all) collective bargaining rights for most public worker unions. Protests in and around the capitol building involved between 10,000 and 85,000 people and lasted for several weeks. In 2009 Madison was listed by Money Magazine as the number one place to live for job growth.

Sharks Week 8

2011-06-27T22:39:00.000-04:00

Linda: 28
Victoria: 25
Megan: 25

Week Total: 78
Week Virtual: 780

Total total: 521
Total virtual: 5210

The Gimps Week 7

2011-06-20T23:33:00.006-04:00

Eleanor: 11
Josh: 8
Ruth: 30

total miles: 49
virtual miels: 490

Total miles = 318.5
Total virtual miles = 3185
(Edited by Alison)

Happy Campers

2011-06-20T23:32:00.002-04:00

Vicky: 26
Justin: 22
JoAnna: 20

Actual miles this week: 68
Virtual miles this week: 680

Total actual miles: 564
Total virtual miles: 5,640

Ninjas Week 7

2011-06-20T23:31:00.005-04:00

Liz 15
Kristin 13
Shannon 14.5

Total 42.5
Cumulative Total: 366
Cumulative Virtual Total: 3660

I was wrong before. We weren't shorted, I just wrote something down wrong. Correct numbers above. (This was originally posted before midnight.)

Sharks Week 7

2011-06-20T22:48:00.001-04:00

Linda: 30
Victoria: 18
Megan: 26

Total Week: 74
Virtual Week: 740

Total Total: 443
Virtual Total: 4430

Water Bugs Week 7

2011-06-20T22:43:00.001-04:00

Alison:30

Sarah:18

Todd:15.5

Total miles for week:63.5

Total virtual for week:635

Total Virtual:4425miles

Race standings Week 6

2011-06-15T13:39:00.002-04:00

I apologize for my tardiness in posting. I was so tired last night!

So, this week the Happy Campers pretty much cemented their 1st place lead, and are now 1,170 miles ahead of the nearest team. You math majors out there will immediately realize that this puts them over a week ahead of the other teams (who are actually relatively close to one another). Next week, the Happy Campers may have have their own map.

Here is where the teams stand this week (with one exception that I am too lazy to correct at this point--The Shark's mileage actually puts them closer to Hinckley, UT than Delta):

The Happy Campers are just outside of Bismarck, the capital of North Dakota and 2nd largest city in the state after Fargo. I was actually in Bismarck almost exactly a year ago, and was really impressed with the town. It is situated on the bank of the Missouri River, and has some really spectacular scenery. The friends of my parents (who we stayed with while we were in Bismarck) told us that residents of the town love the outdoors and tend to be very active whenever the weather permits. This is definitely reflected in the extensive network of the over 2,300 acres of public of parks and trails found in the city.

I realize that this is just a virtual race, but the Happy Campers seem to have a way of managing to end up in some of the prettiest places in the United States.

The Water Bugs, who are in a fierce battle with the Sharks for 2nd place (at least according to my mom) maintained their edge this week and are currently in American Fork, Utah. American Fork--I am guessing everyone in the challenge knows--is located at the foot of Mount Timpanogos in the Wasatch Range, north of Utah Lake and is considered part of the Provo-Orem Metropolitan area. Because of its proximity to Lake Utah, the town was originally named "Lake City" by settlers in 1852. However,in 1860 the settlers changed the name from Lake City to “American Fork” (after the American Fork River), apparently to avoid confusion with Salt Lake City.

American Fork has been featured in several movies. For example, the carnival scene of the 1993 film "The Sandlot" was filmed in American Fork on State Street. Several scenes from the 1984 movie "Footloose" were also filmed in American Fork including the opening scene inside the church, the front porch scene with Kevin Bacon and his family, and the gas station scene in which Bacon refuels his Volkswagen.

American fork borders Pleasant Grove, where Megan and Todd are about to move, but let’s hope that this fact doesn’t cause Todd to want to linger here.

The Sharks, currently in 3rd place, are near Hinckley, UT. Hinckley is a small town (about 6 miles Southwest of Delta, UT) in the middle of the Sevier Desert, located along the Sevier River in Eastern Millard County. Irrigation water from the river has turned this area into a farming oasis; but as a consequence, Sevier Lake, the ancient lake to where the river is supposed to run, is now is now essentially dry. You can take a virtual tour of Hinckely, Utah by clicking here.

Eastern Millard County has particular significance in Call family history because it is one of the areas that Anson Call helped colonize. Anson Call is a great-great-great grandfather of Linda, but as one of the sons of Cyril Call, he is also a 4th-great uncle of Alison, Shannon, Kristin, Sarah, Jo, Liz, and Victoria—which makes Alison, Shannon and Kristin their own 5th cousins, once removed. (No West Virginia jokes, please). Anyway, in 1851, at the request of Brigham Young, Anson lead a company of some thirty families to Millard County to form the first permanent white settlement in the area. Anson was appointed probate judge of the area and besides being appointed to preside, he was elected Millard County’s representative to the territorial legislature. Anson was also "instrumental in keeping peace with the Indians, who came to him to help them solve their problems with the settlers because they knew him to be an honest man."

The Triforce Ninjas are in Lee Vining, California, a small town in Mono County, California located on the southwest shore of Mono Lake at the base of the Sierra Nevada Mountains—and is apparently the closest town to the east entrance of Yosemite National Park. Other tourist destinations nearby include the ghost town of Bodie, the June Mountain and Mammoth Mountain ski areas, the June Lake recreational area, and is one of only two ice climbing venues in California. It is the site of the Upside-Down House, a distinctive local landmark built by silent film actress Nellie Bly (Baker) O’Bryan.

The Gimps are in Joshua Tree National Park, which is actually on the list of places that I would really like to visit someday. The park straddles the San Bernardino County/Riverside County border and includes parts of two deserts: the higher Mojave Desert and lower Colorado Desert. Each desert has a distinctive ecosystem characterized primarily by elevation. Joshua trees (Yucca brevifolia), the distinctive trees the park is named after, are found in the Mojave Desert. As an interesting side note, the name “Joshua tree” was given by a group of Mormon settlers who crossed the Mojave Desert in the mid-19th century. The tree's unique shape reminded them of a Biblical story in which Joshua reaches his hands up to the sky in prayer. It is, incidentally, also the name of my very favorite U2 album.

Have a great week!

The Gimps Week 6

2011-06-14T01:29:00.001-04:00

Eleanor: 14
Josh: 10
Ruth: 28

total miles: 52
virtual miles: 520

total miles: 269.5
total virtual: 2695

**if you love me you wouldnt dock us five miles...we are already losing...badly...and handicapped... :)

Water Bugs Week 6

2011-06-13T20:58:00.003-04:00

Alison: 21.5
Todd:19
Sarah:18

Total miles for week:58.5miles
Virtual miles:585 miles

Virtual total:3790 miles

Sharks Week 6

2011-06-13T20:46:00.002-04:00

Linda: 30
Victoria: 14
Megan: 15

Week's Total: 59
Virtual Total: 590

Total: 369
Total Virtual: 3690

triforce ninjas week whatever

2011-06-13T19:34:00.001-04:00

kristin filling in for shannon this week....

shannon: 30
liz: 15
kristin: 25

actual: 70
virtual: 700

Happy Campers - Week 6

2011-06-13T19:07:00.000-04:00

Justin - 30 miles
Vicky - 30 miles
JoAnna - 27 miles

Total: 87 miles

Race Standings: Week 5

2011-06-07T21:39:00.004-04:00

Week 5 of the challenge and the Happy Campers continue to show no mercy, while the race for 2nd place appears to be heating up. Here is where the teams stand:

(Click on the image to make it bigger.)

After sprinting through Nevada, Utah, and Southwest Wyoming, the Happy Campers are currently resting in the small community of Boulder, Wyoming, which is located in Sublette County in the beautiful New Fork River Valley, about 12 miles south of Pinedale. Boulder has a population of approximately 75 people (or 30, depending on the source) and was originally a ranching community. Today the town has a general store, motel, restaurant, gas station, RV park, community center and volunteer fire department. Ranching is still important to the area, but outdoor recreation is also becoming important. (Boulder is right along the Continental Divide Snowmobile Trail.) In recent years, natural gas drilling has grown exponentially in the area, which has apparently led to ozone levels in the area exceeding healthy levels 11 times since 2008, a problem normally only found in big cities.

The Water Bugs: Chariots of Awesome, leapfrogged past the Sharks this week and landed in Yosemite National Park and 2nd place. They are very near the Olmsted Point viewpoint, on a section of road that is apparently prone to dangerous avalanches in the winter. Olmsted Point is known for its magnificent views of the Yosemite Valley, particularly of Tenaya Lake and of the northern side of Half Dome (which possibly Yosemite's most familiar Rock formation).

Not far behind, the Sharks are in the San Joaquin Valley, just past Fresno, CA , future stomping ground of Stevie and hometown of one of my best friends, Alisa. The San Joaquin Valley is very important agriculturally and is sometimes called "The Nation's Salad Bowl." Many crops are grown in this region including oranges, peaches, garlic, tangerines, tomatoes, kiwis, hay, alfalfa, asparagus, and raisins. In fact, Fresno County is often referred to as the "raisin capital of the world" because about 60 percent of the world’s raisins and about 90 percent of the raisins sold on the U.S. market are produced there. The Church actually owns an 80-acre vineyard about 2 miles from the Shark's current location (which might actually be in Madera county). Click here to watch a moving film on the Church's website about the vinyard and to "see what the Church is accomplishing with this vineyard and what the work means to those who serve as well as those who are served."

The Triforce Ninjas are about 50 miles past Phoenix in a small "census designated place" called Tonopah, Arizona. Tonopah's recent attempts to become its own incorporated town were thwarted when the neighboring town of Buckeye voted to publicly oppose the measure. (Apparently, Arizona state law forbids the incorporation of a new city or town within a specified distance of existing municipalities without their approval.) The community is near the Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station, the largest nuclear power plant in the country, and the only one in the world that is not situated adjacent to a large body of above-ground water. (Being in the middle of the desert, the facility instead evaporates water from the treated sewage of several nearby municipalities to meet its cooling needs.) I find this to be a little terrifying, given the current situation in Japan, but officials insist the power plant is safe. Well, as long as they promise...

Last, but definitely not least, the Gimps are in my favorite place so far of this entire challenge: Pie Town, New Mexico. Pie Town's name comes from a dried-apple pie business that was established by Clyde Norman in the early 1920s. At nearly 8000 feet above sea level, it is located on the Continental Divide Trail and has a Post Office, a VLA antennae (Very Large Array radio telescope),and "Lester Jackson Park" which hosts the Annual Pie Town Festival on the second Saturday in September. It is also home to the world renowned Pie Town Cafe, featured in an article in the February 2005 edition of Smithsonian Magazine. Yum! If I were the Gimps, I might be tempted to stay there an extra week!

The Gimps Week 5

2011-06-06T23:14:00.003-04:00

Eleanor: 16
Josh: 8
Ruthe: 28

week total: 52
week virtual: 520

total: 217.5
total virtual: 2175

Sharks Week 5

2011-06-06T18:29:00.000-04:00

Linda: 30
Victoria: 18
Megan: 12

Week Total: 60
Week Virtual: 600

Total: 310
Total Virtual: 3100

Water Bugs/Chariots of Awesomeness

2011-06-06T16:10:00.001-04:00

Alison:30
Sarah:25
Todd:22

Actual miles:77
Virtual miles:770

Total Virtual Miles:3205 miles

Triforce Ninjas Week 5

2011-06-06T14:50:00.002-04:00

Liz: 17
Kristin: 16
Shannon: 20

Week Total: 53
Virtual: 530

Total: 253.5
Virtual: 2535

Happy Campers Week 5

2011-06-06T10:41:00.000-04:00

Vicky: 30
Justin: 30
JoAnna: 24

Actual miles this week: 84
Virtual miles this week: 840

Total actual miles: 409
Total virtual miles: 4,090

Race Standings: Week 4

2011-05-31T23:31:00.036-04:00

We have just completed week 4 of the challenge and we are making great progress. One of the teams (can you guess which one?) is actually just 500 miles shy of being halfway to the finish line, but honestly, we are ALL doing pretty great! I am proud of us all! In the last four weeks, the Neeleys (and in-laws) have walked, run, or exercised the equivalent of 1,194.5 miles (11,945 virtual miles). Not too shabby!

Here is where our teams stand this week:

(Click on an image to enlarge.)

The Happy Campers continue to dominate the race, speeding right past Los Angeles, Bakersfield, Fresno, and Yosemite National Park, finally stopping in Inyo National Forest. Located in California's beautiful Eastern Sierra, the Inyo National Forest offers clean air, crystal blue skies, mountain lakes and streams, challenging trails, high mountain peaks, and beautiful views. With over two million acres, it is home to many natural wonders including the Mammoth Lakes Basin, the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest (home of "Methuselah," a 4,767 year-old bristlecone pine tree that is the Earth's oldest known living inhabitant), and Mt. Whitney (the highest point in the contiguous United States). The Happy Campers are near Mono Lake (pictured above), apparently once described by Mark Twain as "a lifeless, treeless, hideous desert... the loneliest place on earth." However, although I have not been there in person, based on the pictures I've seen, I would have to disagree with Mr. Twain. It seems like an amazing place--and really the kind of place I would suggest spending at least a couple of weeks, especially those of you who would be happy to camp there...

Recreational opportunities in Inyo National Forest include camping, picnicking, hiking, backpacking, equestrian use, and off-highway vehicle use. Two ski resorts offer alpine skiing and snowboarding; over 100 miles of trails groomed for multiple purpose winter use (snowmobile, skiing, and hiking), and approximately 45 miles of trails groomed for cross-country skiing. The Happy Campers should be right at home. (All the more reason they should not be in such a hurry to leave!)

