Team Tracker Week 12

I apologize for waiting so long to post last weeks miles on the blog. I did update them on our map here at the NAC but was swamped with our development projects last week and could not get to this until now.

In week 12, The Insain Bolts completed a single week record high of 539.835 miles and now sit just 13.7 miles back from the Cobra Kai.

Baton Rouge, Louisiana

State bird: Eastern Brown Pelican State flower: Magnolia Population: 4,468,976 people
Nickname: Pelican State Economy: Seafood, cotton, soybeans, cattle, sugarcane, poultry and eggs, dairy products, rice, chemical products, petroleum and coal products, paper products, tourism Fun facts: Mardi Gras is celebrated in New Orleans. It is an ancient custom that originated in southern Europe that celebrates food and fun just before the 40 days of Lent.
Louisiana was named in honor of King Louis XIV. Louisiana has the tallest state capitol building in the US; the building is 450 tall with 34 floors. Louisiana is the only state in the union that does not have counties, it’s political subdivisions are called parishes. Breaux Bridge is known as the "Crawfish Capital of the World". In Louisiana, biting someone with your natural teeth is
considered a simple assault, but biting someone with your false teeth is considered an aggravated assault. Bayou is a French name for slow-moving "river". The Catahoula Leopard Dog, often called the Catahoula Hound, is the official state dog. The Superdome in New Orleans is the worlds largest steelconstructed room unobstructed by posts. The town of Jean Lafitte was once a hideaway for pirates.

Tallahassee, Florida

State bird: Mockingbird, State flower: Orange Blossom, Population: 15,982,378 people
Nickname: Sunshine State, Economy: Citrus, vegetables, nursery stock, cattle, sugarcane, diary products, tourism, food processing, printing and publishing, transportation equipment, machinery Fun facts: Orlando attracts more visitors than any other amusement park destination in the United States. Cape Canaveral is America’s launch pad for space flights.
Gatorade was named for the University of Florida Gators where the drink was first developed.
Miami Beach pharmacist Benjamin Green invented the first suntan cream in 1944. He accomplished this development by cooking cocoa butter in a granite coffee pot on his wife’s
stove. Clearwater has the highest rate of lightening strikes per capita in the US. Miami installed the first ATM especially for rollerbladers. Florida is not the southernmost state in the US – Hawaii is. The Benwood, on French Reef in the FL keys, is known as one of the most dived shipwrecks in the world. Key Largo is known as the Dive Capital of the World. DeFuniak Springs is home to one of the two naturally round lakes in the world. Nearly 80% of the state intake of Atlantic shrimp is harvested in Amelia Island waters (2 million pounds annually).

Week 11 Team Tracker

In week 11, the Insain Bolts (Bolt Runners) made a strong push with a new 3rd place record gaining some ground on 1st place. The teams are all turning in good miles and continuing a strong pace toward the finish.

Week 10 Team Tracker

After the reorganization of the teams and two weeks of combined mileage, the new Insain Bolts team has overtaken the Easy Striders. The battle is close and just over 100 miles seperate the three teams, a small margine given the size of the new teams.

The Cobra Kai with some help from new team members established 2 new single week records in week 9 and 10 while the Insain Bolts new and improved team set the number 3 all time high.

Congratulations to the Cobra Kai on maintaining your position through the shuffle. We still have a long way to go.

Team Tracker Week 8

The Cobra Kai remain in 1st for the 6th straight week.  However, the Easy Striders paced them in week 8 to remain 8 miles behind.  The BGSC turned in a strong week for the second consecutive wek to pull a little further away from We've Got Sole!.

The Insain Bolts turned in this weeks high with 323 miles while the other teams remained

 strong.

Team Tracker Week 7

My apologies for posting this so late, at least it is in before the week 8 numbers.  

After a great effort in week 7, the Bubba Gump Shrimp Company has moved up in the standings and is now in 5th place.  The Easy striders also posted a strong week with the 3rd highest total all time (336.967) and closed that gap on the Cobra Kai.  There are now only 8.2 miles between 1st and secon place.

Week 8 standings coming soon.

