Free Fitness Movement. All you need to do is show up!
Lots of exciting things happening in Atlanta this month! We’ve been overloading you with announcements so here it is via a blog.
You can join our random newsletter here.
Why a 6k? Well, why a 5k? or a 10k? We’re mixing it up. Our Sunrise 6k is a chance to throw it down with a race, all on a Wednesday. We’re hyping this worldwide, and all 50 NP cities are doing a Sunrise 6k this week. Brooks is sponsoring the run, so we’ll have giveaways, some raffles for new shoes, and more!
When I was in kindergarten, I was given a very little tree to celebrate Earth Day. I distinctly remember bringing this tree home and telling my mom that I wanted it to grow STRONG. She taught me how to care for it while it was still a little sprout: consistently watering it, making sure it got enough sun, etc. After some time, the tree began to outgrow its very little pot, so we re-potted it into an even bigger pot with new dirt which allowed it to grow even deeper and stronger roots. Not long after, we determined it was time to take it out of the pot and plant it behind our house. We dug a hole, put the tree in, and began the re-potting process. We had to trim a few branches which, as my mom explained to me, is a process called pruning that benefits the whole tree by removing dead or diseased branches. I felt bad for the tree, but I trusted her. Sure enough, as months and even a couple years went by, my tree was growing a LOT. About this time, my dad began adding onto our house, and we knew we’d have to move my tree. After searching around our yard, we found the perfect place: it was all the way across our huge backyard on top of the hill. I was doubtful and a little skeptical about having the tree that far away from the house, but my parents assured me it was for the best and this new location would allow this tree to absolutely thrive and be the best tree it could be. So, one day, we moved this, now 4 foot high tree, up to the top of the hill. We had to do some pretty significant pruning to get it just right, and with its new landing spot, I had to trust the process. It took more months than I was hoping, but ever so slowly, with time, I began to see some growth, which meant my tree had strong roots! And, with even more time and now even more years, my tree stands proudly at a whopping 12 feet atop the hill in my parents’ backyard.
Today’s blog post brought to you by NP ATL tribe member Jordan Woodson….
Tuesday at 5:28am and the beep from my alarm caused me to stir. Growing up we lived in a Weather Channel obsessed household, the local on the 8s was a family affair. So… as an adult before social media, emails, or messages I click on the weather app. Twenty-nine degrees with a wind-chill of twenty-one – no thank you, workout would just have to wait until the sun was dancing at the highest it could get. Though putting it off Tuesday was okay, Wednesday was approaching. The weather looked the same, but the stakes were different. At 6:27am my community would gather no matter the weather and get after PR day. Through messages on Facebook and through text, there was accountability, an accountability that I had never known and realized I had always wanted.
On October 18, 2017, Atlanta officially joined the November Project movement! To celebrate our birthday, we’re doing a Celebration Week! Monday through Friday, join us for free workouts every morning at 6:27AM!
Monday
Morning sunrise yoga – Grady HS stadium
Tuesday
Track Tuesday – Grady HS Stadium
This blog post is brought to you by November Project Atlanta tribe member Allison Lerer… she’s a hype lady. Always there to help out a tribe member in need, checking in with regular texts if she knows you’ve had a rough week, cheering you on at a race. Here she is!
So when I was asked to write a blog post for November Project Atlanta, it was pretty nerve-racking for me as I am not much for writing and blogging (this is my first blog). However, after my race yesterday I was inspired on a different level that I wanted to share with whoever
June was a crazy month. I mean, we had a stretch of 7 days of straight NP ATL action. So in July, we’re taking a step back and slowing it down.
…just kidding. It’s already the first week and we have events happening non-stop!
We kick off the first week of July with a handful of events around one of the world’s largest 10ks – the Peachtree Road Race. If you’re in town visiting ATL for the 4th, running the race, or cheering at the race, come work out with us!
Peachtree Road Race Expo | 12 -2 PM | Georgia World Congress Center
We’re teaming up with Back On My Feet Atlanta, who has graciously allowed us to work at their expo booth during their Treadmill Challenge. From 12-2pm, we’ve got a group of NOVEMBER PROJECT runners on the treadmill running to raise money for BOMF. If you don’t know much about them, they are a great, national organization that combats homelessness through the power of running, community support, and essential employment and housing resources. You’ll hear more about them soon, because we’re hosting a workout with them later in July!
If you can’t run but want to donate money to their cause, here’s the link to our page, listed under Tribe Leader Alexa’s name.
re-Peachtree Road Race Yoga for Runners | 7 PM | Piedmont Park Visitor Center
Recap by Tribe Leader Alexa Lampasona
Saturday was a day of EPIC adventures for the NPATL tribe. Some would say we are overachievers. Some would say we are crazy. All who participated would say we are the most fun group in town.
Here’s the rundown of activities. Did anyone complete it all?
BIKE to Stone Mountain (16 miles)
After my shoulder injury, I was out for leading the bike. Thanks to the tribe members that stepped up to navigate the group on the Stone Mountain PATH – Joev Garvey, Niamh Dolan, Maddie Giegold, and Stu Lipkin. They made all the riders feel comfortable riding on the roads!
TRAIL RUN around Stone Mountain (5 miles)
We teamed up with Big Peach Running who brought out water, a tent for shade and nutrition, and our fearless tribe member Matt Taylor led the large group runners on a 5 mile run around Stone Mountain on the Cherokee Trail.
HIKE up and down Stone Mountain (2 miles RT)
We were worried that a 12:30 pm hike would be miserably hot. But we were blessed with a cooler front of summer storms the night before, and a cloudy sky hung around most of the day. As our group reached the top, we saw a wall of rain in the distance, slowly moving toward the mountain. We admired the view of Atlanta and the surrounding metro areas. The Debate began- do we yoga?
YOGA at the Top of the Mountain
Yes… we did yoga. Yoga Steve, the leader from NP’s Buffalo tribe, led us in a short and quick flow yoga on the mountaintop. A few raindrops hit us, and we feared the downpour was coming. But then, as we finished in Shivasana, we realized that the rain never came!
SUP on the Lake
Our friends at Mountain High Outfitters supplied us with SUP boards, and Tracey Pearson from Prissy Tomboy led groups out into the lake, teaching them the foundations of stand-up paddleboarding. Everyone who biked or drive the 3-mile journey to the far side of the mountain had a blast!
There was only one crisis during the event – tribe member Ben Nantasai got stung by a yellow jacket on his ankle less than 10 minutes into his trail run. Now, for some it would mean a painful ankle. For Ben, it was life-threatening. He is severely allergic to yellow jackets. He called me as he began running back to our tent. The few of us that stayed behind for the run went into overdrive, looking for his epi-pen. I sent tribe member Casey Nicodemus running out to meet Ben on the trail. I didn’t tell Casey which way they went…. So naturally, Casey ran in the wrong direction. And he didn’t have his phone. Ben called again, saying he was almost back to the tent. He hadn’t seen Casey. Another person was sent to bike around the road on the mountain looking for Casey; someone else ran the trail in the opposite direction. When Ben arrived, we gave him Benadryl and ice. Finally, 10 minutes later, Casey was tracked down and returned. He saved the day by administering the epi-pen. Then another tribe member, Winnie Lojk, stepped up and took Ben to the ER so that he could get treated when the epi-pen wore off. Tribe member Courtney Mueller drove to the hospital to stay with Ben while he was on watch at the hospital for a few hours. Ben survived the incident but had to cancel his plans to head to The North Face’s Basecamp event in Chattanooga, as he had doctor’s orders to stay inside and recover. What this showed to me was how connected and selfless our tribe members are. Everyone pitched in to help. You can’t beat the community in our ATL tribe!
One of the biggest things we got out of this day’s event is the number of new friends that we made. Throughout the day, we met several new faces who hadn’t yet attended our workouts, some due to location or work schedules. For us to be able to show more people what NP was all about was HUGE! We hope to do another event like this soon!
+*0+*
This week, I won the November Project Atlanta Positivity Award for being So Chill, So Popular™.
If you had told me a year ago that I would win something for being a positive influence on others around me (and have a catch phrase), I would never have believed you because I was in the midst of a particularly brutal, year long bout of depression. I’ve touched on it in a previous blog post,=&0=&but In light of recent events with the passing of Anthony Bourdain and Kate Spade, I feel like I would be doing a disservice to this award if I didn’t share my own history with chronic depression.
