So it turns out some people are genuinely interested in this bizarre feat we're trying to accomplish.  For those of you who belong in this category, here is a little background info on the All-System Subway Riding Nerd Brigade.

It appears that the first person to attempt to ride the entire subway in one shot was a fellow named Herman Rinke, who made his attempt in 1940, shortly before the IRT, BMT, and IND systems were all unified under city control.  If those acronyms are completely alien to you, the Wikipedia has a good article on the NYC subway and its history.

Then in the mid 60s, several computer science students from MIT ushered in the golden age of subway riding.  Spurred on by a note on a 1966 subway map about a "Flushing youth" riding all the lines on a single token in 1957, they decided to bring this glorious challenge into the modern age, writing a computer program to determine the most efficient route through the system.  It is said that dozens of competitors during this decade took on the challenge, each group trying to one-up the last.

Sadly, though, since the fabled days of the 1960s, endurance subway riding has largely fallen out of favor, taken up only by portly men with social anxiety problems and poor complexions.  That's where we come in.  The record we are trying to break was set in January 1998 by Mike Falsetta and Salvatore Babones.  It took them 25 hours and 11 minutes to pass through every station, without exiting the system. 

There is actually a Guinness record for subway riding, but it allows the rider to exit the system, using a bus or other means of transport to go from the end of one spur line to another, before re-entering the subway.  We have a strong philosophical opposition to this set of rules.  If you're going to spend that much time in pursuit of such a ridiculous and pointless goal, why cut corners?  Plus, what kind of babes are going to dig guys who take the easy way out of such a manly challenge?

Some of you will doubtlessly question the point of keeping such a record, when there are changes in the subway service every couple of years.  Every time a line is created or removed, or a new transfer is added to the system, the old record loses its validity in some sense.  However, what we are trying to accomplish here goes far beyond the technicalities of the record we are shooting for.  By taking on this daunting task, we are seeking to join the hallowed pantheon of those subway riding athletes who have come before us, who have set the stage for our current record-breaking attempt.  This is not just about us and our ride, this is about all those brave souls over the years who have endured countless sacrifices in pursuit of their true passion, be it subway riding, competitive eating, or who-can-go-the-longest-without-showering contests.  We salute you all, and come Wednesday, we hope to join your vaunted ranks.

Keep posted for more inane details.  After sorting through next week's service advisories, we should have our route posted by Sunday.  Check it out so you can come heckle us and throw beer bottles at us as we ride by your station.