Team Tracker Week 6

In week six, the standings remained the same, however, each team continues to improve efforts as 5 out of the 6 teams in the competition turned in more miles this week than in week 5.   The Bubba Gump Shrimp Company and the We've Got Sole teams each turned in team records as they try to make up ground on the lead pack.

After the Easy Striders held on the first two weeks, the Cobra Kai stayed in first for the 4th consecutive week.

Lansing, Michigan

State bird: Robin State flower: Apple Blossom Population: 9,938,444 people Nickname: Wolverine State / Great Lakes State Economy: Dairy products, apples, blueberries, cattle,
vegetables, hogs, corn, nursery stock, soybeans, motor vehicles and parts, fabricated metal products, mining, tourism Fun facts: Detroit is known as the car capital of the world. Elsie is the home of the world’s largest registered Holstein dairy herd. Michigan’s state stone, the Petoskey, is found along the shores of Lake Michigan. The Mackinac Bridge is one of the longest suspension bridges in the world. It took 3 years to complete. The painted turtle is the state reptile. Michigan has 116 lighthouses and navigational lights. The state has more shoreline than any other state expect Alaska. Standing anywhere in the state a person is within 85 miles
of one of the Great Lakes. Michigan was the first state to guarantee every child the right to tax-paid high school education. Four flags have flown over MI – French, English, Spanish and
United States. In 1879 Detroit telephone customers were first in the nation to be assigned phone numbers to facilitate handling calls. In 1929, the MI State Police established the first state police radio system in the world. The famous Kellogg's company started in Battle Creek, Michigan with only 44 employees.

Columbus, Ohio

State bird: Cardinal State flower: Scarlet Carnation Population: 11,353,140 people Nickname: Buckeye State Economy: Cattle, poultry and eggs, hogs, dairy products, corn, tomatoes, soybeans, transportation equipment, fabricated metal products, machinery, food processing,
electric equipment Fun facts: The first ambulance service was established in Cincinnati in
1865. "Hang On Sloopy" is the official state rock song. Cincinnati Reds were the first professional baseball team. Cleveland boasts the first traffic light on Aug 5, 1914. Akron was the first city to use police cars. Cincinnati had the first professional city fire department Cleveland is home to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Canton is home to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Neil Armstrong, the first man to walk on the moon, was from Wapakoneta. Presidents born in Ohio: Ulysses S Grant, Rutherford B Hayes, James Garfield, Benjamin Harrison, William McKinley, William Taft, and Warren Harding. Harry M Stevens created the hot dog in 1900.
Thomas A Edison, from Milan, developed the first light bulb, phonograph and early motion picture camera. John Lambert of Ohio City made America’s first auto in 1891.

Team Tracker Week 5

The bar continues to rise.  For the third consecutive week, the single week record was broken.  This week, the Easy Striders broker the record set in week for by the Insain Bolts.  

The new single week record is 353.5.

While the overall standing remained the same, the top three teams all turned in over 300 miles for the week.  Also, the Easy Striders did gain about 30 miles on the Cobra Kai while the We've got Sole team  gained 14 miles on The Road Runners.

Everyone is doing great, keep up the good work.

Charleston, West Virginia

State bird: Cardinal State flower: Rhododendron Population: 1,808,344 people Nickname: Mountain State Economy: Cattle, poultry, dairy products, apples, chemical products, mining, primary metals, stone, clay and glass products, tourism Fun facts: West Virginia has the oldest population of any state. The median age is 40. Jackson’s Mill is the site of the first 4-H camp in the US. The first rural free mail delivery started in Charles Town Oct 6, 1896 and then spread throughout the US. Nearly 75% of West Virginia is covered by forests. West Virginia was the first state to have a sales tax. It became effective July 1, 1921. Coal House, the only residence in the world built entirely of coal, is located in White Sulphur Springs. Daniel Boone made his last survey of Charleston on Sep 8, 1798. He left the state in 1799. Stone that was quarried near Hinton was contributed by WV for the Washington Monument and arrived in Washington
in February 1885. The first spa open to the public was at Berkeley Springs, WV in 1756 (then Bath, VA). The first brick street in the world was laid in Charleston, WV on Oct 23, 1870 on Summers Street between Kanawha and Virginia Streets.

