Life My virtual run across America, and a business idea. - Page 5

**Rain Man** · 12-29-2009, 12:58 PM

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

stumppy · 01-01-2010, 04:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rain Man

This is a great idea. So maybe just have people enter a random number when they come to Chiefsplanet.

Oh Oh Oh.....carry it a little farther.

How about we get Daface to change the user controls around so we could just enter whatever post count we wanted and maybe increase our repower.
All while sitting comfortably at home enjoying a bowl of Rocky Road.

**patteeu** · 01-02-2010, 09:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stumppy

Got a question. If I sign up for this do I have to get out and actually walk the miles I log in ?
I'm thinking you could make your new website a lot more fun and appealing if people didn't have to get out and really walk/run the miles they are logging in. If we all could just type in some arbitrary number of miles we "walked" it would leave more time for surfing the internet, or eating ice cream, or....whatever you wanted to do.

Yea, I could get with an excersise program like that.

Brilliant! Virtual jogging. All the scenery without the sweat and sore feet!

ziggysocki · 01-02-2010, 12:47 PM

Ok, after my 9 miler today (2 laps around the lake. Hilly and icy, patches of snow and ice still all over made for a nice challenging run. Not to mention it was 9 degrees at 9 am when we started... So far I am 26 miles in.

ziggysocki · 01-05-2010, 08:10 AM

Ok, bump... WHERE YOU GUYS AT?

**RockChalk** · 01-05-2010, 08:40 AM

I just signed up today. Looks pretty cool, although the site runs like i'm on a 56k modem

I'm doing biking/running. My ID is #59338. I added you all to my list of partners.

rageeumr · 01-05-2010, 08:41 AM

I'm sitting on the side of the road nursing some runner's knee. I ran a six miler on New Years Day and been fighting it since then. I skipped my long run this weekend (supposed to be 12) and I ran about a quarter mile on the dreadmill last night and cut it short because every step hurt. I've been icing and 'profening up, and it feels a little better today.

Hopefully I can get that 12 in this weekend. It's actually supposed to get into the 30's on Sunday!

ziggysocki · 01-05-2010, 08:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rageeumr

I'm sitting on the side of the road nursing some runner's knee. I ran a six miler on New Years Day and been fighting it since then. I skipped my long run this weekend (supposed to be 12) and I ran about a quarter mile on the dreadmill last night and cut it short because every step hurt. I've been icing and 'profening up, and it feels a little better today.

Hopefully I can get that 12 in this weekend. It's actually supposed to get into the 30's on Sunday!

I'd love to see 30... high here on saturday (for scheduled 10 miler) is 9... Probably won't be that warm at 8 am when I run. No aches or pains so far... luckily. But I do have about 500 miles on my current shoes, about time to go shopping.

Added you as well RockChalk.

**Rain Man** · 01-05-2010, 09:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RockChalk

I just signed up today. Looks pretty cool, although the site runs like i'm on a 56k modem

I'm doing biking/running. My ID is #59338. I added you all to my list of partners.

Cool. Once I'm able to find Matthew Broderick from Wargames to help me dial up and get in I'll add you to my list. With your newfangled biking machinery, you may pass us all pretty quick.

**Rain Man** · 01-05-2010, 09:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rageeumr

I'm sitting on the side of the road nursing some runner's knee. I ran a six miler on New Years Day and been fighting it since then. I skipped my long run this weekend (supposed to be 12) and I ran about a quarter mile on the dreadmill last night and cut it short because every step hurt. I've been icing and 'profening up, and it feels a little better today.

Hopefully I can get that 12 in this weekend. It's actually supposed to get into the 30's on Sunday!

That's my fear. Knee problems stink. I had to sit out 7 weeks in November and December. I'm back now, but I'm slow as molasses at the moment.

ziggysocki · 01-05-2010, 09:52 AM

I would add in biking, but I don't have a 4 wheel drive bike with snow mobile tracks on it... so I wont be logging any miles any time soon.

The Pedestrian · 01-05-2010, 09:54 AM

That would be awesome! You should also pair it with the "Sketch/CAD" program that lets you create structures and place them on Google Earth. Just think of the possibilities in your running route if you could build an Alaska-Russia bridge or a Canada-Greenland-Iceland-England-France bridge!

**Rain Man** · 01-05-2010, 09:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ziggysocki

Ok, bump... WHERE YOU GUYS AT?

This whole thing about having different sets of books for each person is weird. I'd rather they just gave absolute locations.

I just passed through Charles City at 43.8 miles, and now I've got a long open stretch before I get to Glendale (16.7 miles away). The good news is that my maps have shifted up and are showing Richmond now. [Edit: well, not the map that I just pasted in.]

**patteeu** · 01-05-2010, 10:07 AM

Why stop at America? Someone should come up with an alternative virtual reality across which joggers can run and explore. You have to log your miles to discover new and amazing views and landmarks.

**RockChalk** · 01-05-2010, 10:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rain Man

Cool. Once I'm able to find Matthew Broderick from Wargames to help me dial up and get in I'll add you to my list. With your newfangled biking machinery, you may pass us all pretty quick.

