Things I Have Missed About November Project- Jessie Brunner

This week we bring you a guest blog from Jessie. Read her story, her comeback, and her special connection with November Project Amsterdam. So grab a cup a tea or coffee, sit back, and enjoy this heartfelt post. We are so glad you are here!

The first in-person workout after lockdown reminded me of all the things I love and have missed about NP:

No Questions Asked

As the pandemic reaches the end, I am approaching a personal milestone: full recovery from a mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) that I suffered two years ago as a result of a snowboarding accident. This, not the pandemic, is the main reason why I haven’t attended many workouts in the past two years. Having mTBI forced me to carefully use my limited energy throughout the day and in general my body needed more sleep than usual. Going to an NP workout before work was simply not an option. The few times I managed to attend workouts were on days I was free from work, and even then, it would take a toll on me for the rest of the week. Yet, those few times I did show up, or on those couple of organized weekend group runs, no questions were asked. Instead of questioning why you haven’t showed up, NP AMS members focus on how happy they are you “just showed up” this time. Everyone invited me back with the same enthusiasm as if they’d seen me every week. It was actually really nice to just enjoy the workout and see all these friendly faces without having to explain my situation. Especially because running, and sports in general, were the only activities during which I did not feel the constant headaches, neck-pain or overall (brain-)fatigue. Of course Saskia, then co-leader, was in the know and would always check in with me to see how my recovery was going, making me feel seen and safe.

Impossible Goals

During my absence from NP, I followed many of the NP AMS family on Strava. Through their Strava updates, many NP AMS members have, unknowingly, inspired me to set so-called “impossible goals”. “Making your impossible possible” is a phrase I learned from running blogger Kelly Roberts. It basically entails setting a goal that seems impossible to you and then slowly working towards it to see how far you can get. Often this allows you to see you’re capable of much more than you ever imagined. For me, impossible goals included running a sub-2-hour half marathon and finishing a 30km trail run. Goals I’ve both reached in the past two years. I’ve noticed that NP AMS members are really good at chasing their impossible goals, and in doing so they have changed my perspective of what is possible.

Just to name a few: Shiva, Dani and Ange picking up (or continuing) super long running streaks; Mark, Stephen, Dani and Heather running self-organized ultra distances during the pandemic; many others who’ve done self-organized half and full marathons;  Jane who swam/ran/biked 5, 50 and 500km, respectively; not to mention everyone who’s ever gotten up before the crack of dawn to meet a bunch of bouncing, hugging, loud people for an NP workout anywhere in the world.

People outside of the NP community would deem any of these activities “insane”. But seeing people “just like me” working towards and reaching these goals, encourages me to also reach higher. It switches your thinking of what’s “normal” (or fun, for that matter). At the same time, at NP no one expects you to reach the same times or distances as them because everyone understands that we are all at different levels. As long as you strive for something that’s challenging for you, you’ll be cheered on by the others.

Spontaneity

In the same way that no goal is too crazy for NP AMS members, I love how NP people are always up for spontaneous activities. The best example of this mind-set is when I –half jokingly – invited Mark to join my 30km birthday run because the route would lead us basically past his house. The invitation happened only a few days before the actual run but Mark said he’d join for a bit and see how far he’d get. In the end he ran the whole thing with us and stayed for some birthday cake and a beer afterwards. 

During the pandemic, this spontaneity and enthusiasm translated to many virtual challenges and meet-ups. It was super fun to do a virtual relay marathon with an NP team including members I’d never met in person. However, seeing these new faces in person last Wednesday was even better.

I can’t say we’ve picked up right where we left of, because a few things have changed: safety measures are still in place and our loyal co-leaders Saskia and Roderik have laid down their responsibilities. Yet, the positive vibes might have been stronger than ever and the workout, lead by the energetic new co-leaders Dani and Heather, was tough as always. I’m happy to be back!  

Agenda:

Last Wednesday, June 23, we awarded Stephan, Ange, and Jessie Knockaround Sunglasses for successfully completing the entire card for #NPAMS Bingo. Congratulations you three!

On June 30, join us for our yearly pride workout. Bring a white shirt, and receive the November Project rainbow coloured tag. At November Project Amsterdam, inclusivity is something we stand for. So please join us on the 30th and let’s celebrate LOVE together!

In July, we will be doing our annual yearbook photos. Stay tuned for the theme and exact date!

See you all soon!

Dani & Heather

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