Richmond, VA

State bird: Cardinal State flower: Dogwood Population: 7,078,515 people Nickname: Old Dominion State Economy: Cattle, poultry, dairy products, tobacco, hogs, soybeans, ransportation equipment, textiles, food processing printing, chemicals Fun facts: Virginia was named for England’s "Virgin Queen" Elizabeth I. The major cash crop of Virginia is tobacco and many of the people who live there earn their living from the tobacco industry. Presidents born in Virginia: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, James Monroe, William Harrison, John Tyler, Zachary Taylor and Woodrow Wilson. The College of William and Mary in Williamsburg is the second oldest in the US, founded in 1693. The first peanuts grown in the US were grown in Virginia. The American Revolution ended with the surrender of Cornwallis in Yorktown. The tomb of the Unknown Soldier is in Arlington National Cemetary. The Pentagon building in Arlington is the largest office building in the world. The first Thanksgiving in North America was held in Virginia in 1619. The world’s only oyster museum is on Chincoteague Island.

Annapolis, Maryland

State bird: Baltimore Oriole State flower: Black-eyed Susan Population: 5,296,486 people
Nickname: Old Line State Economy: Dairy products, poultry and eggs, nursery stock, soybeans, corn, seafood, food processing, chemical products, printing and publishing, transportation equipment, coal, tourism Fun facts: The US Naval Academy was founded Oct 19, 1845 at
Annapolis. The first dental school in the US opened at the University of Maryland. Major League ball players born in Maryland: Babe Ruth, Cal Ripken, Jr., Billy Ripkin, Lefty Grove, Frank (Home Run) Baker, Harold Baines, Denny Neagle, Jimmie Foxx. The National Aquarium is located in Baltimore’s Inner Harbor. Annapolis is known as the sailing capital of the world.
Dredging and tonging are methods for harvesting oysters. Maryland was first to enact Workmen’s compensation laws in 1902. Havre de Grace is known as the decoy capitol of the
world. New Market is known as Maryland’s antique capital. Clara Barton National Historical site commemorates the life of Clara Barton, founder of the American Red Cross in Glen
Echo.

Dover, Delaware

State bird: Blue Hen Chicken State flower: Peach Blossom Population: 783,600 people
Nickname: First State/Diamond State/Blue Hen State Economy: Dairy products, poultry, nursery stock,soybeans, corn, food processing, chemical products, paper products, rubber and plastic products, scientific instruments, printing and publishing Fun facts: Delaware was the first state to ratify the US Constitution and did so December 7, 1787. The US battleship Delaware was commissioned in 1910. Delaware is the only state without any National Park System
units such as national parks, seashores, historic sites, battlefields, memorials and monuments.
The log cabin originated in Finland. Finnish settlers arrived in Delaware in the mid-1600’s and brought with them plans for the log cabin, one of the enduring symbols of the American
pioneed. The state bug is the Lady Bug. The total area in Delaware is 1,982 square miles. It is 96 miles long and varies from 9 to 35 miles in width. Horseshoe crabs may be viewed in large numbers up and down the Delaware shore in May. The crabs endure extremes of temperature and salinity. They can also go for a year without eating and have remained basically the same since the days of the dinosaur.

Team Tracker Week 4

After another week of tough competition, the standings remain the same as in week three with The Cobra Kai continuing to hold onto first place for the second straight week.  

The Insain Bolts remain in 3rd but are closing in fast on The Easy Striders with a new single week record of 344 miles! 

The Cobra Kai also had a great week and came in with 324.2 miles, good for a 3rd place single week, all time record.

The Bubba Gump Shrimp Company is Closing in one We've Got Sole in an attempt to move up the ladder while the Roadrunners remain in a solid 4th place.

Great job to all, the bar has been raised each week.

Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

State bird: Ruffed Grouse State flower: Mountain Laurel Population: 12,281,054 people
Nickname: Keystone State Economy: Dairy products, poultry, cattle, nursery stock, mushrooms, hogs, hay, food processing, chemical products, machinery, electric equipment, tourism. Fun facts: Hershey is considered the Chocolate Capital of the US. The first automobile service station opened in Pittsburg in 1913. In 1946 Philadelphia became home to the first computer. Philadelphia is the site of the first presidential mansion. Philadelphia is home to the cheesesteak sandwich, water ice, soft pretzels and TastyKakes. Betsy Ross made the first American flag in Philadelphia. The Declaration of Independence was signed in Philadelphia in 1776. Benjamin Franklin founded the Philadelphia Zoo, the first public zoo in the US. Actor Jimmy Stewart was born and raised in the town of Indiana. Every Christmas the downtown area is decorated to the theme of the film "It’s a Wonderful Life". Nazareth is the home of Martin guitars. Finger pickin’ good since 1833. The first coal festival was held 201 years after the
establishment of "Peter’s Camp" on Memorial weekend 1993 in Blossburg.

Trenton, N.J.

State bird: Eastern Goldfinch State flower: Violet Population: 8,414,350 people Nickname: Garden State Economy: Horses, nursery stock, fruits and nuts, seafood, dairy products, chemical products, food processing, printing and publishing, tourism Fun facts: New Jersey has the highest population density in the US – an average of 1,030 people per square mile which is 13 times the national average. North Jersey is the car theft capital of the world, with more
cars stolen in Newark than any other city. New Jersey has the most diners in the world and is
sometimes referred to as the diner capital of the world. New Jersey is a leading industrial state and is the largest chemical producing state in the nation. NJ natives: Jack Nicholson, Bruce Springsteen, Bon Jovi, Jason Alexander, Queen Latifa, Shaq, Judy Blume, Whitney Houston, Eddie Money, Frank Sinatra, Grover Cleveland. Atlantic City has the longest boardwalk in the world. New Jersey is home to the Miss America pageant held in Atlantic City. New Jersey has a spoon museum featuring over 5,400 spoons from every state and almost every country.
The state bug is the honeybee. The first baseball game was played in Hoboken. Software and software related companies account for nearly 2,700 companies in New Jersey.

Hartford, Connecticut

State bird: Robin State flower: Mountain Laurel Population: 3,405,565 people Nickname: Constitution State Economy: Dairy products, nursery stock, eggs, cattle, transportation equipment, fabricated metal products, machinery, electric equipment, chemical products, scientific instruments Fun facts: In Hartford, you may not, under any circumstances, cross
the street walking on your hands. The USS Nautilus, the world’s first nuclear powered
submarine, was built in Groton in 1954. America’s first trade association was founded in
Naugatuck Valley. Connecticut is home to the oldest US newspaper still being published: The Hartford Courant, established in 1764. Connecticut is home to the first hamburger (1895), Polaroid camera (1934) helicopter (1939) and color television (1948). The first automobile law was passed by CT in 1901. The speed limit was set at 12 miles per hour. The first lollipop-making machine opened for business in New Haven in 1908. George Smith named the treat after a popular racehorse. The World Wrestling Federal or the WWF is headquartered
in Stamford. In 1728, the first steel mill operating in American was located in Simsbury.

Providence, Rhode Island

State bird: Rhode Island Red State flower: Violet Population: 1,048,319 people Nickname: The Ocean State Economy: Dairy products, nursery stock, eggs, vegetables, fashion jewelry, fabricated metal products, shipbuilding and boatbuilding, machinery, electric equipment, tourism Fun facts: Rhode Island is the smallest state in the US. It covers an area of 1,214 square miles (48 miles N to S, 37 miles E to W). The first circus in the US was in Newport in 1774.
Rhode Island is home to the Tennis Hall of Fame. Rhode Island was home to the first National Lawn Tennis Championship in 1899. George M. Cohan was born in Providence in 1878. He
wrote "I’m a Yankee Doodle Dandy," "You’re a Grand Old Flag" and a wide variety of other musical entertainment. The first torpedo boat "Stiletto" was built in Bristol in 1887. The White Horse Tavern was built in 1673 and is the oldest operating tavern in the US. Pelham Street in Newport was the first street in the country to use gas-illuminated streetlights. Cumberlandite is the official state rock. It is dark brown or black with white markings and found on both sides of
Narragansett Bay but not north of Cumberland. Portsmouth is home to the oldest schoolhouse in the US. Itwas built in 1716.

Wow! We Are Moving Along!

The Cobra Kai Team is leading the pack and they have already passed, not only Boston, MA, but Providence, RI, Harthford, CN, and Trenton, NJ!