The Sharks, who were penalized 5 miles for late reporting this week, find themselves in Goodyear, Arizona, which is of course, the exact location where the Happy Campers were last week. I pretty much used up all my Goodyear knowledge last week, so I will just let the Sharks know that if they want to catch a little baseball, there is an extended spring training game tomorrow morning between the Cleveland Indians and the Texas Rangers. (“Extended Spring Training” apparently begins after the conclusion of Spring Training, and continues until early June, featuring up and coming players in their first or second full season of professional baseball.)

The Water Bugs/ Chariots of Awesome had a pretty good week and are now within striking distance of the Sharks, in Tonto National Forest, Arizona. About 20 miles or so outside of Todd’s hometown, Tonto National Forest is the fifth largest forest in the United States, encompassing almost 3 million acres of rugged and spectacularly beautiful country ranging in altitude from 1,300 to 7,900 feet. From lake beaches to cool pine forests (which sounds great right now; it is blazing hot in Raliegh!), Tonto offers outstanding recreational opportunities throughout the year; which, along with its proximity to “The Valley of the Sun,” is no doubt the reason that the Forest hosts approximately 5.8 million visitors annually, making it one of the most-visited “urban” forests in the United States. I am quite excited we will be virtual-camping here for the week. (And somewhat sad that I am not actually camping there this week...)

The Triforce Ninjas (a.k.a. “Unrepentant Thinners”) are in Capitan, New Mexico, right outside of Lincoln National Forest and not too far from where the Water Bugs were last week. As of the 2000 census, there were 1,443 people, 605 households, and 416 families residing in the village. It’s best known for its association with Smokey Bear and if the Triforce Ninjas are interested, they may want to check out the Smokey Bear Museum and Gift Shop, open daily from 9 am to 5 pm.

The Gimps are moving along steadily and just crossed into Reeves County, Texas about half way between the towns of Fort Stockton and Pecos, Texas. Fort Stockton is the seat of Pecos County and home to the World's (now 2nd) largest roadrunner,"Paisano Pete"). (The title "world's largest roadrunner" was apparently recently usurped by an presumptuous roadrunner constructed in Las Cruces, New Mexico.) The town of Pecos is the county seat of Reeves County and is the self-proclaimed home of the world’s first rodeo, although this claim appears to be somewhat controversial.

And speaking of rodeos, shout out to Shannon: HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Rodeo Girl!!!

Sharks Week 4

2011-05-31T00:58:00.000-04:00

Linda: 20
Victoria: 15
Megan: 14

Total Miles: 49
Virtual Miles: 490

Total Miles: 250.5
Total Virtual Miles: 2505

Plus our penalty because of the World's Longest Pinochle game. :(

Water Bugs Week 4

2011-05-30T23:49:00.004-04:00

Chariots of Awesome
Todd: 30
Sarah: 20
Alison: 24

Actual miles: 74
Virtual miles: 740
Total miles: 2435

The Gimps Week Four

2011-05-30T22:44:00.002-04:00

Eleanor: 16
Josh: 8
Ruth: 25

total miles: 49
Virtual miles: 490

total: 122
virtual total: 1,755

Ninjas Week 3

2011-05-30T22:28:00.001-04:00

Liz 18
Kristin 16
Shannon 21.5

Week Total: 55.5
Virtual: 555

Total: 200.5
Virtual: 2005

Happy Campers Week 4

2011-05-30T12:29:00.002-04:00

Vicky: 26
Justin: 25
JoAnna: 24

Actual miles this week: 75
Virtual miles this week: 750

Total actual miles: 325
Total virtual miles: 3250

Race Standings: Week 3

2011-05-25T00:21:00.053-04:00

We have just finished week three of the challenge. The seemingly unstoppable Happy Campers have made it to Arizona while the equally formidable Sharks are in New Mexico. The rest of us are still stuck in Texas.

(Click on image to make it bigger.)

The Gimps, who were penalized 5 miles for reporting late are currently in Sealy, Texas, a railroad town founded in 1879. Around 1881, Daniel Haynes, a cotton gin builder who lived in Sealy at the time, started filling requests for cotton-filled mattresses. His mattresses were apparently super comfortable—at least more comfortable than the other mattresses of the time—and he started selling them throughout the South. Haynes’ business grew exponentially, which led to many more innovations and several patents, including one for a machine that compressed cotton. In 1906, Haynes sold his patents to a Texas company that decided to retain the Sealy name; and thus, the Sealy Mattress Factory was born.

Sealy is located 50 miles west of the downtown Houston area, and is considered part of Greater Houston, the 5th largest metropolitan area in the United States. Based on their stops so far, the Gimps sure seem to like big cities, but unfortunately for them, they are about to head into the boondocks.

The Triforce Ninjas are currently in Boerne, Texas, hometown of both Hilary Duff and Michelle Beadle (both of whom I actually find to be a little irritating, but it’s probably not the town’s fault). Located about 30 miles northwest of San Antonio, Boerne was founded by a group of liberal German immigrants, who named the town in honor of Ludwig Börne, a Jewish German author and publicist. According to Wikipedia, these founders believed in utopian ideals, enjoyed conversing in Latin, and reveled in passionate conversations about literature, music and philosophy (which, coincidentally, I believe are also among the Triforce Ninja's favorite pastimes). Today, in spite of the arrival of numerous other ethnic groups, many of Boerne’s German cultural traditions are still alive and recognizable, from community events such as the annual “Berges Fest,” to longstanding organizations like the Boerne Schuetzen Verein, a shooting club formed in 1864.

My team, the Water Bugs (alternatively know as the “Chariots of Awesome”) are in Pecos County, Texas about halfway between Sheffield and Fort Stockton. You can experience this portion of our journey first hand (or at least virtually first hand) by checking out the riveting YouTube video, “Interstate 10 Across Texas: Sheffield to Fort Stockton.” You’ll pass our exact location, Exit 288, about 3 minutes and 14 seconds into the adventure. The daytime speed limit on this stretch of the road is 80 miles per hour, the highest in the country (along with some parts of I-15 in Southern Utah) , but the Texas legislature is apparently considering raising it to 85. This means that if Todd were driving, there is a good chance we’d be pulled over for going too slow, so I guess it’s a good thing we’re on foot.

Here are some other fun facts about Pecos county:

It’s the second largest county in the state, covering over 4,700 square miles. This is about the size of Connecticut, which has a land area of just over 4,800 square miles.
Pecos County has a population of around 17,000 people. (Connecticut has a population of just over 3,518,00 people. )
With a population of 7,846, Fort Stockton is the largest town in Pecos County. Other communities include Bakersfield, Coyanosa, Iraan (pronounced Ira-Ann after founders Ira and Ann Yates), Imperial, Sheffield, and Girvin.
Most of Pecos County is considered to be grassland, although some biologists include much of it to be part of the Chihuahuan Desert. Animals in the area include deer, foxes, ring-tailed cats, sandhill cranes, doves, and ducks.
Since the 1920s, oil and gas production have dominated the local economy.It is home to one of the largest oil fields in the United States, the Yates Oil Field, which is in the extreme eastern part of the county, along the Pecos River, very close to our current location. Since its discovery in 1926, it has produced over a billion barrels of oil, and most industry estimates give it more than another billion in recoverable reserves.

The Sharks have just passed Capitan, New Mexico and are in Lincoln National Forest in the Capitan Mountains. Lincoln National Forest is best known as the birthplace of Smokey Bear (or at least the living symbol of Smokey Bear). Here is his story:

In the Spring of 1950, there was a huge fire in the Capitan mountains (the result of two smaller fires, both started by careless humans). A little black bear cub was orphaned and caught in the blaze. Although he had climbed a tree to escape the fire, his paws and hind legs were badly burned. He was found and rescued and nursed back to health by a kind game warden (or by soldiers/firefighters/veterinarian and his wife, depending on who tells the story), and was originally named "Hotfoot Teddy". Soon afterwards, his name was changed to "Smokey" after the US Forest Service mascot. The story of the orphaned bear cub that survived the man-made fire by clinging to a burnt tree made national news and little Smokey became an instant celebrity. He was flown to the National Zoo in Washington, D.C., where he lived for 26 years.

During his residency in Washington, Smokey received millions of visitors, and had so much fan mail (up to 13,000 letters a week) that the United States Postal Service finally gave him his own unique zip code. Upon his death on November 9, 1976, Smokey's remains were returned to New Mexico and he was buried at what is now The Smokey Bear Historical Park. The plaque at his grave reads, "This is the resting place of the first living Smokey Bear...the living symbol of wildfire prevention and wildlife conservation.”

The Happy Campers have just passed Phoenix, Arizona, hometown of Todd (and I think also Sarah’s alma mater). They are currently in Goodyear, Arizona, which in addition to winning the 2008 All-American City Award, is also home to the spring training facility of both the Cleveland Indians and the Cincinnati Reds. Although membes of the Triforce Ninjas might be tempted to spend extra time in Goodyear for this reason alone, this is probably not true of any of the Happy Campers, so the rest of us can only hope the next place the Happy Campers end up is more interesting to them.

Goodyear was established in 1917 with the purchase of 16,000 acres of land by the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company to cultivate cotton for vehicle tire threads. It became a town in November 1946 and reached city status in 1985. By the end of the 1980's, Goodyear had sold all of its original tire acreage for development. The city of Goodyear was the third fastest-growing place among all cities and towns in Arizona of any size between 1990 and 2000, and today, over 65,000 people (apparently, many of them avid baseball fans) call it home.

[CORRECTION: Todd is NOT from Phoenix. He is from Mesa. He has never lived in Phoenix. And apparently, Mesa is not considered to be part of Phoenix (at least not by people who are from Mesa). However, in my defense, Wikipedia (my main source of information) does describe Mesa as a "suburb of Phoenix," which, as an interesting side note, makes Mesa the largest suburb in the United States. Alison regrets the error.]

The Gimps Week 3

2011-05-24T07:01:00.001-04:00

Eleanor: 10
Josh: 4
Ruth: 24

total miles: 38
virtual miles: 380

total: 127
virtual to
Total: 1,270

-5 miles = 1,265

Happy Campers Week 3

2011-05-23T22:47:00.001-04:00

Vicky: 30
Justin: 28
JoAnna: 30

Actual miles this week: 88
Virtual miles this week: 880

Total actual miles: 250
Total virtual miles: 2,500

Water Bugs Week 3

2011-05-23T21:18:00.003-04:00

Todd:18

Alison:17

Sarah:22

Total miles for week: 57

Virtual miles for week:570

Total miles:169.5

Total virtual miles:1695

Sharks Weeks 3

2011-05-23T20:06:00.002-04:00

Linda: 30

Victoria: 20

Megan: 10

Miles this week: 60

Virtual miles : 600

Total miles: 201.5

Virtual miles 2015

Triforce Ninjas: Week 3

2011-05-23T12:08:00.000-04:00

Liz: 20 miles
Shannon: 22 miles
Kristin: 14 miles

Week Total: 56
Virtual: 560

Total: 145
Virtual: 1450

Race Standings Week 2

2011-05-17T07:35:00.044-04:00

Week 2 of the Race has come to a close and here is where our teams stand:

(You can click on the image to make it larger.)

The Happy Campers had an incredible (some might say “insane”) week and earned the maximum number of miles, catapulting them into first place. They raced right past JoAnna and Josh’s current residence and are now in The-Middle-of-Nowhere, Texas, about 2 miles outside of Ozona (population: 3,500 people and an indeterminate number of sheep).

Here are some other interesting facts about Ozona:

It calls itself “The Biggest Little Town in the World” (not be to be confused with Reno, Nevada, "The Biggest Little City in the World"; California City, California "The Littlest Big City in the World"; or Emmaville Store, Minnesota, which apparently also calls itself the "Biggest Little Town in the World.").
It is the county seat of Crockett County mainly due to the fact it is the county’s only actual town, even though Crocket is the 8th largest of the 254 counties in Texas and covers an area of about 3000 square miles, making it bigger than the state of Delaware. [Interesting side note: Crockett County is one of the nation's leading producers of wool and mohair.]
The town was originally called “Powell Well,” but (according to Wikipedia) was renamed “Ozona” in 1897 for the “high quantity of its open air, or ‘ozone.’” Since “Powell Well” is really hard to say, I think they made a wise choice, regardless of air quantity.
The three-story Crockett County Museum is located downtown and features a blacksmith shop, ranching artifacts, and a wool/mohair room.
Ozona is very popular with hunters in search of white-tailed deer, javelina, and game birds. Too bad it’s not hunting season-- maybe JoAnna and the other Happy Campers would have been tempted to take a hunting break, letting the rest of us catch up!

The 2nd place Sharks are in my very favorite city in Texas: San Antonio. Besides being the current stomping ground of Jo and Josh, San Antonio boasts a large number of tourist attractions . The Alamo, for example, is the top tourist attraction in all of Texas, but truthfully, I found it to be a little boring and kind of a let-down. I do really love the River Walk area, however. It’s a network of walkways that meander along the banks of the San Antonio River with loads of good restaurants, live music, museums, and chichi shops. I am also a big fan of Sea World, but in this case I suggest the Sharks stay away because it would be pretty tragic if they were mistaken as escapees.

