This is the blog I never wanted to post. Seumas and I have a bit of a rivalry. He beats me at all running things, and I embarrass him at all hockey things. Today was his last workout as he is now off to be a fancy movie star. Or maybe he is just off chasing love. Whatever he gets up to, I couldn’t be happier for him on his new adventure. I had two requests that of him before he left. He had to write a farewell blog, and he had to restart his twitter account. Years from now we will hear whispers of this legend when Leilani, Ella and Keira tell tales of the fast guy with the beautiful hair. The one they call Sexy Seumas.
I have read a lot of guest blogs over the past few years while going to NP. There are a lot of great stories of overcoming, transformation, and the power that human connection and community can have in someone’s life. I don’t believe that my own personal NP story is particularly inspiring or compelling, I haven’t overcome any huge struggles or obstacles, but my experience with the Edmonton tribe has had a tremendous positive impact on my life. So I will share a bit of that and hopefully it can add value in some way.
I started going to November Project over 3 years ago. My first day was on Halloween 2014 which was a Friday hill workout at Emily Murphy. The night before my roommate at the time had mentioned he was going and I decided to tag along. I had never even heard of NP before that. I remember thinking the workout was a lot more fun than going to the gym by myself. Hugging strangers, the bounce at the beginning, the yelling and encouragement, and the overall positivity of the group had me instantly hooked. I am also competitive and enjoyed chasing the faster guys and girls on the hill. I only went a few more times before the end of the calendar year, but upon returning from a New Years ski trip at the beginning of January, I made a commitment to go 3 days a week no matter what. Since then, I have only missed workouts when I was out of town. No matter what the weather, if I was sick, or had a late hockey game the night before, I always dragged my butt out of bed and went.
I am sure this will resonate with a lot of people, as I have heard countless similar stories, but unexpectedly NP turned me into a runner. I played a lot of sports growing up but never really ran just for the sake of running, except for the occasional 5km loop around the lake by my parent’s house. Then in April 2015, mostly due to the influence of the friends I had made at November Project, I decided to try a 15km MEC road race. Before running that I had never ran more than 10km at once. I really wasn’t sure if I’d be able to run the whole time without stopping. Throughout that summer I began to race more frequently and longer distances and I also made a lot of connections in the fitness community outside of NP. Tuesday night MEC group runs, Run Collective, Friday night HIIT classes at Blitz, and the Frank McNamara races are some examples. I always love seeing people who are new to running or fitness go through that same progression, starting out timidly racing smaller distances, and then confidently tackling half or even full marathons by the end of the summer or a year later. And seeing those people start to show up to different run groups or group workouts as they immerse themselves in the community.
I bugged my dad occasionally to come out to NP for about a year after I started going to workouts. But it took Jen Ference demanding that he just show up and give it a try before he started coming. November Project became even more special as it was now a venue for us to spend time together. He is a committed tribe member and also only misses a workout when he is out of town. We play hockey together on the same team, so it’s funny to be taking our skates off together after midnight on a Thursday night, knowing we were the only ones in the dressing room getting up early the next morning to run Walterdale hill. Then showing up to the hill at 545 the next morning, knowing we were probably the only ones out that late the night before.
Some of my best memories over the past few years are from NP workouts, with friends I have made from NP, or things I have done that wouldn’t have been possible without NP. Stadium workouts are some of my favourites, including biker gang and the Ol’ 96er challenge. Trips to do races at a distance are always a blast, including the Grizzly Ultra, the NP summit in Utah, and the Sedona half marathon. Tobogganing, dragon boating, 6k races, Fort Edmonton, and Canada Day workouts splashing around in the fountains are unique and unforgettable experiences.
I will always be incredibly grateful to Jen, Nadim, and Andrew for the community they have built in Edmonton. The amount of work they put in week after week is amazing. In my opinion, their example of leadership and commitment is largely missing elsewhere in society. I have learned so much from them and the tribe. NP has taught me that fitness can be a way of life instead of just an activity or a chore. It has taught me to be grateful for my physical, mental, and emotional health and well-being. It has also taught me not to take any of that for granted, and to prioritize taking care of my body and mind. It has allowed me to intimately explore the beautiful river valley and park space that Edmonton has to offer. It has taught me that the weather doesn’t have to dictate my activity level or how often I spend time outside. I have learned to strive to always be positive, encouraging, and uplifting to everyone around me. I have learned the value of human connection, the importance of social interaction with people of all ages and backgrounds, and that some of the biggest keys to success are hard work and consistency.
One of the greatest blessings in my life today, my wonderful girlfriend Lauren, also came through an NP connection. As most of you know I am moving to her home town of Ottawa. I am equal parts excited to join the fitness community there and sad to be leaving the people here. I owe a huge thank you to the tribe and everyone who has been a part of my life for the past few years. The friendships I have made and experiences I have had are a big part of who I am today. I will do my best to represent the Edmonton tribe out east. I believe the only way I could ever hope to repay Jen, Nadim, and Andrew is to pay forward and duplicate their example of positivity, free community fitness, and an inclusive and supportive culture. Lauren and her co-leader Liz have built a great tribe in Ottawa and I’m excited to be a part of their growing community.
Farewell,
Seumas
Share via socials:
