It’s a Fun and Friendly Competition to Get Jackson Moving More!!
The Basics:
- Two people commit to encourage each other to walk more in the downtown Jackson district—during the six-week official competition to be held April 19 to May 28, 2010.
- Participants set personal goals and register to officially compete in “Walk Across Jackson”.
- From one side of Jackson (northern Madison County border to southern Madison County border) is approximately 50 miles. You can meet this goal by walking just 8.33 miles a week.
- Once a week they respond to an email from Amy Elizer to report number of miles walked.
- Celebrate accomplishment of personal goals to move more!
Getting a team together and registering:
- Teams are made up of two people. You should plan to encourage each other. You are not required to walk together.
- Both persons should complete an Individual Registration Form. It is helpful for at least one of the team members to have an email address. These are available by calling Amy Elizer at 668-8543 or emailing her at aelizer@utk.edu
- Both persons should keep a record of the personal goal that they set for the program.
- The two Individual Registration Forms should be submitted together by one of the following methods:
- Fax: 668-8440—Wait 10 minutes and call to confirm it was received.
- Mail to: UT Extension—Madison County, 309 N. Parkway, Jackson, TN 38305 attn: Amy Elizer
- Scan and email to: aelizer@utk.edu
- Deadline to register: Friday, April 16, 2010.
During the program:
- Encourage your teammate to walk to meet their personal goal. Mileage for downtown Jackson routes is included with this packet of information.
- Each participant should keep a record of their mileage.
- Respond quickly to the request for weekly mileage. The request will be sent on Monday for six weeks. If one or both team members do not have access to email on Mondays, mileage can be faxed (668-8440) or called (668-8543) in with team member names clearly indicated.
- Team results of total mileage accumulated will be available by Tuesday afternoon—assuming the majority of teams respond quickly.
- The final week there will be a couple of questions to answer about your experience.
- Watch for celebration information!
Walking Map
Walk Across Jackson is coordinated and supported by the cooperative efforts of:
Jackson Downtown Development Corporation
Jumpstart Jackson
University of Tennessee Extension
Answers to other common questions about Walk Across Jackson:
Q: Do we have to walk together?
A: No, but you may enjoy encouraging each other when you do.
Q: Do we have to walk downtown?
A: No, but the walkability in downtown Jackson is great. The sidewalks are wide and people usually feel really safe. It’s sunny with shady areas. There are restaurants with healthy choices. You can discover new things to see in your downtown.
Q: What do you mean by “walkability”?
A: The extent to which the built environment is friendly to the presence of people living, shopping, visiting, enjoying or spending time in an area. Downtown Jackson’s walkability score on walkscore.com is 85 out of 100 (very walkable).
Q: Do I have to set a personal goal to participate?
A: No, but it is HIGHLY encouraged. Some people who are starting or reinvigorating their physical activity find it helpful to write down goals.
Q: Can I wear a pedometer to count my mileage?
A: Preferably, no. There are a couple of issues to consider on this question. First, some pedometers do not reliably count mileage or hard to use. Second, “Walk Across Jackson” is intended to count the mileage we walk outside of our daily activities including walking in within our office building or just across the street to deliver something. The map from Jackson Downtown Development Corporation includes routes and mileage. Most parks and trails have mileage marked. If you choose to walk in your neighborhood, you may wish to drive your route and record it.
Q: When do we start?
A: Recording of the mileage begins on Monday, April 19, 2010.
Q: When do we start?
A: Recording of the mileage ends on Friday, May 28, 2010.