The Water Bugs (the team formerly known as “Team 1”) are in Beaumont, Texas. According its chamber of commerce, Beaumont is known for “good eating and great times,” which is fantastic news for me because I am super hungry right now. Discovered in 1901, Spindletop, Beaumont’s main claim to fame, was the world's first principal oil gusher. Beaumont is also home to Lamar University, and although I had never heard of Lamar University before, judging by their website it seems to be a perfectly fine institution of higher learning. The Port of Beaumont is the 4th largest seaport in the country (in terms of tonnage) and the 2nd largest military seaport in the world. Other than that, Beaumont seems kind of boring and I am hoping our team moves on quickly.

Both the Triforce Ninjas and the Gimps are currently in LaPlace (pronounced: la-PLAs) Louisiana. LaPlace is located in Saint John the Baptist Parish, about 25 miles west of New Orleans along the east bank of the Mississippi River. Unfortunately this also means they are currently under a flood warning. LaPlace calls itself the "Andouille Capital of the World” and they hold an Andouille Festival every October. (Andouille is a spicy sausage found in Cajun dishes such as gumbo, jambalaya, red beans and rice.) Other attractions include the Manchac Swamp and the Riverlands Country Club, which is apparently one of the best 18-hole golf courses in the New Orleans area. That could be good news if either team wants Uncle Steven to visit.

So, we are off to a great start! Now that I have a final budget, I can tell you that there will be prizes for the following:

The Winning Team
The 2nd place Team
The individual that goes the greatest distance by the end of the challenge (10AM July 25)
Every team that completes the race (or doesn't give up)

Thanks so much for all your comments and positive feedback! I really enjoy hearing (reading?) what you think--it lets me know you are actually reading these. :-) Have a great week!

The Gimps Week 2

2011-05-16T23:24:00.002-04:00

Eleanor: 15
Josh: 9
Ruth: 25

total miles: 49
virtual miles: 490

total: 89
virtual total: 890

Water Bugs Week 2

2011-05-16T21:33:00.002-04:00

Todd: 25.5

Alison:19

Sarah:15

Total miles: 59.5

Virtual miles: 595

Total:112.5

Virtual Total:1125

Sharks Week 2

2011-05-16T17:30:00.005-04:00

Linda: 30
Victoria: 24
Megan: 15

Total miles: 69
Virtual miles: 690

Total miles: 141.5
Total virtual miles: 1415

The Triforce Ninjas: Week 2

2011-05-16T16:47:00.003-04:00

Liz: 16 miles
Shannon: 15 miles
Kristin: 6 miles

Week Total: 37
Virtual: 370

Total: 89
Virtual: 890

Happy Campers Week 2

2011-05-15T22:45:00.002-04:00

Vicky: 30
Justin: 30
JoAnna: 30

Actual miles this week: 90
Virtual miles this week: 900

Total actual miles: 162
Total virtual miles: 1,620

Race Standings: Week 1

2011-05-10T16:46:00.013-04:00

We just finished Week 1 of the Challenge and here is where our teams stand:

(You can click on the map to make it bigger)

The Gimps are off to a strong start, having reached Atlanta, Georgia. Atlanta is the capital of Georgia and according to the latest census has a population of about 420,000, which makes it the 40th biggest city in the United States. However, metropolitan Atlanta has a population of over 5 million people, making it the 9th largest metropolitan area in the United States. I suggest that while the Gimps are in Atlanta, they check out the World of Coca-Cola or the nearby Georgia Aquarium, the world’s largest indoor aquarium.

Triforce Ninjas have just passed Auburn, Alabama, home of the Auburn University Tigers, and are in Tuskegee National Forest. Tuskegee National Forest has the dubious honor (according to Wikipedia) of being the smallest National Forest in America, but there are still lots of fun activities including hiking and mountain bike trails, fishing, hunting, camping, horseback riding, and whitewater paddling.

Team 1 (name coming soon!) are in Franklin, Alabama, population 145 according to the 2010 census. Franklin’s claim to fame is the Harris Barrett School, which was built in 1903 with handmade bricks made by students from Tuskegee Normal School (now Tuskegee University) under the direction of Booker T. Washington.

In second place, Team 3 is in Chickasaw, Alabama, just a few miles outside of Mobile. According to its official website, Chickasaw is “a great place to live.” Up until WWII, the town was apparently privately owned by various companies including the Gulf Shipbuilding Corporation. It now serves as a “bedroom community” for Mobile.

In first place, the Sharks are in Mobile, Alabama, which was of course, where Grandma and Grandpa served their first mission. Grandpa told me once that it was the wettest city in the contiguous 48 United States, and according to my extensive Google research, this is correct. Mobile averages more than 5 feet of rainfall a year. Apparently it rains about 120 days of the year! I hope the Sharks have their umbrellas.

The Gimps: Week 1

2011-05-09T22:02:00.003-04:00

Eleanor: 9 miles
Josh: 6 miles
Ruthe: 25 miles
total actual miles: 40 miles
virtual miles: 400 miles

Vicky, Justin, and Jo Week 1 (no name yet)

2011-05-09T21:52:00.002-04:00

Vicky: 30
Justin: 30
JoAnna: 12

Total actual miles: 72
Virtual miles: 720

2011-05-09T20:38:00.002-04:00

Team 1: Week 1 (name to come soon...wait with anticipation)

Todd: 26

Alison: 15

Sarah: 12

Total actual miles: 53

Virtual miles: 530

Sharks Week 1

2011-05-09T14:49:00.001-04:00

Linda: 30
Victoria: 28.5
Megan: 14

Total miles: 72.5
Virtual miles: 725

Team Triforce Ninjas: Week 1

2011-05-09T11:23:00.001-04:00

Shannon: 18 miles
Kristin: 28 miles
Liz: 6 Miles

Total actual miles: 52
Virtual miles: 520

2011-05-05T04:38:00.002-04:00

The Triforce Ninjas? You sound dangerous! Just a note--I did not know our team would be called the Sharks, but it figures with our team captain and all.

Race Across America Route

2011-05-01T11:19:00.007-04:00

The route below is 7500 miles. In our challenge, every one mile people earn in real life is equal to 10 virtual miles.

