Monday, December 9, 2013

Nov. 15th-30th Totals

We have logged an impressive
 
31,595.22 miles

What a huge accomplishment! You all should be very proud to be a part of this program and proud of that fact you are helping make yourself a better you by getting out there and being active!

Alpha is kicking some booty! They are currently still in the lead with an impressive 7849.97 miles. They have made it to Afghanistan and they are on their way back.

Do not fret, the competition is not over yet. There is plenty of time and plenty of miles for the rest of the companies to catch up! The ultimate goal is who can make it to Afghanistan and back! You all are amazing and have made this program an huge success. You should all give yourselves a huge pat on the back and be proud of all of the miles you have logged.

Company running totals:

1st Place: Alpha Company 7849.97 miles
2nd Place: Weapons Company 6850.23 miles
3rd Place: Charlie Company 6415.48 miles
4th Place: H & S Company 6300.88 miles
5th Place: Bravo Company 4178.66 miles
 
 
 
The miles logged from November 15th -November 30th are as follows:
 
Alpha: 1532.63 miles
Bravo: 706.51 miles
Charlie: 1475.80 miles
Weapons: 1369.96 miles
H & S: 1507.70 miles
 
Keep up the amazing work!


Monday, December 2, 2013

Philly Marathon

Becky and Dan Hilferty, both avid supporters of the Walk to Afghanistan and huge supporters of Cpl Barry Powers, Alpha Company, and all the Marines and Sailors of 1/9, sent us this very cool picture in front of the Philadelphia Museum of Art ("The Rocky Steps") after Dan finished the Philadelphia Marathon on November 17th.
 
Dan has been logging many miles with all those marathons and Becky has been logging her miles by walking daily! You two are awesome and our Marines are so blessed to have our love and support! Thank you for sharing the great picture with us.  

Thursday, November 21, 2013

A Very Close Race

Wow, you all are quite impressive. It is such a close race and these past weeks have been no different! As a battalion, we have logged
 25,002.63 miles

As for the companies, Alpha is in 1st place but Weapons Company has made a huge leap and is not far behind Alpha! Quite impressive! I will let the numbers speak for themselves.
Company Totals:

1st Place: Alpha 6317.34 miles
2nd Place: Weapons 5480.28 miles
3rd Place: Charlie 4939.68 miles
4th Place: H &S 4793.18 miles
5th Place: Bravo 3472.15 miles

 
 
Here are the miles logged for Nov. 1st-14th for each company.
 

Alpha: 1444.5 miles
Bravo: 988.59 miles
Charlie 1495.89 miles
Weapons: 2655.49 miles
H&S: 1155.60 miles
 
I have a feeling this next round will be who gets to Afghanistan first which is 7,200 miles! Remember, the company who "wins" is the company who makes it to Afghanistan & Back which is 14,400 miles. Keep up the amazing work and keep sending us your pictures! We love to hear from you!

Tuesday, November 12, 2013

Walk on November 15th at 5pm

Calling all Walk to Afghanistan Walkers! Do you want to log some extra miles? Please join us at the Wallace Creek Trail across from Marston Pavilion on MCB Camp Lejeune, Friday, November 15th at 5pm.

 Please remember to dress warm, bring a flashlight, and bring water to hydrate. There is a 2 mile trail or a 4 mile trail! We hope to see you there!

Future Walk Dates will be tentatively scheduled as follows:
Saturday, November 23rd at 8:30am at the Wallace Creek Trail
Friday, December 6th at 5pm at the Wallace Creek Trail
Saturday, December 14th at 8:30am at the Wallace Creek Trail

Atlantic City Marathon

Dan Hilferty, ran the Atlantic City Marathon on October 13, 2012.  He is proudly running in support of Cpl. Barry Powers, Alpha Company, and all the Marines of 1/9! In the picture, Dan is about to cross the finish line on the famous Atlantic City Boardwalk.
 
He will also be running the Philadelphia Marathon on November 17th. We look forward to more pictures! Keep up the great work Dan! Thanks for sharing with us.