I will post information on these three states in the morning! Go Cobra Kai!

Team Tracker Week 3

After 3 weeks, the Easy Striders have been overtaken by the Cobra Kai to fall from first to second place. The Cobra Kai were propelled to first place by shattering the single week record, with a new single week record of 330.754 miles. Great job Cobra Kai.

The Road Runners are also closing in quickly on the Insain Bolts in a close battle for 3rd.

Four teams beat the previouse Cobra Kai record of 256.3 from Week 2 and every team improved over the pror week. I will now keep the top three, all time, single week records posted on the right.

Boston, Mass

State bird: Chickadee State flower: Mayflower Population: 6,349,097 people Nickname: Bay State Economy: Dairy products, nursery stock, seafood, cranberries, vegetables, printing and
publishing, scientific instruments, machinery, electric equipment, tourism
Fun facts: Norfolk county is the birthplace of four US presidents: John Adams, John Quincy Adams, John Fitzgerald Kennedy and George Herbert Walker Bush. In Holyoke, William G. Morgan created a new game called Mintonette in 1895. After a demonstration given at the YMCA in nearby Springfield, it was renamed Volleyball. The Fig Newton was named after Newton, Massachusetts. The Basketball Hall of Fame is located in Springfield where
the first basketball game was played. The birth control pill was invented at Clark University in
Worcester. The Boston Tea Party reenactment takes place in Boston Harbor every December 16th. The first US Postal zip code in Massachusetts is 01001 in Agawam. Acushnet is the hometown of the Titleist golf ball company. The official state dessert of Massachusetts is Boston Cream Pie (what else!). Elias How of Boston invented the first sewing machine in 1839.

The Easy Striders Are Going Strong and They've Made it Past Albany, N.Y.

State bird: Bluebird State flower: Rose Population: 18,976,457 people Nickname: Empire State
Economy: Dairy products, cattle, livestock, vegetables, nursery stock, apples, printing and publishing, scientific instruments, machinery, chemical products, tourism
Fun facts: New York City has 722 miles of subway track. The Big Apple is a term coined by musicians meaning to play the big time. New York was the first state to require license plates on
cars. The first daily Yiddish newspaper appeared in 1885 in New York City. The Fashion Institute of Technology in Manhattan is the only school in the world offering a Bachelor of Science Degree with a Major in Cosmetics and Fragrance Marketing. Chittenago is the home of L. Frank Baum, author of the "Wizard of Oz" and the location of the annual Munchkins
parade. The Genesee River is one of the few rivers in the world that flows south to north.
Niagara Reservation became the first state park in the United States.

Team Tracker Week 2

After two weeks of competition, the Easy Striders remain in first although the Cobra Kai did make up some ground.

The Cobra Kai set the bar with a 1 week team total of 256.314miles.  The bar has been set and this is the 1 week record to beat.  The Easy striders are still the team to catch as they have now been first through the first three capitals.

The biggest movers this week were the Insain Bolts moving from 5th to 3rd and We've Got Sole moved up from 6th to 5th.

The Easy Striders - First to Pass Concord, NH

State bird: Purple finch State flower: Purple Lilac Population: 1,235,786 people
Nickname: Granite State Economy: Dairy products, nursery stock, cattle, apples, eggs, machinery, electronic equipment, rubber and plastic products, tourism Fun facts: The first potato planted in the US was at Londonderry Common Field in 1719. Levi Hutchins of Concord invented the first alarm clock in 1787. State motto is "Live Free or Die" and comes from a statement written by the Revolutionary General John Stark, hero of the Battle of Bennington. Sarah Josepha Hale, author and journalist from Newport, New Hampshire, wrote the poem "Mary Had a Little Lamb" in 1830. It takes approximately 40 gallons of sap to make approximately 1 gallon of maple syrup. Captain John Smith named New Hampshire after the town of Hampshire, England. In 1833 the first free public library was opened in Petersborough. New Hampshire adopted the first legal lottery in the US in 1963.

