Author: Emily Bryson

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ALL BETZ ARE OFF!!!

I’ve thought for a long time about being a co-leader. What that would look like, how I would do it. How I would do it differently. What it would mean to me, personally. 

I came to NP for the first time in the summer of 2014, with absolutely no upper body or core strength, and I would say, painfully shy. Tim and I had been in Baltimore for almost a year and we had no friends outside of our coworkers and our next-door neighbors. We attended some random Saturday run thing, and then when 5:30 workouts became a standing time slot, we started going regularly to the 5:30 workouts in order to get to work on time. Both of us were completely clobbered by the volume of bodyweight exercises, having to literally roll out of bed the next day. And with that gap in our fitness highlighted, we kept coming back. And the more we kept coming back, the more people I started talking to, and suddenly, I found I had friends.  read more

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TIMES ARE A-CHANGING!!! (and that is a *GOOD* thing!)

large group of people sitting on bleachers after a workout.
Lizzie and I in front of the crowd of November project racers!

Before I slip off into the back of the hypothetical (virtual?!) bounce I wanted to take some time to share my thoughts with you. We can think of this as my exit interview.

Leading November Project has undoubtedly been one of the game changers in my life. I wish I still had the very short “pro/con list” I made in November of 2016 when I was trying to decide if this was something I wanted/was able to do. While I don’t remember exactly what was on the list, I do remember that the “pro” list was far longer than the “con” list. Which led to my eventual “YES” answer. I remember thinking that this just isn’t the type of opportunity to turn down. Little did I know how much November Project leadership (and all of you wonderful humans) would give me over the last four years.  read more

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Lessons Learned on Global Running Day

Over the last few weeks we were approached by an old friend and community member at November Project who proposed we coordinate a Global Running Day event. They suggested a partnership that would encourage members to run a route that encompassed as many of their properties as possible. And for every mile we collectively ran, they would donate $1 to an organization of our choice. To us, this seemed like a win-win: in running as usual on Global Running Day, we would be able to raise money for, and therefore support, an organization that is meaningful to us. In that spirit, we tried to make something positive in the midst of a rapidly changing global situation. In retrospect, we tried too hard when we should have stopped and re-evaluated. Even though this didn’t work out, it has forced us to think more deeply about how we must continually be thoughtful about our decisions, and has also allowed us to see how we can be a better contributor to Baltimore as a whole, and a more inclusive and representative fitness community. read more

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Use of the word Tribe

Good morning,

After recent questions arose in the global November Project Facebook Group (NP World Social), we wanted to shed some light on why November Project has stopped identifying cities as tribes. 

To backtrack: at the annual gathering of November Project co-leaders last summer in Seattle, we did an exercise with co-leaders from each city that eventually produced our Community Agreements. We were put into small groups and asked to share what we thought should be required of members and co-leaders who show up to November Project. While each group verbalized their thoughts in various ways, we all shared the same vision, and our collective ideas were crafted into these Community Agreements. We encourage all of you to go read, or reread them…right now. We share this to give context and to bring you into the conversations that allow November Project to grow and adapt as we learn. read more

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Captain ANN WALSH!

Over the last few weeks I have been thinking about how our community sustains itself and the important role of leadership. And even though Baltimore has the best co-leaders, it is also has equally committed captains on the team. They organize, support and inspire.  I am thrilled that we now have a way to recognize and appreciate these superstars. read more

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An Ode to BAL1

Many moons ago, when November Project Baltimore was born, our PR Day consisted of  six laps around Rash…. and that was it. It was speedy and hard but it did not necessarily feel like it incorporated all our NP FITNESS. A few years later came BAL1. BAL1 is H.A.R.D. And truly incorporates the specific NP fitness: stairs, burpees, running. It’s 30 minutes of puke-worthy effort. It also incorporates an important aspect of self improvement: it started with a tennis ball, gifted to the new folks at PR day. The idea was to write on your goal for a future PR on that ball. Carry it around: to work, to lunch, to the bar, to bed at night. Staring at that new goal would be a sort of self inspiration. A goal high enough that it would require some work, but provide motivation for the next time you drug yourself out of bed at the crack of dawn for the next PR day.  read more

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THE CAPTAIN’S SLEEVE!!!!

Anyone who has been involved in a sports team or enjoyed watching sports knows that the captain is someone who is dedicated to the group. Captains typically wears a bright sleeve on their arm or leg that flags them as the captain. They are the leaders, the people others are looking for when they show up places, they are wonderful assets to the group, they know people’s names and welcome others among many many other things! Well, as you know, November Project is not quite a sports team but we do share some important qualities and that is exactly why we felt that a captain’s sleeve would be a perfect trophy for our city’s “Peer to Peer” award. Honorees get the chance to wear that sleeve on their arms during workouts/races/dates/group runs/to work or any other place they go if they so decide!!!! read more

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GUEST BLOG — MOLLY!

This feels like an important week to make a statement in Baltimore. We, November Project Baltimore, are a group of individuals who mostly live and work in Baltimore City. NP would not be what it is without ALL of the people who show up to our workouts and encourage others to do the same. We “make the city our playground” and workout in parks and on streets within city limits. We love telling other people what fun it is to meet up with this group before the sunrises and who joyously celebrate the ability to connect with others and form relationships at these workouts. November Project is also a different experience for every body that chooses and has the ability to come. We hope we are a welcoming and inclusive group where people trust one another and feel supported but also challenged. Until the dawn of time November Project will be in cities doing exactly this because it can (and does) make a positive difference in peoples lives. To have people to show up to meet that look you in the eye and tell you “I’m happy you’re here” can turn a rough day or week into a slightly better one and give a sense of belonging where it might be missing. read more

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NP OMies

****FOLKS!! NEW EXCITING THING HAPPENING STARTING THIS MONTH! READ ON TO LEARN ABOUT IT FROM RESIDENT YOGI, SHAWN BROWN! ****

Shawn teaching a pre-Baltimore Running Festival yoga session during our Friday workout!

Peas and carrots, PB and Jelly, Old Bay and Crabs. There are a lot of great combinations out there but I think one of the best duos is the fantastic  combination of running and yoga! As a college lacrosse player and now an avid runner I’ve had a lot of fun beating up my feet, knees and hips. But then it started to hurt too much and I was feeling stiff. I was also mentally not handling injury well and got down on myself when I wasn’t hitting my goals. CUE: Yoga!  When I started going to yoga in 2011, I found that my knees hurt less. My times improved. And overall I felt more calm on my runs, less frazzled. It was this feeling that made me want to take a yoga teacher training in 2015 so I could share these benefits with other athletes in an effort to make them stronger in body, mind and spirit. It’s a big part of what I teach in my classes at Movement Lab and Earth Treks. I love cultivating the connection to myself but also to the community.  read more

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Showing up for each other

Right about now it’s mid-day on Tuesday. You may be thinking about what you are going to have for dinner or whether you are going to show up for our workout tomorrow (but do you really have to think that hard?!) We think that’s a pretty damn good idea. We know workouts are better when you are there. And maybe you’ve noticed that your day is inevitably brighter when you get a chance to scream swear words and high five, or maybe hug, a few friends before the sun rise. I don’t need to convince you all of the good that November Project may bring. I’m here to talk about something that I think goes unsaid at November Project most of the time. read more