Wednesday, November 6, 2013

We Made It There & Back!

As a battalion, we made it to Afghanistan & Back in one month! That is amazing! As a battalion, we have logged

17,262.56 miles

WOW! You all really stepped it up and logged some serious miles these past two weeks! Right now, we are on our way back to Afghanistan for the second time and floating somewhere in the Atlantic Ocean.

Grab those walking shoes and swimming gear (haha) and let's get back to Afghanistan! How many times do you think we can make it to Afghanistan and back as a battalion? Any guesses?

Tuesday, November 5, 2013

Leading the Way: Alpha Company

Alpha Company is currently in 1st place! The cumulative totals from the start of our Walk on October 1st are as follows:

1st Place: Alpha Company 4872.84 miles
2nd Place: H & S Company 3637.58 miles
3rd Place: Charlie Company 3443.79 miles
4th Place: Weapons Company 2824.79 miles
5th Place: Bravo Company 2483.56 miles

It is quite interesting because each company also varies in the number of participants. Alpha does have the most people participating but Bravo & Charlie Company have the next most participants. Weapons has the smallest number of participants so it does not really matter how many people are participating but how many miles each person logs!

The company totals are as follow for miles logged from October 15th to October 31st.

Alpha Company 3424.84 miles
H&S Company 2528.58 miles
Charlie Company 2158.19 miles
Weapons Company 1727.17 miles
Bravo Company 1343.56 miles

Keep logging those miles and send us pictures of you logging those miles! Keep on Walking with Us!

Thursday, October 31, 2013

Detroit Marathon

Here is a great picture of one of our fellow "Walkers" running the Detroit Marathon! Rachel Myers is supporting Bravo Company and is logging lots of miles for them! A huge congrats to Rachel on finishing the marathon! Awesome job! Keep logging those miles!

Monday, October 21, 2013

Which one?

 There have been some questions about which company to log miles under with Marines moving to different companies and/or getting attached to other companies. Please contribute your miles for the company your Marine was originally with when they deployed. Thank you!

Sunday, October 20, 2013

Company Running Totals

Alpha Company is currently in 1st place with a total of 1448 miles! Awesome work Alpha Walkers!

The other companies are not far behind. In fact, there are only a couple of hundred miles between Alpha and the other companies. Here are the running totals for the other companies:

1st Place: Alpha logged 1448 miles
2nd Place: Charlie logged 1285.6 miles
3rd Place: Bravo logged 1140 miles
4th Place: H & S logged 1109 miles
5th Place:Weapons logged 1097.62 miles

We have logged some serious miles as a battalion! Each company is well on their way to getting to Afghanistan. We have to keep up the awesome work! As the weather starts to cool down, we have to push ourselves to get outside, stay active, and log those miles! Keep on walking with us!
 


It's Only Fair

There has been quite a lot of concern expressed over the unofficial start versus the official start of the walk and what date miles can be counted from. When the word first was sent out about the program, some Marines had already left to deploy to Afghanistan so I thought it would be okay to let people log their miles from that point in September.

Looking back, I was wrong to say that because it was known all along the program would officially start on October 1st. I am so sorry and I should have thought more carefully about the unofficial versus the official start date.

In an attempt to be fair, since the program officially started on October 1st, the miles should only be counted from that point forward. As suggested, I am going to keep the September miles and in the event of a tie, I will use those miles to determine the winning company.

I apologize and I know this might make some people angry but I do think it is fair to all participants involved to count only the miles logged from the official start date forward. I really hope you all can understand.

Once again, I am so sorry for any confusion and I should have thought about things more carefully. It is completely my fault. I everyone can understand why we will only be counting miles from October 1st forward. Thank you for your support and your kind words. I hope you all are enjoying yourselves and you keep on walking.

Please keep on sending your pictures! We love to see them!

Ideas to Get Moving

Here are some places and things to do to get moving in the local Jacksonville area. Megan Grissom, who has been graciously helping me out, found a few things to do in the area to help get you all moving! Thank you so much for all your help Megan!