Learn About Maine

AUGUSTA, MAINE

State bird: Chickadee State flower: Whitepine cone and tassel State insect: Honeybee
Population: 1,274,923 people Nickname: Pine Tree State Economy: Seafood, poultry and eggs, potatoes, dairy products, cattle, blueberries, apples, paper, lumber, and wood products
Fun facts: Maine is the only state in the United States whose name has one syllable.
Approximately 40 millions pounds (nearly 90%) of the nation’s lobster supply is caught off the coast of Maine. Maine producers 99% of all the blueberries in the country making it the single largest producer of blueberries in the United States. 90% of the country’s toothpick supply is produced in Maine. Portland is the birthplace of poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. Maine contains 542,629 acres of state and national parks. In Wilton, Maine, there is a cannery that imports and cans only dandelion greens. Bath, Maine is known as the City of Ships.

Team Tracker Week 1

After one week (A partial week really), the Easy Striders are running away with the lead. Just over 181 Miles! Great Job! The Cobra Kai is in Second with 145 miles while the Road Runners are in third with 143 miles. See below for updated maps. Full standings are posted on the right hand panel.

Click images for larger view.

Mileage Rules

Feryal asked me to post a quick clarification on the mileage rules.

1) You CAN and should wear the pedometer all day and accumulate miles. This encourages walking, and being active throughout the day.

2) Unless your exercise IS walking or running, you SHOULD NOT wear the pedometer. It should instead be calculated by the hour (4 miles per hour). So if you were to play a 1 hour tennis match or weight lift, you would get 4 miles(for an hour of exercise), not what the pedometer says, and not the combination of the pedometer and the 4 miles.

3) If you do walk or run for an hour, you would count only the distance on the pedometer (or treadmill). You WOULD NOT add 4 miles for having exercised for an hour.

Team Leaders!!!!

CUMULATIVE MILES FOR WED - SUN DUE BY NOON TODAY!

THANK YOU!

And the Race Begins!

The extra pedometers are on the way (apparently sitting in the Phoenix UPS warehouse) and due to arrive here at corporate tomorrow. There are 3 people that I am aware of who are without a working pedometer. They are: Michelle Lucas, Danny Pehrson and Kathleen Hawkins. If there is anyone else, please let me know ASAP! Otherwise we are kicking off this race as of midnight tonight (12:00 am Wednesday morning).

Those of you without a pedometer (Michelle, Danny and Kathleen), please do your exercising on a machine that will measure miles for now (or you will get 4 miles for each hour of exercise - see previous posting).

Team Leaders I will need cumulative MILES from you on Monday (9/8) for Wednesday through Sunday this week.

Have fun and let the race begin!

Update to Walk Across US Competition Rules

Please be advised - if you are walking or running you will be allowed to report what your pedometer registers. For ANY other exercise, you will accumulate 4 miles for every hour of exercise.

Thanks and good luck!

Kick off day and time will be announced on Tuesday afternoon!

Welcome to the Blog

Good Morning Participant -

Once I get confirmation from all of our non-Phoenix employees that they have received their pedometers and that the pedometers work (you all know who you are, please shoot me a quick e-mail confirming this), I will give an exact day and time the "walk" will kick off. Until then, please test your pedometers - instructions are in the small box the pedometers come in. Let me know if they don't work so we can get a replacement. NAC participants will get their pedometers on Friday.

Once we begin our "walk, you will keep track of your miles Sunday through Saturday and report them to your Team Leader on Monday mornings. In turn the team leader will compute total numbers for the team and report them to me by noon on Monday. I will then post weekly updates for all six teams on Tuesday to our blog. Please visit our blog dedictaed to this event for all future correspondence and information - www.hpwalks.blogspot.com/

Again, please remember that it is NOT only exercise or activities that accumulate miles with the supplied pedometer that count towards your miles. ANY sport activity can earn you miles...
You can use your pedometers for - walking and running outside.
You can report mileage off of - a stationary bike, eliptical machine or treadmill
Any exercise you do - weight lifting, yoga, jazzercize, aerobics, outside biking will earn you 3 miles for every hour of exercise.
Stay tuned for more information and let me know if you have any questions.

Team Tracker Week 0

This is an image of the route we will be taking(click on image for larger view). Throughout the competition, I will update the position of each team so you can see where you stand on the journey. Good luck and watch for updates from Feryal regarding the standing and information about each destination.