Author: DG

I am not a hugger.

I never really have been.

If I don’t know you well, I don’t want to hug you. If I can’t say I love you, you’re probably not getting a hug.

Flash back to January 22^nd, 2014 and a story I’ve told too many times. I was encouraged to check out November Project in Milwaukee by my sister Emily. She had been going to the workouts in Madison led by Dan Graham. As she described it, the workouts were the perfect combination of fun and tough. DG, the perfect combination of funny, encouraging and all around good guy. So as I stepped out of my car into the cold and dark morning that Wednesday, I didn’t know what to expect. What I got, immediately, were two hugs: one from DG and one from his fiancée, Meggie (to recap – not a hugger). What followed was the coldest, wettest, toughest workout I had ever experienced. But it was also the most fun, inspiring and rewarding 45 minutes I could remember. read more

(During my short, but powerful, experience with the November Project DC,  AKA “33 Hours With Steve”  I was reminded over and over just how lucky and unique we all are. My time in San Francisco and Denver were just as  amazing but it is the growing network of athletes across the country that has inspired this letter) read more

November Project is taking over the world, one person, one community, one city at a time. It’s more than just a 45 minute workout a few times a week. November Project is a commitment. It’s a detour from the ordinary. It’s workouts jam packed with sweaty hugs, ridiculous exercises and more energy than a coffee convention. November Project has changed my life and the lives of countless others. Coming hot off the #NPSUMMIT, DG and I can’t wait to take NP to new levels here in Milwaukee. Our goal as an entire November Project community is to get 3,014 people at a single workout between all 16 tribes across North America by the end of this year. Why 3,014? Because it’s hard. Because 2,014 is so last week. Because why the hell not? What makes this challenge especially difficult is the changing weather. Summer is hot. Fall is cool. Winter is cold. People don’t like being outside in winter, apparently. Many people will want to hit snooze, cuddle up and go back to bed when 6:30 rolls around and it’s not “partly cloudy with a high of 75.”. But from my experience, November Project members are not your every day, run of the mill human beings. They’re tough. They’re strong. They’re weatherproof. So prove me right and everyone else wrong. Show up when summer turns into fall and fall turns into winter. You’ll be so much stronger because of it. read more

Today’s blog post is brought to you by NP MKE faithful, Dominic Inouye. Dom has been coming to November Project for a few months now and has become a staple at every workout. He brings great energy, infectious enthusiasm and is just a really good dude. Dom is a school teacher and shares with us what November Project has taught him about himself, and his teaching. 
For the entire month of July and now into August, I’ve been participating in a free, early morning workout program offered in 17 cities in North America, including my hometown of Milwaukee.  It was founded in Boston as a way to get people to exercise during the cold winter months–and exercise they do. read more

All across Milwaukee this morning, people woke up, took a peak outside and with one collective sigh, went back to bed. This was not the case for 40 of the craziest, most bad ass people this city has to offer. 6:00 rolled around and they got up and gave up all hope of sanity for the day. They sprinted, kicked and dipped their way through one of our most inspiring workouts to date. They proved that the tribe is rain, wind and negativity proof (all before 7:15). read more

Today at NP MKE we borrowed from the Boston workout arsenal and lost our 100/100 virginity. For those of you unfamiliar with the 100/100 workout, it’s simple: 100 push-ups and 100 throw downs. The tribe pushed up and threw down until they threw up and stayed down (see picture). Not once did they complain, not once did they give up. read more

Dear DG,

The tribe is strong. The tribe is really fucking strong. As you donned your water wingys and took to the beach, NP MKE got down to business. Blustery winds and cloudy skies were no match for this group as they crushed the PR workout on the new course. It was 30 minutes of lung busting, leg burning loops. I’m pretty sure some of them even enjoyed it. John and Jack battled for the win and the course record, as Tonieh set the pace for the girls followed closely by Maddy, Macaire and Anne. Shemeka posted a strong time for her very first NP workout. You would have been proud DG. You’ve built something bigger than either of us could have imagined.  The tribe is relentless. The tribe will not back down. read more

Today’s post is brought to you by: positivity.

Here at November Project MKE, we thrive off positivity. It inspires, fuels and energizes our workouts and get us out of bed on Wednesday mornings. It’s the reason most of us show up every week. But what’s so important about positivity?

Let’s see what science has to say on the subject read more

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