So here we sit, the last day, the last challenge, the race - over.  We woke up in New Orleans went for a jog from our hotel to the Superdome, thinking we needed to get some exercise. Well it turns out we needn’t have sacrificed our sleep.

Our first task of the day was to record a 5-10 minute video on a technical topic that could be used by one of the nonprofit we worked with this week. We chose to record a video about Microsoft certification paths, because we found the attendees at NPower were very interested in how certification might help advance their careers. We fielded a number of questions around that topic, so a short video that explained the certifications and the value they provide would be a useful resource for the NPower TSC program.

After all the teams recorded their videos, we were given our next challenge. In the true spirit of the Amazing Race, we were given a series of clues to lead us from one New Orleans landmark to another. First, the trolley car to fetch a beignet (very tasty by the way). Next up the place where the voodoo queen sleeps, which was the burial site of Marie Laveau. With no cabs in sight we made our way on foot, jogging most of the way hoping to gain a lead on the Blue Team. Then it was on to the home of the Muffelato sandwhich, a small sandwich shop on Decatur Street. About a mile away and the only cab we saw passed us by, forcing us to hoof it once more. Huffing and Puffing we arrived at the sandwich shop where we cut the line with the full support of the patrons after we explained what we were doing (those sandwiches are HUGE!) Then off to ride a bull? A mechanical bull at Bourbon Cowboy…mercifully travelling by cab this time. The bar was closed, so no bull ride, but we were ready for the last clue. “knowledge is power, back to where it all began”.

This was where we messed up. We were thinking  about New Orleans, while we should have been thinking more about the race itself. We ended up at the museum and cathedral (first building in New Orleans). To our dismay there was no sign of David or Scott (the videographer).  After much fruitless running about we realized the clue was leading us to the convention centre, home of TechEd NOLA. We hopped in a cab and the cab driver did everything he could to get us there, but it was too late.

The Green Team and Red Team outsmarted us and were seated comfortably in the conference centre when we arrived huffing and puffing at the finish. However…Blue had not yet arrived …

So where does that leave us? Well, as far as we can figure, that means the Blue team gained 8 points on us during the ground challenges…so it comes down to the pit crew. Which bodes well for the gold team,  because you guys have been fantastic this whole race. We thank each and every one of you for every post, each exam taken, each subscription updated, every question answered in Are You Certifiable. We are forever in your debt whatever the final outcome. Stay tuned.