I should first say that I am incredibly fortunate to have grown up with a loving family and friends. I had an amazing childhood and upbringing. If you ask people that know me, they’d say I’m kind of an oddball. I’ve always loved comedy and goofy humor. But at the same time, depression is something that I think I’ve always dealt with in some capacity. For me, I think it emanates from a deep fear of rejection and failure. As a pretty introspective person, those feelings of self-doubt could snowball into a constant barrage of negativity. As a result, I’d go through periods of depression that could last any amount of time. If I had to describe it, it’s like constantly hating yourself so much that your body hurts and you’d rather feel nothing. And so, to get by, you check out mentally and emotionally. While all of that is going on internally, to the outside world, you’re either a robot that’s going through the motions or an asshole that’s projecting negativity. It really fucking sucks.
Depression is really hard to talk about. The stigma of it all puts you in a shame cycle. Ideally, you could say, “Hey, my brain feels broken. Who can relate? WHOOOOO” (shout out to Logic). I’ve always been fortunate to have had people support me and help pull me back out of my depressive episodes. They may not have known it, but their simple act of kindness or just reaching out really went a long way.
I am so grateful for all of the meaningful connections I’ve made and positive experiences I’ve felt this past year. I feel like my genuine self again and am more present than I can remember. Depression is something that I don’t think will ever leave me, but it’s more manageable. A philosopher named Sean Francis Early once said “Fuck them, Be you.” For me, that’s a powerful message about being true to oneself and telling that negative self-doubt shit to fuck off. To win the Positivity Award means so much to me not only because of all I’ve been through but also because I’ve made it a goal to reciprocate those good vibes. When a person seems checked out/low/sad/tired/depressed, just be there for them. It matters.
Here’s Stein’s speech that he gave for the Positivity Award.
You can check out Stein’s hilarious Instagram stories by following him: @steincasso.
How big? So many events we needed a blog to talk about them.
Number one goal: Break 100! We did it for Global Running Day, let’s do it again!
In addition to our regular Wednesday and Friday workouts (always 6:27am) see below for special workouts and events!
Find all our workouts here on Facebook or here on Google calendar.
Atlanta Streets Alive | 4-8 PM
We’re an activity partner so we’ll be out hosting fun pop-up workouts all evening long! Check out the Interactive Map (may be live Thursday 6/7) to find out where we are! Somewhere by Centennial Park.
To celebrate Pride Month here in ATL we’re tagging with limited edition rainbow #grassrootsgear! Bring a WHITE shirt – two days only!
She Moves Mountains East Coast + The North Face Launch Party | 6-9 PM | The North Face Store Buckhead
Nearly one year ago She Moves Mountains held their first clinic at Smith Rock State Park. Over the last year, we have had over 300 women come to learn from us – empowering themselves by becoming self-sufficient rock climbers. Join us at The North Face store in Buckhead to meet the ladies and hear more about what they’re up to.
Hillpine Hill Runs | 6:27 AM | Meet at Orpheus Brewing
DIFFERENT WORKOUT LOCATION! We’re running Hillpine, a steep hill in Morningside neighborhood of ATL. We’ll meet near Orpheus brewing at our regular time. Here’s the meeting spot.
Sock Puppet Making Party (For Yearbook Photos) | 7 PM | Coco and Stein’s Apartment
Yearbook photos are a November Project tradition – basically a headshot of all our kickass tribe members. Yearbook photos will be taken on PR Day, June 27th. Our theme is Sock Puppets. It can look like you, a pet, be a monster – whatever you want! Bring craft supplies & your favorite sock!
Grady Stadiums with DJ Rob Sessions | 6:27 AM | Grady High School Stadium
Who else can say they ran stadiums and got in a hardcore workout WITH a DJ spinning beats… at 6:27 am? NP in ATL…that’s who!
