Walk to Mordor and Back Again (2018)

[CoolDad67]

I'm taking the following approach to mileage and my journey:

• Count any "exercise miles" including elliptical, stationary bike, etc. as given by said odometers
• Count any "recreation miles" including hiking, biking, canoeing, walking the dogs, etc. as tracked on MapMyFitness or other tracking apps as long as they are "people powered" / "non-motorized"
• Count any daily walking as recorded on FitBit.  Less, of course, the steps / miles accrued from "exercise & recreation" above.

My logic is that the hobbits and companions accrued miles other than walking such as on ponies / horseback, riding barrels (The Hobbit), etc.; so, any miles that I can capture count. 

[Barbs]

Ooh, I'm keen to give this a go   While I don't have a FitBit, my cheap alternative still keeps the numbers, so will fill in from first  

On 1/4/2018 at 2:00 PM, TGP said:

 

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Ha! is this too Nerdy?  I'm sure I'm creating an awful first impression. yet I am what I am.  good Luck and I will check in regularly

 

 

TGP definitely not too nerdy, it's awesome

 

Ooh and @Teancum - how did you get the progress bar in your Signature? I might not use it for weight, but instead for my journey to Mordor

[TGP]

the ground rises around us,

 

Weathertop is close; you can see it in the distance about 10miles away.  I thought we were sposed to meet up with the Nazgul at Weathertop- but that

Spoiler

Last week was my awful weekend.and I can't see a repeat of it for a bit.

OTOH, in the wilderness of life- one never knows what sudden catastrophe can come.  the 'Nazgul' of negativity are close.  so, lets hope if I can hold the mileage that I can walk past some of the problems of life and bear the burden.

 

surely happened last week, Just on the far side of Midgewater swamps.

 

and it was a bad blow, too!  frodo still moans at every ravine as he rides or forelorn pony.  Strider tell us that he will attempt to long night march to us beyond the mountain.  I guess there's the chance that they lie in wait near the top.  what sneaky and difficult route he will choose I don't know, and I don't even know if they can see!  but strider says there are many ways for them to detect people and the rings draws them.  we are no match for a fight?  how are we ever supposed to do this?

 

so they'll be no time to write further for a while.  this unconquerable large land swallows endless marches.  we will likely not even see the Last bridge until feb 27...  (irl Prediction!) and Rivendell the 7th of March!

 

even I feel too discouraged to say it; so I'll write it.  Mordor is SO far away.  I wish we could just "get there" and get it over with.  or at least rivendell where the curse thing can be sent to someone faster, stronger and better-  I've never been so homesick.

Pippin

[Diadhuit]

so they'll be no time to write further for a while.  this unconquerable large land swallows endless marches.  we will likely not even see the Last bridge until feb 27...  (irl Prediction!) and Rivendell the 7th of March!
 
even I feel too discouraged to say it; so I'll write it.  Mordor is SO far away.  I wish we could just "get there" and get it over with.  or at least rivendell where the curse thing can be sent to someone faster, stronger and better-  I've never been so homesick.
Pippin

Thanx for always keeping us with the story, it's easy to forget why and where we are headed to.
I am walking, but I have hit some lazyness, mainly stress related lack of will. As for now I'll reach my next destination with 5 days delay, if I don't pick up the pace...
How ye all doing?

[TGP]

Long, solo walks are always personally perilous for me.

If i'm not very careful my own sullen thoughts reach down into my weary feet and I find myself slowly becoming slower and slower.

 

call it my great weakness of laziness...

 

but that said almost ALL my walks ARE solo; they always have to be.  I have to constantly mentally remind myself on why I want to accomplish even with a simple relatively nonathletic road walk.  

 

I think what is true of a single walk is true of them all.  and I can only offer the advice that quite a few medical studies proclaim walking as one of the best of exercises.  I also think it is the base of fitness and allows other fitness to be successful with less chance of hurting yourself. 

 

as for the story; please feel free to offer any improv comments of your own.  if that comes easily to you. make the journey real

 

[Cataleya]

I got about 150 miles in January. Not bad, but I'm hoping to up the ante.

