Today’s blog post comes from a tribe member that’s always smiling, cracking jokes, and encouraging every single person out there. From DC to Africa, some of you know a bit of his story. The following just scratches the surface of what November Project represents as more than just a #FreeFitness movement. Read below and then catch some announcements at the end. Without further ado, here’s Luke:
My first November Project workout was back in spring of 2014. I’d been in DC for just over a year but was still feeling a little unsettled. I remember that first morning vividly. The hugs. My first Danny Metcalf bounce. Chasing the crazies up and down meridian hill. After the workout, I remember calling my mom, so fired up, telling her I had found ‘my people’.
It didn’t take long for NP to become my second family, and for me to become one of its many evangelizers. I recruited people everywhere I went, rarely missed a workout, and made the pilgrimage to #NPSUMMIT 2.0 in Madison, Wisconsin. When in the fall of 2014 I decided to move to Ethiopia, it was a no-brainer to try and start an NP pledge group there.
Fast-forward a year and half to spring 2016, exactly two years after my first NP workout. As a lot of you know, my mom had been battling breast cancer for four years and passed away in April, just a few months after I moved back to DC. I can safely say this has been the single hardest thing I have ever had to face, harder than running a marathon, doing half ironmans, climbing a mountain, or moving to Africa alone.
And although I had been fairly absent from NP since moving back, how did you, my NP community, respond? You organized, you mobilized, and you rallied, and less than one week after my mom passed away, I woke up to a facetime call live from an NPDC workout. More than 100 tribe members from all around the country, some of whom I knew well and some I’d never met before had donated. Those of you on the phone that morning can corroborate that I was left speechless and quickly teared up. This unexpected and incredibly thoughtful gesture made me feel loved and cared for during an incredibly difficult time. While a blog post cannot adequately capture my gratitude, I want to say thank you, on behalf of myself and my family. I am honored, humbled, and beyond grateful for your generosity.
But my gratitude does not end there. One of the most challenging and unexpected parts of this whole process has been my relative lack of motivation. I’ve dropped out of training for several races I had signed up for and I often don’t have the motivation to get out of bed for NP in the morning. These days, you can’t always count on me to show up. But instead of holding that against me, instead of keeping score, you’re still there for me. You just keep showing up, no matter what.
So let me conclude by saying thank you for showing up for me when I needed you most, and for continuing to show up, every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
ANNOUNCEMENTS (In Chronological Order):
Boston thinks they’re better, cooler, faster, and more hyped than us. The bet is ON. It’s a race to see who can recruit their celeb faster: David Ortiz (retired Red Sox player) in Boston vs. Michelle Obama (no explanation necessary) in DC. Use the power of social media and the connections you have and let’s get Michelle to a workout!
If you want to order a November Project buff, do so BEFORE SUNDAY. $5 to Maria @ at tomorrow’s workout or on venmo (Maria-Randazzo-1).
TOMORROW, OCT. 28th: Wear all black, meet here, get fit, have fun. Pretty simple. See you there.
SUNDAY, OCT. 30th: Marine Corps Marathon CHEER STATION & AFTERPARTY. All the details are in the link. To the afterparty, bring used shoes/workout gear to donate AND new socks to donate.
MONDAY, OCT. 31st: Capitol Hill, Peace Circle, 6:29AM. Feel free to don yourself in your latest costume.
SATURDAY, NOV. 5th: 3YR Anniversary party. Sauf Haus, 8-?, FB event coming.
If you haven’t been following, there have been numerous teasers/trailers for the November Project film “Showing Up”. Check out the main NP FB page for all the vids. We will be holding a screening in November for DC to come and view the incredible stories of 8 individuals including our own Ron Buch!
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