The race starts and finishes in Holden Beach, NC.
From Holden Beach, the route then heads clockwise around the US hitting the following cities:

San Antonio, TX
Phoenix, AZ
Fresno, CA
Provo, UT
Salt Lake City, UT
Green River, WY
Bozeman, MT
Chicago, IL
Detroit, MI
Niagara Falls, NY
Columbus, OH
Beaver, PA
Durham, NC

When reporting the miles earned on the blog, I suggest using the following format to avoid confusion:

Team Awesome: Week 1
Team Member 1: 22 miles
Team Member 2: 10 miles
Team Member 3: 25 Miles

Total actual miles: 57
Virtual miles: 570

Race Across America

2011-05-01T11:04:00.002-04:00

Teams:
We will have 4 randomly selected teams of 3 people per team. Using the handy-dandy phone ap “Name Draw” the following teams have been selected:
Team 1: Todd, Alison, Sarah
Team 2: Shannon, Kristin, Liz
Team 3: Vicky, JoAnna, Justin
Team 4: Linda, Megan, Victoria

Rules:
1. The challenge will begin Monday, May 2. Starting on Monday, participants can begin earning miles for their team.
2. The length of the race will be 750 miles (or 7500 "virtual miles; each mile that people earn in real life = 10 virtual miles). The first team to collectively earn 750 miles will be declared the winner. The “race route” will be posted on the Family blog by Sunday, May 1.
3. Participants earn miles by keeping track of how far they run, jog or fast-walk each week, or by performing an equivalent exercise (see below). Note: for this challenge, only the walking that participants do specifically for exercise can be counted (as opposed to walking around a store, your house, etc.)
4. Each team will choose a team captain. In the event a team captain is not chosen by Wednesday, May 4, one will be appointed by Alison
5. Team Captains are responsible for posting the team's total miles earned for the week on the blog. (Team members are responsible for reporting their individual miles to their team captain.)
6. Teams that do not post their miles by Monday 11:59 PM (ET) will be penalized 5 miles.
7. Alison will update the blog each week and indicate where each team is along the virtual route by 11:59 PM (ET) Tuesday.
8. Until week 10 of the challenge, the maximum number of miles any one team member can earn per week will be 30 miles (=300 "virtual" miles). After 10 weeks, there will be no restrictions.
9. At the end of the challenge, the first team to report that they have collectively earned enough miles to finish the race will be named the winner. This can happen at any time during the week (not just Monday).
10. In the event that no team has "crossed the finish line" by 10:00 AM (ET) Monday, July 25, the team that is closest to the finish line will be declared the winner.
11. Moderate activity = 2 miles (instead of 3) and intense activity = 4 miles (instead of 6)

Also, I gained three pounds of muscle!

2011-03-01T15:58:00.001-05:00

Final Review

2011-03-01T11:55:00.000-05:00

I would like to add for the record, that while I quit the competition, I have been working my butt off. I dropped my resting heart rate from the low 70's to 62 beats a minute. My blood pressure has also dropped (which I realized when I donated blood) and I can crank out crunches like no bodies business. So even though I did not win any money, I am still a winner. :) (Plus, I still have two months left of my 90 days!)

2011-02-28T17:03:00.002-05:00

Congratulations on all those in the family who developed better health habits. I'm proud of you all.

The winner is.....................................................................

Sarah with 7% body weight lost.

Brad is runner-up with 5% body weight lost.

Way to finish, both of you!

2011-02-28T13:55:00.002-05:00

Well, I did not meet my goals or lose weight, but I enjoyed the competition and the new habits. I have alot of old habits still to break, but this was inspirational in terms of getting me off the couch and moving. Thanks so much Sarah for doing this. I love these challenges! Love you all!

Culp Week 6

2011-02-28T12:37:00.000-05:00

Robbie
Eating Plan: 40/60
Exercise: 10/40
Water: 10/30
Communication: 30/30
Sleep: 30/30
Bonus: +5
Total Weight Loss so far: 16 lbs! (He lost a some weight before the challenge started, but has been keeping it going and working hard!)

Sarah
Eating Plan: 60/60
Exercise: 40/40
Water: 30/30
Communication: 30/30
Sleep: 30/30
Bonus: +5

Week 6 Total: 195
BONUS! +150Challenge Total: 1320
Week 6 Weight Loss: 1 1/2 lbs (I barley squeaked it out this week! Whew!) :)
Challenge Weight Loss: 15 lbs

It has been a great family challenge in terms of motivating people to get healthy. I really am glad that we can encourage each other to be better and work hard to be healthy. Keep up your good work, everyone! I just think it's important to remember that being healthy is a lifestyle, not just a diet, so let's keep it up! Love you all. :)

**Tie Breaker**
Brad, so it looks like we need to email Aunt Linda. :) Let's both email her our starting weight, ending weight, pounds lost and then our percentage of body weight lost and then she can "announce" a winner. Good Luck!

Brad's Week 6

2011-02-28T11:16:00.000-05:00

Eating Plan: 60/60
Exercise: 40/40
Water: 30/30
Communication: 30/30
Sleep: 30/30
Bonus: +5

Week 6 Total: 195
Challenge Total: 1320
Week 6 Weight Loss: -0.6 lbs
Challenge Weight Loss: -12.6 lbs

Good job everyone!

Marie's Points Week 6

2011-02-28T11:07:00.000-05:00

Diet: 60/60
Exercise: 40/40
Water: 30/30
Communicate: 30/30
Sleep: 30/30
Bonus Communication: +5 (post by noon)
Goal Bonus: +150 (lose 8lbs)

Week 6 Total: 345
Challenge Total: 1300

Exercise Log
Monday: Zumba Wii (40 min) and Just Dance (40 min)
Tuesday: Zumba Wii (30 min)
Wednesday: Just Dance (45 min) and Zumba Class (60 min)
Thursday: HIIT (60 min)
Friday: Shoveling snow (30 min) and Just Dance (30 min)
Saturday: PowerPump class (60 min) and shoveling snow (15 min)
Sunday: Just Dance (35 min)

I met my goal and then some! I lost 11 pounds! As well as over 2 inches around my waist and 2.5 inches around my hips. Yay! Oh, and way to go, Aunt Linda, on the half-marathon! You were the best challenge buddy ever. And congrats to the other Neeleys who met goals and did awesome things!

Alison's results week 6

2011-02-27T23:26:00.001-05:00

Eating plan: 30/60
Exercise: 40/40
Water: 0/30
Communication: 30/30
Sleep: 30/30
Bonus: 5

Week Total: 135

Goal Bonus: 150
Challenge Total: 1140

I had a lot of fun with this challenge and even though clearly, I didn't come close to winning I did at least make my goal of losing 5 lbs. Thanks to Sarah for putting it together and giving us a reason to be a little more healthy.

Josh and Jo Week 6

2011-02-27T22:05:00.004-05:00

Josh's Points
Eating plan: 60/60
Exercise: 30/40
Water: 30/30
Communication: 30/30
Sleep: 30/30
Bonus: 5

Week Total: 185 pts.
Bonus: 150
Challenge Total: 1210

Jo's Points
Eating plan: 60/60
Exercise: 40/40
Water: 30/30
Communication: 30/30
Sleep: 30/30
Bonus: 5

Week Total: 195
Bonus: 150
Challenge Total: 1315

**Josh made his weight loss goal
**Jo made both her fitness goals

26.2 and 13.1

2011-02-27T13:50:00.003-05:00

26.2 and 13.1 MILES!

Yay to the Neeley Ladies that finished! This post is from Vicky. Here's a picture of our results. Also, just to throw it out there, I burned about 2200 calories in the 5 hours and 40 minutes I did the race, and JoAnna burned about 1900 calories in her 5 hours and 45 minutes she did the race. We only calculated ours, but if you other ladies want to add what your burned, we'd love to see it! Maybe it will motivate some other Neeley's to join us in the next race.