Bike. Run. Hike. Paddle. at Stone Mountain | 8:30 AM | Stone Mountain Park
Bike 20 miles to Stone Mountain. Trail run 5 miles around the mountain. Hike 1 mile up and down the mountain. SUP on the lake. You pick – do it all or just do one activity! We’re partnering with Big Peach Running and Mountain High Outfitters for a fun day in the sun! If you’re biking, they will be leaving from Old Fourth Ward around 8:30 AM. Runners can meet at Stone Mountain starting at 10:30 AM. RSVP via the Facebook link AND Big Peach’s website here. Totally free, but please register for a SUP time slot on the event page.
Basecamp with The North Face | Chattanooga, TN
We’re the type of people that like to do a lot of activities on a weekend. Here’s an example. Directly from Stone Mountain, a group of us are carpooling up to Chattanooga to catch the tail end of Base Camp. Sunsets, music and outdoor vibes with NP Founder Brogan Graham.
Global #SportsBraSquad Day | 9 AM | Big Peach Running Store Midtown
Join us at 9am on Sunday, June 24th at Big Peach Midtown for a 3 mile fun run and/or walk to celebrate Global #SportsBraSquad day! The #SportsBraSquad started as a way for women to ditch their shirts along with their insecurities, and show the world what strength looks like. In 2015, the National Eating Disorders Association found that 70% of women don’t like their bodies. 70%! That’s a disappointing and frustrating statistic and the only way we can combat the self-loathing and hatred women feel towards their bodies is to change the way we see strength.
But ditching your shirt for the first time can be terrifying! That’s why on June 24th, Sports Bra Squads all over the world will be coming together to show the world that our bodies are strong as hell!Do you need to run in a sports bra? NO WAY! Only if you’d like to!
Queen of Cream Ice Cream Run with Highland Runners
Through a collaboration with 3 of Atlanta running community’s top ambassadors, we rang in #GlobalRunningDay with more than 175 people!
First, we have to thank our partners for this event because we couldn’t have done it without them! Thanks to your strong communities in Atlanta – Atlanta Track Club and Big Peach Running Co.! Also, we had a huge group from Back on my Feet Atlanta come out. We are so stoked and can’t wait for future collaborations!
This is what November Project is all about – working together and building a community centered around FREE fitness that is inclusive for everyone, all ages, all fitness levels. For #GlobalRunningDay it seemed like a no brainer to do a staple NP Sunrise 6k.
Big Peach, the experts at hosting races in ATL, planned a 6k route around Georgia Tech. 6k=3.72 miles. WHY? Because why do people run 5ks? You know NP likes to be different. As the Sunrise 6k can sometimes be a competition, all who recorded the route on Strava will see their time –> https://www.strava.com/routes/13286724.
Thanks to the incredible pull of Atlanta Track Club spreading the word, the run even got a shout-out in Runner’s World!
The bounce was EPIC… we didn’t bother that we would potentially wake up people at 6am. (You live in the city, and this is one day a year!) After that, the group took off for their run (we were so big we had to go off in WAVES like a race. #goals)
As everyone finished, we brought them in with the cheer tunnel!
The day ended with a presentation of the Positivity Award to someone who’s life has changed through November Project… Stein Esser. We’ll get him to write up a blog post so he can shine in the spotlight… he’s a pretty hilarious guy!
How big? So many events we needed another blog to talk about them.
Number one goal: Break 100! We did it for Global Running Day, let’s do it again!
In addition to our regular Wednesday and Friday workouts (always 6:27am) see below for special workouts and events!
Grady Stadiums with DJ Rob Sessions | 6:27 AM | Grady High Stadium
Who else can say they ran stadiums and got in a hardcore workout WITH a DJ spinning beats… at 6:27 am? US in ATL.
Atlanta Streets Alive | 4-8 PM
We’re an activity partner so we’ll be out hosting fun pop-up workouts all evening long! Check out the Interactive Map (may be live Thursday 6/7) to find out where we are! Somewhere by Centennial Park.
Hillpine Hill Runs | 6:27 AM | Meet at Orpheus Brewing
DIFFERENT WORKOUT LOCATION! We’re running Hillpine, a steep hill in Morningside neighborhood of ATL. We’ll meet near Orpheus brewing at our regular time. Here’s the meeting spot.
Bike. Run. Hike. Paddle. at Stone Mountain