roadskater.net

Hey MikeB, thanks for your interest in this and in the Roadskater.net team being part of it. [Let me remind people that you are welcome to be part of our team no matter how fast or slow, on skates or on a bike. You just need to be a roadskater or love them, or one, at least.]

Some technical questions:

How far back in my records should I go for miles? I assume we don't want to go too far back, and certainly not before the start of her project. Can you give us a start date?

Also, do any training or touring miles not part of an event count, too? I have 101 miles from Sunday and Monday on the Chief Ladiga and Silver Comet, and eebee has 67, and northinsouth 34. I assume any miles count.

Now I have another good use for the Garmin Forerunner 305 mileage logs!

Great question. Miles would start 7/01/09 and could be ANY miles (training, event based, warmup, whatever). Just send me an email with details: name, date, miles, and mileage classification - inline, run, or bike.
It will go on a weekly spreadsheet to Vivian. This will help her determine how to best tally our miles.

Viva le Garmin Forerunner!

Week 1 only encompassed July 1 through July 4, and so far we have 5 skaters signed up to report mileage. More will sign up I'm sure.....it couldn't be easier.

Week 1 logged 270 miles, which adds 135 miles to Vivian's cause. (remember that since we're on wheels she'll divide our true miles by half - seems only fair)

Vivian wanted me to pass along her sincerest appreciation for our efforts.

Thanks to all who have donated their inline miles! Please continue to drop me emails of your progress (name, date, miles). Keep 'em coming.

Yep. Over 300 miles away up here at Country Park we had 5 Roadskater.net jerseys and the skaters and cyclists to match. We also had northinsouth's daughter for whom there's no matching jersey yet.

Four Roadskater.net Skaters and Cyclists at the Tuesday Night Skate

timv and I did 13 miles or so on skates, two others did 10 miles on bikes, and northinsouth and daughter did 3 to 5 miles on their bike with tagalong attachment she could pedal and brake too. It's a three-wheel inline bicycle when you think of it (even when you don't).

Northinsouth and Daughter on the Inline Bicycle (Bike with Tagalong) at Country Park

Hi All,

Thank you so much for reporting your mileage.
The next week to report was the one ending 7/18/09 so please email me those #s.

We now have about 9 skaters reporting with a weekly average of about 260 miles!

MikeB

So far, with just 2 weeks of mileage reported, the Roadskater.net team has contributed 520 total miles to Vivian's cause. (260miles for her calculations)

More skaters continue to take notice and make the effort to email weekly mileage. Thanks!

Please let me know your mileage for week #3 which ran from 7/12 through 7/18.

Thanks and keep up the great work. Vivian recently sent me a message that read:
Thanks so much Michael! I really appreciate what you guys are doing, please thank the group for me. i'll get these miles added on. Have a great week.

~Vivian

That's really cool. We're making a difference.

My miles for the week tallied to only a bit more than last week...I got exactly 80.00 miles. Crazy to land on the hundredth of a mile. 35 of that was on Saturday at the Paceline Bicycles Tour to Tanglewood Training Ride.

Hi All,

Perhaps it was a rainy week or a low reporting turnout, but we as a group we lowered our average a bit.

We reported 175 total miles skated (87.5 for Vivian's calculations). Not a bad effort at all, and thanks for the vigilance!

Please don't forget to report your weekly miles either here or by email. Members can send details to me by clicking on my user name above, by visiting http://roadskater.net/user/mikeb then clicking the Contact tab, or by visiting this direct link: http://roadskater.net/user/245/contact

Calling all skaters --- Week #4 tabulations are ongoing and look VERY strong!

Please advise your miles from 7/19 through 7/25. It looks like a new record is in the making.

Thanks!

Hey MikeB. Thanks again for staying on top of this project and for being the one to have the idea in the first place for us to join in.

I wondered if there's a tracking website where we can see the little feet crossing the Atlantic ocean on their way to Brian. If so I'd be interested to see it. I didn't find that, but...