[Diadhuit]

Long, solo walks are always personally perilous for me.
If i'm not very careful my own sullen thoughts reach down into my weary feet and I find myself slowly becoming slower and slower.
 
call it my great weakness of laziness...
 
but that said almost ALL my walks ARE solo; they always have to be.  I have to constantly mentally remind myself on why I want to accomplish even with a simple relatively nonathletic road walk.  
 
I think what is true of a single walk is true of them all.  and I can only offer the advice that quite a few medical studies proclaim walking as one of the best of exercises.  I also think it is the base of fitness and allows other fitness to be successful with less chance of hurting yourself. 
 
as for the story; please feel free to offer any improv comments of your own.  if that comes easily to you. make the journey real
 

Do you want come walk with me? I have the same issue!
Only thing that works is walking as a mean of tranportation from A to B and having to be at B at an exact time. So commuting to work works for me, as it is a 40 min walk. Also I call my Mom making it easier to chat and distract. Or fast pace music.
I am now trying to put all my attention on my body, as in meditation, but with a faster pace. Not sure it works yet, but is fascinating how my feet muscle work and I never thought of it.

[shy]

I won't be walking today, for the first time in a while. My left toe is giving me trouble, weirdly, and Frankenankle isn't being a whiny s.o.b. Holpefully tomorrow my body will cooperate. I opted instead for squats (gr!), incline pushups, etc., etc. 

 

Hope ya'll are having a WONDERFUL Tuesday!!! <3 <3 <3 

[Gemma]

I've never been much of a walker before, but I've got a tracker and a beautiful campus to walk around, so I'm officially out of excuses and lacing up my shoes. 

[TGP]

welcome to the new walker...

as for sudden stops

 

 I got down with a cold for a few days; and while a watch that tracks every move will never give me 0 steps. however,it was pretty minimal.  I thought about making some kind of snazzy story-line explanation. but maybe its more helpful to just fess up.

 

sometimes the Walk does get interrupted; but the adventure continues. there's some really LONG wastes beyond Weathertop mountain though.

[edit: its the third longest stretch between mileposts from shire to mount doom]

[darna]

just joined... started tracking 1/1/2018 since my garmin vivofit keeps my stats. the journey to 3,405.5 miles begins with a single step...

[Kummerspeck]

I'd like to join. I know I'm late to the game, but I'm re-reading LOTR right now and the journey is really resonating with me for many reasons. This challenge would be an RL expression of internal changes. According to my Fitbit, I'm bringing 109.51 miles to the party. Not much, but better than sitting in Bag Eng drinking the last of the Old Winyard. (Or is it?!)

[Diadhuit]

I'd like to join. I know I'm late to the game, but I'm re-reading LOTR right now and the journey is really resonating with me for many reasons. This challenge would be an RL expression of internal changes. According to my Fitbit, I'm bringing 109.51 miles to the party. Not much, but better than sitting in Bag Eng drinking the last of the Old Winyard. (Or is it?!)

You are not late, especially when you have retroactive data
If Gandalf stopped at your place now, this is the time to go.
To walk all the road we have ahead it is going to take more than just 2018, at least for me.
So come join the fellowship

[TGP]

6 hours ago, Kummerspeck said:

I'd like to join. I know I'm late to the game, but I'm re-reading LOTR right now and the journey is really resonating with me for many reasons. This challenge would be an RL expression of internal changes. According to my Fitbit, I'm bringing 109.51 miles to the party. Not much, but better than sitting in Bag Eng drinking the last of the Old Winyard. (Or is it?!)

 

Yes, yes.  you are meant to be in this adventure!

even if you forget to bring your handkerchief

 

 

 

[Chris-Tien Jinn]

I brought in a fair number of miles from January and the beginning of February.  Let's see how far I can get!!!  

 

Until summer, I mostly walk a lot and jog a bit.  In the summer, I'll be biking as much as possible.  I always intend to commute by bike, but weather often gets in the way.

[shy]

I did 3 miles on the treadmill today! Yay me! 

 

Anywho, quick question, how come under 'Distance Traveled To Date' I'm still on 0? Am I supposed to be calculating that myself or what exactly? (Sorry I'm always a bit clueless..) 

[Diadhuit]

I did 3 miles on the treadmill today! Yay me! [emoji3]
 
Anywho, quick question, how come under 'Distance Traveled To Date' I'm still on 0? Am I supposed to be calculating that myself or what exactly? (Sorry I'm always a bit clueless..) 

