I have to say, I've stuck to this project better than some, and have been diligently running up and down the grid for the last year and a half. I've made a lot more progress than I expected! Here's how the map looks at this point. I've been switching color for every quarter, so the legend would be like this, I guess.
Purple = Summer 2010
Blue = Fall/Winter 2010
Green = Winter/Spring 2011
Yellow = Spring 2011
Orange = Summer 2011
Red = Fall/Winter 2011
Maroonish = 2012 to date.
For a while, it's been at the point where it's kind of hard to see which streets I haven't run.
Here's that map:
...which is to say...
...I only have the right of way through an apartment complex left to shuffle through, and my big, beautiful motivational project is finished.
Why am I telling you this? Well, I'm boasting of course. And some of you will like the purty map. But I'm actually also a little concerned about what will happen now that I've lost this chunk of my motivation to run, and in particular to run somewhat further than I might otherwise.
How Can ~I~ Help, Michael5000?
Well, I was hoping that maybe y'all might help me brainstorm for interesting ways to replace the great running map. So: what have you got? Don't be shy! No scheme too harebrained! Remember, if I accept your mission it's ~me~ who has to do the running (and whatever side labor), not you!
There are, as the facilitators say, no bad ideas! Except "do the map again." Other than that, no bad ideas!
10 comments:
After you finish that last bit, clean the slate. The start running a route that spells out something on the map...
Nice map! Could even be a MOTW someday.
For your next trick try one way runs to the end of bus or transit lines. Collect them all - expand your radius.
Well done. I think the best idea is to move and start exploring another 14 mile square area.
Well, we'd talked about spelling things out on the map...or you could run designs, like spirals, or plow quilt blocks, or make a giant plaid (alternating N-S months and E-W months, say.) You could measure off distances to various landmarks in the city. You could run according to specific patterns, say first right straight left straight left straight (repeat x times) and see where those took you. You could venture beyond the map in long straight fringy runs. You could attempt to guess distances of planned routes without computational aids. You could connect the dots with landmarks. Etc. etc.
I don't have any great new suggestions (since you have never endorsed my "find all the places that serve burritos and run to them" suggestion), way to go! Excellent work! Huzzah!
some kind of use of a random number generator to pick a set of coordinates within an X-mile radius and run to that point?
alternately - start exploring NE? It's kinda awesome up here.
run it again... backwards?
expand into sw?
extend past holgate to the clackamas border?
i like jennifer's sugestion, though.
You could go for a giant isosceles triangle (sort of). Start by running directly east as far as you can go (and back). The next day go 1 block north, and then east (but of course 1 block less east to make up for the 1 block you did). Then 2 blocks north and -2 blocks east... Eventually switching the pattern south, but still east.
But wait, this doesn't take into account natural obstacles and streets that don't go all the way through?!? Exactly, which makes it Michael5000 challenge
Carto: Mrs.5000 had that idea too. I think of it as the Etch-a-sketch concept.
Dug: I kind of love that idea, except that it's expensive and burns too much time.
Jenners: Yeah, I often think that's the best idea too....
Jennifer: See, I think that idea is kind of cruel -- I run to places that sell burritos, but I can't eat them, because I'm on a run. That's messed up.
Reb: Oh, dude. That's gold....
Chuck: Also very good.
Hmm... random coordinate generator...
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