My knees only tolerate so much running, unfortunately. My recumbent bike comes in pretty handy with they start acting up

**Rain Man** · 01-05-2010, 10:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by patteeu

Why stop at America? Someone should come up with an alternative virtual reality across which joggers can run and explore. You have to log your miles to discover new and amazing views and landmarks.

And low-gravity worlds are much easier on the knees. I like it.

12-29-2009, 12:58 PM
Rain Man Welcome, Eric Fisher & Friends Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: 1.61 KM high city Casino cash: $62677162	My virtual run across America, and a business idea. So I'm getting over my little knee problem and have started running again, and I thought it'd be cool to plot my progress on a map of the U.S., running across the country. I've always thought it would be cool to walk across the U.S., but I can't figure out how to get my work done in that scenario, so this is my fallback. And then I thought, "Hmm, this is a pretty good idea for a website. If I started a website, could I get enough people to sell some advertising and stuff and maybe make some money?" So I went out looking to see if it's already out there. The concept isn't overly innovative, so I see a fair amount of sites out there that talk about it, but they all seem to be pretty lame. Here's a map, print it, color in your progress with a crayon kind of stuff. What I'd like is a web site where you plot your progress and then see a google maps street view of your location, and then a virtual tour of towns that you walk through, and an atlas so you can pick your route as you go, and an interactive map so you can plot your route. That doesn't exist. Is there money in this? What's the revenue model? Any web designers out there who would want to collaborate on this? In my 15 minutes of looking, I found one web site that's actually kind of close, though it's still basic. http://exercise.lbl.gov/index.html is a federal government site, and they do the street view pictures, which is pretty cool, and the online log. However, they only give you one route, an inexplicable Yorktown, Virginia, to Florence, Oregon, route, and you can't vary from that. Also, you don't get local information along your route as far as I can tell. I signed up for it, though, since it's the best option out there, and am now 11 miles into my journey. I've left Yorktown and am now on this nice road about 2 miles from Williamsburg. Anyone else want to wander along?
Posts: 66,715

01-02-2010, 12:47 PM	#63
ziggysocki mmm sweet lemonade Join Date: Oct 2008 Casino cash: $3539	Ok, after my 9 miler today (2 laps around the lake. Hilly and icy, patches of snow and ice still all over made for a nice challenging run. Not to mention it was 9 degrees at 9 am when we started... So far I am 26 miles in. Attached Thumbnails
Posts: 1,580

01-05-2010, 08:10 AM	#64
ziggysocki mmm sweet lemonade Join Date: Oct 2008 Casino cash: $3539	Ok, bump... WHERE YOU GUYS AT? Attached Thumbnails
Posts: 1,580

01-05-2010, 08:40 AM	#65
RockChalk Dirty Bit Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Larryville Casino cash: $68792	I just signed up today. Looks pretty cool, although the site runs like i'm on a 56k modem I'm doing biking/running. My ID is #59338. I added you all to my list of partners. Last edited by RockChalk; 01-05-2010 at 08:56 AM.. Reason: Didn't feel like making a second post
Posts: 3,689

01-05-2010, 08:41 AM	#66
rageeumr Veteran Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Oooooooooolathe Casino cash: $305073	I'm sitting on the side of the road nursing some runner's knee. I ran a six miler on New Years Day and been fighting it since then. I skipped my long run this weekend (supposed to be 12) and I ran about a quarter mile on the dreadmill last night and cut it short because every step hurt. I've been icing and 'profening up, and it feels a little better today. Hopefully I can get that 12 in this weekend. It's actually supposed to get into the 30's on Sunday!
Posts: 2,088

01-05-2010, 09:52 AM	#70
ziggysocki mmm sweet lemonade Join Date: Oct 2008 Casino cash: $3539	I would add in biking, but I don't have a 4 wheel drive bike with snow mobile tracks on it... so I wont be logging any miles any time soon.
Posts: 1,580

01-05-2010, 09:54 AM	#71
The Pedestrian Cross with me Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Kansas City, MO Casino cash: $7525100	That would be awesome! You should also pair it with the "Sketch/CAD" program that lets you create structures and place them on Google Earth. Just think of the possibilities in your running route if you could build an Alaska-Russia bridge or a Canada-Greenland-Iceland-England-France bridge!
Posts: 11,727

01-05-2010, 10:07 AM	#73
patteeu The 23rd Pillar Join Date: Sep 2002 Casino cash: $417215	Why stop at America? Someone should come up with an alternative virtual reality across which joggers can run and explore. You have to log your miles to discover new and amazing views and landmarks. __________________ Obamacare’s fix for an American health care system that the federal government long ago broke, is to give the federal government far more power over American health care; that its solution to escalating health costs is to mandate greater health benefits (and, hence, higher costs); and that its solution to the pricey overreliance on pre-paid health plans — offered by insurance companies in lieu of real insurance — is to have the government require Americans to buy those pre-paid health plans under penalty of law.
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