Roadtrip!!!

Last winter, a group of my friends from Ann Arbor (whom I met during grad school) and I competed against each other in a virtual running race across the country. Each day, we would go to roadtriplog.com to log our actual running mileage. From our private league page, we could view everyone’s standings and locations on a map of the course. On the side bar of the page was a comments section where everyone could talk smack, which was the real motivator. We often commented about the frigid weather or who was kicking whose ass.

As of November 26th, we’re at it again. This time we’re running from Los Angeles to San Francisco on U.S. Highway 101, a total distance of 471 miles. Currently, there are 14 contenders. My friend Aaron is in the lead with 45.2 miles as of today. I am in second place with 35.5 miles. I just reached Santa Monica this morning, and now have 80.5 miles to the next checkpoint, which is Santa Barbara. Some haven’t even started running yet. I, myself, was ready to get out of LA as quickly as possible.

The virtual league is a really great way to stay motivated during the winter. Whether you’re a walker, runner, or biker, there are many events to keep you motivated. Some are open to everyone, and others are private leagues in which you can invite your friends and family to join you. Below is an excerpt from the Roadtrip Web site:

The driving force behind Roadtrip is the belief that a little motivation to get someone running or walking will do wonders for their health, their fitness levels, and their outlook on life. This philosophy has led to the tracking method of applying an individual's daily walking or running miles to a real point-to-point journey on a map such as Route 66, or Daytona Beach to Miami Beach, or Edinburgh to London.