Well done!
That field is to set your miles last years.
You can see the progress at the end of the row for each month

[TGP]

Shy, Just to confirm;

if you intend to begin your Mordor walk on Jan 23 & have walked 53miles since Jan23

 

then you've correctly entered in the mileage.

 

per http://home.insightbb.com/~eowynchallenge/Tools/Bag_end/bag_end.html

 

you have taken the short-cut out of the elfish camp near woody end and will soon be scared by a screeching nazgul cry!

in a next few miles/days you will wander onto Farmer Maggot's fields.

 

thats the Adventure!

I do what I can to make the story real to me- & I find it motivating.

 

 

[shy]

Thanks so much!!  

[IslandGirl_Becks]

Oof, my legs are beat. In the last 2 days I've been on my longest run thus far, followed by the only snowshoe adventure I've been on so far. At least I logged a few miles! 

[Pherales]

My Garmin and I say we're in on this too.  I'm using the next year and a bit as pre-gaming for This hiking trail so it fits right in with my goals for the year  

[TGP]

awesome. welcome Hiram- feel free to go back to Jan1 if you have data since the start of the year.

 

about the long trek- that's a fantastic epic challenge for sure.

[TGP]

(Cross posted from my challenge; since its part of my 'virtual' walk across middle earth)

 

 

AFter many long miles past weathertop... Aragorn decided to come back to the Road.  the broad barren landscape seemed to spawn wind; as the gales fell down the distant shoulders of the weather mountains and sought the greyflood river miles and miles to the east.

 

they were running... slowly. and the weather was really awful, a weeping, soaking rain  that seemed to strain all motivation of this small band of travelors; four hobbit friends- pipin, merry, sam and frodo (who was riding a  gently galloping pony; as he had a dreadful wound)

 

and their Guide; ARagon the rangers... competent, extraordinary yet distant and reserved.

 

it was pippin breaking the silence of the weeping, drizzly evening.

 

"You Know.. " he says "mordor really WILL be still hanging around at the edge of the map if we stop and camp for the night!"...    they are ignoring him; - this littliest of hobbit- because he has broken their patience and pestered them for like 300miles!

 

"Pippin" the Merry very sternly says- " PIPPIN, just stop!."   Everyone stops to a halt to catch their breath and to hope that pippin* can be mended.

(he doesn't know it; but in many hundreds of miles later he will be quite grateful for the arduous training on running with great fatigue during many long hours)

 

Merry continues-- "you MUST stop! you must quit this. we Shall Go mad if you don't"  all eyes are upon the little hobbit.   Pippin feels the heat of all his friends stern glances.  "well, I mean" he stammers "we'll go... sure we'll go!  I just mean we could use a tweensy break?"

 

this works.  the group resumes their slow stately jog; with frodo slowly swaying on the little pony.

finally after quite a while he break the peace

" I think" he says quite weakly "I think I can't go any further ... " and with that he loses all strength and slips lazily off the startled pony!

 

"FRODO ! " all the hobbits immediately rush towards him; save sam who is already quickly calming the startled animal.    Aragorn, scarcely affected by the many miles of nonstop running; cracks the smallest of grim smiles...

 

"apparently" he says very quietly, "we will stop here for the night"

 

....  its actually quite a few hours; with the invigorating smell of boiled kingsfoil that frodo regains consciousness.

[Harleytrypp]

I"M GOING ON AN ADVENTURE!   I know... wrong book.  I'd rather walk to the Lonely Mountain with a bunch of dwarves, but Mordor is the quest, and the Ring must be destroyed.

[TGP]

the only trick with the other trek is the spreadsheet.

 

it would still track total distance,etc 

but there are features meant to indicate where you are on a mordor walk.

 

they MAY be alterable or they might not be.  i'm not sure.

 

if it were me, though.  I would go my own way irregardless.  Smaug definitely needs dealt with; and it would be unique for you post updates from another walk (if that's your thing).   i LOVE improv narratives. 

 

equally interesting would be for some people to go with me to the breakup and follow pippin/merry

or the three walkers 

 

all those adventures are fair game in my head. its just that.. well I got it in my heart to cast the ring in the cracks of doom and unless I break a leg and lose all mobility this year I intend to see it done