Onslow County Parks
 
Trails & Greenways
 
http://www.jump-in-jax.com/
(Place for kids to exercise)
 
Special Events in the area
(ideas for things like Zumba in the Park & Walk with the Doc)
 
Also, check the Facebook page "Recreation & Parks, Jacksonville, NC" - There are good local activities posted here.

Saturday, October 19, 2013

Beirut Memorial 10K Run

Robin McMurray, an super motivated runner and supporter of the Walk to Afghanistan, has been logging lots of miles! Recently she ran the Beirut Memorial 10K at Camp Johnson on October 12th. She sent us these awesome pictures!

Thanks for the great pictures and keep on running! You make it look so easy!

October 1st-October 14th Results

The miles are quickly adding up. I cannot believe how many miles we have already logged. If we all keep going at this rate, we will walk to Afghanistan & Back as a battalion in no time at all.

Then we can see how many times we can walk to Afghanistan & Back before our beloved Marines and Sailors return. Are you all up for the challenge? Another drum roll....we have logged a total of

 12,332.45 miles

In just a few short weeks we have made it to Afghanistan and almost back! The individual companies are doing amazing. Here are the results from October 1st-October14th for each company:

October 1st-October 14th Total: 6080.22 miles
Alpha logged 1448 miles
Charlie logged 1285.6 miles
Bravo logged 1140 miles
H & S logged 1109 miles
Weapons logged 1097.62 miles


September Total: 6252.23 miles
H & S logged 1696.83 miles
Bravo logged 1644 miles
Charlie logged 1324.1 miles
Alpha logged 1237 miles
Weapons logged 350.3 miles

Friday, October 18, 2013

Awesome Kick Off Walk Turn Out

A huge thank you to Laura Ferreira for taking some awesome pictures at our kick off walk on October 5th. 1/9 is very blessed to have such an active and supportive wife! Thank you so much Laura!

We had a great turn out at the Kick Off Walk and the Wallace Creek Trail is perfect for everyone. We had a great walk with great company and made new friends! We cannot wait to meet again for our next walk! Let's get those miles logged!




Baby Petra

We have one adorable little walker, Baby Petra (and mommy) are supporting their Uncle Andrew all the way from Denver, Colorado. Stephanie and Baby Petra are logging lots of stroller miles for Uncle Andrew. Thanks for your support and thank you for sharing the adorable picture!

Thursday, October 17, 2013

Walk with Us on October 18th

Calling all Walk to Afghanistan Walkers! Do you want to log some extra miles? Please join us at the Wallace Creek Trail across from Marston Pavilion on MCB Camp Lejeune, Friday, October 18th at 5:30pm.

Please remember to bring a flashlight and water. There is a 2 mile trail or a 4 mile trail! We hope to see you there!

Tuesday, October 15, 2013

Amazing Charlie Company Support

Joe Smith of Havertown, PA, walks everyday in support of his great-grandson in Charlie Company. Joe is 91 years old and I was told he hopes every little bit helps and he feels honored to be doing his part.

Joe, I think you are amazing and we are honored you are a part of our Walk. Thank you for showing your support! Your great-grandson is blessed to have you. Here is Joe getting ready for his daily 1/4 mile walk in his Walk to Afghanistan t-shirt!

Adding a Bit of Color

Jason Enochs, one of our avid supporters, completed a Color Run in his Walk to Afghanistan & Back shirt on October 5th. It looks like it was a blast and so much fun. I love the color added to the shirt! Thanks for the pictures Jason!
Before Pictures:

During the Run:
 
 
 
After the run:



Wish I Was There...

Vanessa Strange, a fellow Walker, sent us a picture of where she walks in Spruce Run State Park, NJ.  I think I would be walking a lot more if I had a view like that! Thanks for sharing Vanessa!

Thursday, October 3, 2013

Kick Off Walk - Marston Pavillion Oct. 4th at 6pm

Our 1/9 Walk to Afghanistan & Back Kick Off Walk is tomorrow, October 4th. We will be meeting at 6pm at the Marston Pavilion on MCB Camp Lejeune. There is a two mile loop or a 4 mile loop. Children are welcome! Please bring your flashlights just in case! We hope to see you all there!