Half Marathon Finishers: Linda, Alison, and Shannon
Full Marathon Finishers: Vicky, AnnaMarie (a family friend), Kristin, and JoAnna

Good job on the challenge to everyone! Keep up the good work even after we finish! :)

To Marie

2011-02-26T11:34:00.002-05:00

Marie,

I thought what I said might need to be clarified. First of all, as I said in my last comment, you have done a great job during this challenge. Losing 8 pounds in 6 weeks is amazing. Seriously. I did not post with the intent to make you feel bad. I tried to nicely tell you that your information is incorrect. You are working so hard and as your cousin I should tell you that the information you are using is not entirely accurate. I did not mean that YOU personally could not lose 17 pounds of fat and gain 9 pounds of muscle. I meant that NO ONE can. Muscle is not gained that way. I’m sorry if that does make you feel that you worked less, but it does not mean that. To gain muscle you have to eat MORE calories than you burn every day. You can become stronger when you work out and eat less calories – and that is the right way to lose weight – but even though you are getting stronger, you will not actually physically gain pounds of muscle. The muscles you do have will become more efficient, but not bigger. Which is why I said, you may have gained a very small amount of muscle, but seeing how much weight you did lose, it is not likely. I don’t know how you are calculating it, but the truth is you lost 8 pounds, and that is fantastic. If you keep up what you are doing, you WILL lose 17 pounds. You can ask any doctor or nurse and they will tell you the same thing. Also, if you would ever like to talk about this or why your calculations seem to be giving you incorrect results or anything in more depth you can feel free to e-mail, call, or facebook me any time. You can also google “how to gain muscle mass” or “how can I gain muscle weight fast” and things like that to find lots of information on muscle building if you don’t believe me and want fast answers. Most of what I have found talks about body builders that work everyday and build about 5-10 pounds of muscle PER YEAR. I really hope this helps and that you can see that it is not me picking on you or trying to make you feel bad, but to tell you how great you are doing and to try to help you continue to become healthier with more accurate information.

A little long for a comment, so I made it a post

2011-02-24T00:33:00.000-05:00

(Relates to Jo's post and Marie's comment - but like I just said, it was kind of long)

Ok, so we are clear on how we will calculate the final score, with Aunt Linda. I think that is very fair.

Also, I don't think it was (or would be) necessary for everyone to post his or her percentage of body fat at the beginning of the challenge (especially when we don’t all have a uniform and reliable way to calculate it). We just wanted a friendly competition to help us get ourselves in shape and give us some motivation to be healthier. There really isn't any way to exactly compare our various levels of health, but this challenge seemed pretty fair overall. Some people's goals are much more challenging than others, some people ran marathons and we all were trying our best to be our best, and there is no way to make everything even across the board 100% - it is a friendly competition after all. Getting caught up in every little point calculation and nit picking takes away from the fun of the challenge.

Also, it is very tricky to calculate how much fat you are losing versus non-fat you are losing. Calorie calculators, heart rate monitors, and body fact calculators, especially on the internet are not a perfect science and not always completely accurate. When we lose a significant amount of weight, it will show up on the scale. The scale is a pretty good judge of how healthy you are - not a perfect judge - but a good judge. (Measurements are also a good judge, as well, and it is a good idea to take measurements when you are doing a diet, or frustrated with the scale.) I am far from being at my healthiest, so I am saying this with myself most in mind, but I think it applies in general, as well. It is true that we can't get all of our biomass broken down completely, but that was never the point of this. Most of us just need to lose weight, and rather than trying to make everything more complicated than it needs to be, we (me included) should just focus on that.

I just wanted to throw that all out there, and do not mean to offend anyone. I also hope that everyone keeps up their good habits and keeps working towards a healthier lifestyle after the challenge. Hopefully we had a good time motivating ourselves to be better.

More Tie Breaker

2011-02-23T12:01:00.002-05:00

I would first like to say that I agree with Alison - weight loss percentage is the most fair way to determine a winner, which is why the real biggest loser challenge measures it this way. I'm sorry Brad's concern wasn't addressed earlier, but this would still be the answer. If a 400 lb. person and a 200 lb. person both lose 40 lbs, they did not do the same amount of work even though they lost the same weight. This is why the percentage lost evens things out; it shows how much of "you" you actually lost. That's what makes the Biggest Loser.

Also, I realized there was not a way to appropriately post tied weight loss percentages. I took it upon myself to ask Aunt Linda to be in charge of this. She has agreed, and unless anyone is strongly against it, we suggest Brad and Sarah (the likely weight loss contestents to tie) call Aunt Linda on Monday any time after 12:00 and let her know your:
1. starting weight
2. pounds lost during the challenge
3. percentage of body weight lost
This way, no one has to post first and she can check the percentages. She will then post the winner of the challenge.

Again, if this is a problem, please post below. I thought this would be the most fair and most confidential way to determine the winner. If one of these contestents does not get all their points this week, obviously, there will be no need for this.

On another note, good job to everyone! I hope the last of us to make our goals can get there this week. And if we can't (cause I'm not there yet myself), hopefully we can continue to try to meet our goals even after next Monday. And extra congrats to our marathoners! And another extra congrats to those who finished Shannon's Neeley Family Triathalon over the holidays (and thanks again, Shannon!). I'm excited to continue our health challenges in the future.

Tie Breaker

2011-02-21T19:08:00.000-05:00

I had a concern that was never addressed on the tie breaker rule as follows:

In the event of a tie:

*if the tie is between two weight loss goal people, the winner is based on total percentage of body weight lost

*if it is between a weight loss and fitness goal person, we go with the highest average of exercise points (that's why when we record our points we need to break down the categories)

*if there is still a tie for some reason money may be split

And here is my concern (time stamped the day after the tie breaker rules were set):

"*if the tie is between two weight loss goal people, the winner is based on total percentage of body weight lost"

Isn't this biased towards those who already weigh less since anyone tying will have earned the same amount of points and met their goal? Seeing as there is a possibility of a tie this final week, I think this issue should be addressed. I'm fine with just splitting the money, too. This event has been a great motivation for me to lose weight and I am planning on continuing with it on my own with Marie.

-Brad

Marie Points Week 5

2011-02-21T12:31:00.000-05:00

Eating: 60/60
Exercise: 40/40
Water: 30/30
Communication: 30/30
Sleep: 30/30
Bonus: +5

Total Week 5: 195
Total Challenge: 955

Exercise Log
Monday: Zumba (50 min.)
Tuesday: Zumba (45 min)
Wednesday: Power Pump (50 min) and Zumba (30 min)
Thursday: Zumba (35 min.) and Water Aerobics (50 min.)
Friday: Just Dance (35 min)
Saturday: Racquetball (60 min) and Zumba Fitness Wii (20 min)
Sunday: Zumba Fitness Wii (40 min)

Can you guys tell I love Zumba? It's so much fun!

