Geek exercise challenge: Walk to Rivendell

Cory Doctorow 5:21 am Sun Sep 30, 2007

Out-of-shape? Middle Earth geek? Why not walk to Rivendell, and join a worldwide community of Hobbit-fancying power-walkers, logging your daily paces as you leg the distances traversed by the hairy-foot set.

Walk, run, hike, bike, blade, swim – if you can measure the distance, you can do this challenge. Keep a log, and record your daily or weekly miles and the type of exercise. For walkers and hikers, you might want to invest in a walking meter, they look like wristwatches. Otherwise, you can estimate your distance at 1 mile for every 20 minutes of brisk walking on a flat surface. Our original suggested deadline was the opening of The Return of the King, December 17, 2003. As this glorious day is now past, we are setting new goals, new times:

If you would like to set a long term distance goal, choose any one of the following…

1625 miles: Take the road home with the hobbits from Minas Tirith to Hobbiton.

* 535 miles from Minas Tirith to Isengard

* 693 miles from Isengard to Rivendell.

* 397 miles from Rivendell to Bag End.

(Thanks, Bear!)

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