For those of you not in the Camp Lejeune area, please send us pics of your own kick off walk! We would love to see them! We will all be walking together in spirit!

Tuesday, October 1, 2013

On FIIIRRREEE! September Results

We are on fire! Do you know what our official total is for the month of September? Please keep in mind, the Walk just officially started today. If you had been keeping track of your miles before October, you could log them. The grand total of miles walked to Afghanistan is...drum roll please (I know, I know, cheesy)
6,252.23 total miles
I am in complete awe at how many miles we have already logged. It is only 7,200 miles from Camp Lejeune to Afghanistan and 14,400 miles there and back. With this amazing start, we will have no problem getting there and back!

Remember, there is a friendly competition to see which company can get there and back first.

Here is the breakdown:

H & S logged 1696.83 miles
Bravo logged 1644 miles
Charlie logged 1324.1 miles
Alpha logged 1237 miles
Weapons logged 350.3 miles

As you can see, H & S is in the lead but not by much. There are some extremely active supporters in H & S logging some insane miles! It is awesome. Keep up the good work and continue logging those miles. Keep on moving!

Project Lifting Spirits

Jason Enochs, one of our avid runners and supporter of Bravo Company, completed a 10K this past weekend The 10K raised money for Project Lifting Spirits, a non-profit organization that raises money for the Wounded Warrior Project.

Jason not only completed the 10K but recorded his personal best 10K time. Jason represented the Walk with his awesome sign as well! I just love it. Thank you for sharing!

Monday, September 30, 2013

Amazing Support

We have over 300 participants in our 1/9 Walk to Afghanistan. I cannot wait to see how many miles we can log!

Log Those Miles

Our first monthly mileage tracker went our via email tonight. If you did not receive the email for logging your miles, please email me at 19walktoafghanistan@gmail.com

I apologize if I missed anyone or if you did not receive an email. Please let me know!

Thursday, September 26, 2013

A Few More Days

Only a few more days until our program officially starts on October 1st. On October 1s, I will be sending out an email to log your miles for September 9th-September 29th. If you  have been keeping track of your miles, you can backlog your miles from September 9th.

Currently, Alpha Company is in the lead for the most supporters! Go Alpha Company! It will be interesting to see how this will play out in relationship to miles logged. There are some pretty serious walkers spread throughout each of the companies, so it will be a tight competition!

Weapons Company needs some serious help with support! Please pass the word out to family and friends.

Where Will your Kick Off Walk Be?


October 1st is right around the corner and that means the official start date of our 1/9 Walk to Afghanistan & Back. For those of us here at Camp Lejeune, we will have our first official Kick Off Walk at the Marston Pavilion on MCB Camp Lejeune on October 4th at 6pm. For those of you able join us, please bring your flashlights in case it gets dark!
For those of you who are not in the area, I was thinking it would be fun if you all joined us in spirit. Get motivated and have your own kick-off walk wherever you may be on Friday, October 4th with us! We can all do the kick off walk together! Also, if you would like to email us some pictures of your kickoff walk, please email them to 19walktoafghanistan@gmail.com and I will post them on our blog .
Let’s see how many different places across the United States we can have a 1/9 Walk to Afghanistan & Back Kick Off Walk!

Please leave a comment below with where your kick off walk will be in support of your Marine or Sailor.

 

 

 

 

Monday, September 23, 2013

T-Shirts Available!!

NOTE: You DO NOT have to purchase a t-shirt to participate in the 1/9 Walk to Afghanistan.

The 1/9 Walk to Afghanistan & Back men, woman, kid, and infant t-shirts are available. Remember, you DO NOT have to purchase a t-shirt to participate in the Walk. If you would like a t-shirt, you can order them through Cafépress. Be sure to check for coupon codes to help with the cost. Here is the link:

www.cafepress.com/walktoafghanistan

Happy Shopping! If you would like to see the logo on something else cafepress offers, please let me know and I will see if we can put it on it.  Here are some coupon codes I found for cafepress below. I hope they will work:

CNB0923
CAVIP0918
promo code 284B5LXKBKDA for $25 or more

I think if you like cafepress on FB, you can also get a coupon code. If anyone finds any other codes that work, please leave a comment and let us know.

If I find anymore I will post them. You can check out www.retailmenot.com for more coupon codes that may work.

A Fellow Walker

Jason Enochs is one motivated runner. He is the father of Marine Kevin Enochs and will be supporting Bravo Company. He is a member of a running club and is training for his first half marathon in a few months! Those miles will be sure to add up quickly for Jason and Bravo Company! Go Jason!

Saturday, September 21, 2013

Welcome Email

If you have emailed 19walktoafghanistan@gmail.com and have not received a welcome email back, please email again. I am trying my best to stay on top of things but with all the responses, some may have gotten lost in the mix! We have had an amazing response and I cannot wait to see the miles start to quickly add up!

So far, Charlie Company has had the highest number of supporters, followed very, very closely by Bravo Company! Alpha Company is starting to catch up to Bravo and Charlie, followed by H & S and finally Weapons!

T-Shirts

Our 1/9 Walk to Afghanistan T-Shirts will be available on Monday through CafePress.com

NOTE: You DO NOT have to order a t-shirt to participate in the Walk.

Wednesday, September 18, 2013

Logo

A big thanks to Joe McNicoll, who designed our Walk to Afghanistan & Back logo. Joe is the brother of one of our beloved 1/9 Marines. Thank you Joe for all your time and hard work. It turned out amazing. We love it!

Thursday, September 12, 2013

A Tie

We have had an amazing response to our sign ups for the 1/9 Walk to Afghanistan. Our 1/9 Marines and Sailors are very loved!

Please pass the word along about our Walk to Afghanistan! Please remember it is open to anyone who loves and wants to support our 1/9 Marine and Sailors.

 I cannot wait to find out which company will make it to Afghanistan and Back first! So far, Bravo and Charlie Companies are tied for the most number of people supporting them! I will keep you updated and start logging those miles.

Wednesday, July 31, 2013

It All Started...

Our cherished 1/9 Marines and Sailors are on their way back to Afghanistan for another deployment. We will all soon begin counting down the days, hours, and minutes until our Husbands, Fathers, Sons, Brothers, Nephews, and Cousins will be back on good ol’ USA soil and wrapped up in our loving arms.

Inspired by Marine wives, past and present, this deployment we will have a fun and active way to stay connected with our Marines and Sailors. We will commit to staying healthy, spending more time outdoors, building lasting friendships, and connecting with our 1/9 Family and Friends by running, walking, swimming, or biking (any type of aerobic activity) to Afghanistan and back!
Not one person could do this alone during a deployment cycle but together with our 1/9 Family, we can walk the miles to Afghanistan and back. It is approximately 7,200 miles from Camp Lejeune, North Carolina to Afghanistan. That means we need to log 14,400 miles to get to Afghanistan and back. It sounds like a lot but if only 100 people commit to being active for only 5 ¼ miles a week, we can easily get to Afghanistan and back during the deployment.

BUT…I think that is a bit too easy...so…we are going to make it a bit harder.
I think each Company, Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, Weapons, and H & S, can walk to Afghanistan and back. If you need a bit more motivation, the Company who walks to Afghanistan & Back first will get a little P-A-R-T-Y! More information on the party will be announced later.

If you are interested in joining the program all you need to do is email your name, email, and the Company you are supporting to 19walktoafghanistan@gmail.com.
An email will be sent out on the 1st of every month and you will be sent a link through Google Docs to log in your miles and the Company you are supporting.
Shirts are also in the process of being created so more info on ordering will be posted. This blog will be updated with the progress we are making so be sure to bookmark it.

Thank you for making the walk with 1/9. Please check out the links on the page for some helpful worksheets.

Our thoughts and prayers are always with our 1/9 Marines & Sailors. Come home safe and soon.