Robbie's Points Week 5

2011-02-21T12:07:00.000-05:00

Eating Plan: 60/60

Exercise: 10/40
Water: 5/30
Communication: 30/30
Sleep: 30/30
Bonus: +5

Weekly Total: 170

Week 5

2011-02-21T11:21:00.001-05:00

Vicky's Points
Eating Plan: 60/60
Exercise: 40/40
Water: 30/30
Communication: 30/30
Sleep: 30/30
Bonus: +5
Weekly Total: 195

JoAnna's Points
Eating Plan: 60/60
Exercise: 40/40
Water: 30/30
Communication: 30/30
Sleep: 30/30
Bonus: +5
Weekly Total: 195

Josh's Points
Eating Plan: 60/60
Exercise: 40/40
Water: 30/30
Communication: 30/30
Sleep: 30/30
Bonus: +5
Weekly Total: 195

Sarah Week 5

2011-02-21T11:19:00.000-05:00

Eating Plan: 60/60
Exercise: 40/40
Water: 30/30
Communication: 30/30
Sleep: 30/30

Bonus: +5

Weekly Total: 195
Challenge Total: 975

This week was really tough, but awesome for me. I think since I knew it was my birthday and I would want to eat cake and go out to dinner (but within reason, of course, and still within my WW points) I worked extra hard at the gym. It really paid off! I don't want to toot my own horn, but since it was by birthday yesterday, I feel like I get to just a tiny bit (haha). I lost . . . . 5 pounds this week! That brings my total weight loss to 13 1/2 pounds. I knew it would be a tough goal, but I'm glad that it is within reach!

Congrats to everyone who met their weight goals or fitness goals so far. That is AWESOME! I think we should just make sure that we are still within our goals next week when the challenge ends, which I don't think would be a problem for anyone. It really makes me feel good that our family is making healthy goals and meeting them. (Is that cheesy? Oh well.) :)

AND congrats to all the marathon runners! Alison, Shannon, Kristen, Linda, JoAnna and Vicky all ran either a full (26.2 miles) or half (13.1 miles) marathon last Saturday. That is seriously amazing. I want to do a half one day - maybe this spring?

Linda Week 5

2011-02-21T10:08:00.003-05:00

Eating Plan: 50/60
Exercise: 40/40
Water: 30/30
Communication: 30/30
Sleep: 30/30

Bonus: +5

Week 5 points: 185

Alison's results week 5

2011-02-21T10:07:00.000-05:00

Eating Plan: 60/60
Exercise: 40/40
Water: 10/30
Communication: 30/30
Sleep: 30/30

Bonus +5

Points Week 5: 175

I also met my goal this week.

Brad's Week 5

2011-02-21T04:53:00.001-05:00

Eating Plan: 60/60
Exercise: 40/40
Water: 30/30
Communication: 30/30
Sleep: 30/30

Bonus: +5

Week 5 Weight Loss: -4
Challenge Weight Loss: -12 (met my goal already!)

Goal Bonus: +150

Week 5 Points: 195 + 150 = 345
Challenge Points: 1225

Josh and Jo Week 4

2011-02-14T20:58:00.002-05:00

Josh's Points
Eating plan: 60/60
Exercise: 40/40
Water: 30/30
Communication: 30/30
Sleep: 30/30

Week Total: 190 pts.
Challenge Total: 680

Jo's Points
Eating plan: 60/60
Exercise: 40/40
Water: 30/30
Communication: 30/30
Sleep: 30/30

Week Total: 190
Challenge Total: 775

Noon MST

2011-02-14T14:01:00.001-05:00

And bonus time is gone!

Marie's Points Week 4

2011-02-14T12:28:00.000-05:00

Eating: 60/60
Exercise: 40/40*
Water: 30/30
Communicate: 30/30
Sleep: 30/30
Bonus: +5

Week 4 Total: 195
Challenge Total: 760

Exercise Log
Monday: Just Dance (50 min)
Tuesday: workout DVD (20 min) and HIIT (50 min)
Wednesday: workout DVDs (30 min) and Zumba Tone class (50 min)
Thursday: Zumba (45 min)
Friday: Just Dance (40 min)
Saturday: Power Pump class (50 min) and Just Dance (30 min)
Sunday: Just Dance (35 min)

*Best Part of the Week*
Brad noticed and told me that my clothes are fitting better and that my bum has visibly gotten smaller. Woohoo! Still not on weighing terms with our scale, but I'm feeling really good about myself right now. For the first time I'm enjoying exercising and I'm not basing success for myself on what the scale tells me. It feels so great! Wishing that I didn't set a weight loss goal, because that means in 2 weeks I have to use the scale-- life is better when I don't use it. Oh well.

In other news, I'm contemplating running/walking another 5K. I did one back in November for a fundraiser for a family I know that's battling cancer, and after I finished my legs were shaking the whole day. My last time wasn't very impressive (59:29 I think?), and I want to do better.

Vicky's Points Week 4

2011-02-14T12:13:00.002-05:00

Eating Plan: 60/60
Exercise: 40/40
Water: 25/30
Communication: 30/30
Sleep: 30/30
Bonus: +5

Weekly Total: 190
Challenge Total: 770

Week 4---Slacking? Kinda.

2011-02-14T12:00:00.000-05:00

Robbie's Points Week 4

Eating 60/60
Exercise: 10/40
Water: 5/30
Communication: 30/30
Sleep: 30/30
Bonus +5

Week Total: 110
Challenge total: 405

* 9 lbs lost since the beginning of the challenge!!! (16lbs since starting my diet *a week before the challenge)

Sarah Week 4

2011-02-14T10:15:00.000-05:00

Eating Plan: 60/60
Exercise: 40/40
Water: 30/30
Communication: 30/30
Sleep: 30/30
Bonus: +5

Weekly Total: 195
Challenge Total: 780

Lost 81/2 pounds so far!

2011-02-14T07:10:00.001-05:00

Linda's Week 4
Eating 40/60
Exercise 40/40
Water 20/30
Communication 25/30
Sleep 30/30
Bonus 5
Total: 160/195

Brad's Week 4

2011-02-14T01:12:00.000-05:00

Eating Plan: 60/60
Exercise: 40/40
Water: 30/30
Communication: 30/30
Sleep: 30/30
Bonus: +5

Weekly Total: 195
Challenge Total: 780
Weekly Weight Loss: 2 lbs
Challenge Weight Loss: 8 lbs

Alison's results Week 4

2011-02-13T20:31:00.002-05:00

Eating 60/60
Exercise: 40/40
Water: 10/30
Communication: 30/30
Sleep: 25/30
Bonus: +5

Week Total: 170
Challenge Total: 680

Robbie's Points Week 3

2011-02-10T12:34:00.004-05:00

Eating 60/60
Exercise: 20/40
Water: 15/30
Communication: 30/30
Sleep: 30/30

Week Total: 155
Challenge total: 295