I did find the local (to them) article from February...
http://www.herald-review.com/articles/2009/02/17/news/state/1039215.txt

Here's some stuff on her participation in the Boilermaker 15K in Utica, NY (9.3 miler)...
http://www.uticaod.com/sports/x737366159/Supporting-Private-Bales
http://www.syracuse.com/sports/index.ssf?/base/sports-0/1247302531193570...
http://www.uticaod.com/news/x631624621/Soldiers-mother-runs-to-honor-Bri...

Thanks again...
roadskater

Hi All,

Week #4 was from 7/19 through 7/25 and what a week it was. So far we've had about 8 or 10 skaters reporting miles for this project. And collectively these 8 or 10 had a very nice week at 425 miles.

But that wasn't all. TX Johnny reported some miles this week - WOW.... 469 miles!

That's not a typo - 469.3 to be exact. Really?
Are you kiddin' me? That's RIDICULOUS.
I've got the daily breakdown if you're interested.

So we'll report 894.3 to Vivian (447.15 for her calculations). Thanks everybody!

Please keep me posted on miles from 7/26 through 8/01.

Hey gang,
Week #5 of the skateymiles project was from 7/26 to 8/1/09. If you get a moment, check your logs and report you skate miles.
Together, we are crushin' some miles and really boosting Vivian's totals quite nicely.
Thanks!

Hi Gang,
I'm sure we all skated more than 145 but that's all that got reported.

Week #6 was from 8/02 through 8/08, so please check your logs and post mileage here (although emailing me directly simplifies things). Members can send details to me by clicking on my user name above, by visiting http://roadskater.net/user/mikeb then clicking the Contact tab, or by visiting this direct link: http://roadskater.net/user/245/contact

So far we've logged over 1700 miles!
Thanks

Hi Skaters,
After reporting Week #5 mileage to Vivian, she kindly responded with the following. Check it out. It's awesome!

"These are great miles Mike! I'll add them on. Have a great weekend.

We have a new webpage blog at www.boilermaker.com then click on miles for Brian.

~Vivian"

Hi All,
Please let me know your miles for #7.
muchas gracias

Hi All,
Our mileage campaign is making a huge difference. Bigger than you might have ever imagined. Please take a moment to read this 8/24/09 message relayed by Vivian, direct from Brian in Iraq!

Hi everyone,

I just wanted to share with you a message from Brian, as he sends his thanks to all of you. If you'd like to send him a message directly, you can email him at bbales223@yahoo.com

also, for anyone who hasn't seen our webpage blog, you can go to www.boilermaker.com then click on milesforbrian. There's some pictures of Brian on there.

Thanks, Vivian

Brian's message:

Dear, readers, runners, friends, family, supporters, anyone who has searched or found this very committed inspirational quest, My name is PFC Brian, C Bales. I've been in Iraq serving our country since January of 2009. My mother Vivian sends me and forwards me all of your very motivating and life touching emails on a daily basis.

As i sit and read them i think about how far we have all come as people, as citizens of this great country...our sacrifice as soldiers has become a truly life touching event for millions of people around the world. My life in the short time I've been here has changed significantly, it has been a hard and a long deployment thus far...but as the perils of combat have become increasingly stressful I find comfort in my family and anyone who has taken the time to run just one mile for me, and for the soldiers of the united states Army, and other branches.

Being here has changed my life forever it has been a very difficult task in my life...but for every mile and every letter I read I become a stronger individual and a stronger soldier...to know that my duty overseas defending your freedom and the freedom of humans in general around the world has become so recognized and respected...all of you who donate these miles are true American heroes... I read how many people refer to me as a hero and it makes me so proud...but what makes me more proud as a soldier is knowing that its heroes like you all that bring us home safely..you give us the strength and courage to keep running our race overseas...to keep rucking that last mile...to keep pushing on in our own quest for freedom...take my words as you will, but know that if you're one of the very honorable people that have dedicated their time to me and to the fine Americans I have pleasure to be here with... my respect and honor will always be somewhere in your heart as you continue to reach your goals as a runner or as a person.
All of your ambitions have truly helped me and my fellow soldiers get this far in our deployment to the middle east.

- PFC Brian Bales