Friday, July 26, 2013

1/9 Walk to Afghanistan & Back Program


The Program
The 1st Battalion 9th Marines Walk to Afghanistan & Back is a program designed to promote an active & healthy lifestyle, well being, relieve stress, and build cohesiveness among the 1/9 family. This program is one more way we can support our brave Marines and Sailors while they are deployed to Afghanistan.

Participation
The program is open to any spouse, child, family member, or loved one of a 1/9 Marine or Sailor. October 1, 2013 is the official start date of our Walk to Afghanistan & Back.

Friendly Competition
There is nothing wrong with a little friendly competition, right? We will be tracking miles by Company and the Company who completes the most miles will get a Winners party! More info on the party will be coming soon.

Getting Started
Please email your name, email address and Company you are supporting to 19walktoafghanistan@gmail.com
 
Then get up, start moving and logging those miles. Each month on the 1st, an e-mail reminder will be sent to collect your monthly mileage total into a Google doc spreadsheet. A link will be provided in the email and you can log in your miles under your Marine or Sailor's Company. You can keep track of your daily miles with the Monthly Mileage Tracker located under Important Documents.

Look for monthly progress reports and updates on any happenings on this blog.

Going the Distance

The total distance from Camp Lejeune, North Carolina to Afghanistan is roughly7,200 miles and going there and back is 14,400 miles. Collectively, if each person commits to walking, running, biking, or swimming several miles each week, we will have "traveled" to Afghanistan and possibly back! Please check out the Aerobic Conversion Chart for all sorts of aerobic ways you can “walk” to Afghanistan. I encourage you to come up with more unique ways of achieving your fitness goals.

I encourage everyone to set a personal goal based on their fitness level. Remember, this is fun- walk with friends, take your dogs out, push those strollers, hit the trails with your bike, go to pilates or zumba, play soccer, go on a nature hike, jump rope, skip, swim when it's hot...BE CREATIVE!

Keeping in Touch

To submit your progress or if you have questions or comments about the "1/9 Walk to Afghanistan & Back" program, please write to 19walktoafghanistan@gmail.com

FAQ

1. How and when do I give you my miles?
If you have sent me an e-mail I most likely have sent you a link to a mileage chart to track your own miles. If you would like one- please send me an e-mail. Be sure to be tracking your own miles. On the first of every month an e-mail will go out requesting your monthly miles.  For example: On October 1st... an e-mail will be sent asking for your September Miles. (all miles are important and help- so please send what you have for that month no matter what.)

2. Do I have to live in Camp Lejeune to participate?
Absolutely NOT! You can be anywhere and participate! The more the merrier! We want to see how many times we can get to our loved ones and back! We are a diverse group from all over the country and you can do this program whether you are here or in Timbuktu. All you need are some good tennis shoes and a motivated heart.

3. I want a t-shirt! When and where can I get one?
We are working on t-shirts. As soon as they are finished you will be notified via e-mail and on this website how to order. You do not have to order a t-shirt to participate!

4. Is this a fundraiser?
NO. This is not a fundraiser, the basic point is to show support for our Marines and Sailors and keep healthy while our men are away.

5. It's almost December- is it too late to join?
No- it is never too late to join. Any and all miles will help!! Send your name, email, and Company you are supporting to 19walktoafghanistan@gmail.com

6. I don't like to run- do I have to run?!
No- you can walk, bike, swim, or run, Zumba, Crossfit, pilates, row, paddleboard, yoga, your way to Afghanistan... got something even more creative to chart your miles- let us hear it.
The miles can be accumulated through any type of intentional physical activity. For instance walking from your car to your office desk doesn’t count. Please check out our aerobic conversion chart on the right side of the blog titled Aerobic Conversion Chart under Important Documents.

7. Do I have to be a wife to register? Can my parents join?
Any and all family members are welcome, as well as, friends and other sources of support for our guys are encouraged to join as well. As said before- the more the merrier! We want our Marines and Sailors of 1/9 to know we are thinking about them.