Free Fitness Movement. All you need to do is show up!
Here’s a theme that I’ve created for this year – for myself and especially for November Project. Let’s dial it in. And let me tell you, this morning was DIALED. So much effort, so many new faces, SO. MANY. PRs.
And as a part of getting more dialed in, we’re RE-instituting the Tracker.
Today’s guest blog post is from our friend, Joalby. I met Joalby through the Elevation Culture Trail Run group. And he’s the epitome of “just show up.” You all know (and love) Joalby, so read about his story here.
Accountability. A word that holds so much variance for me. Accountability. An act that I felt set out to make me appear weaker, as if I needed others to succeed, as if I could not fulfill my journey unless I did so without “owing anyone anything”
Let’s keep it short and sweet. I feel like I say it every November Project morning, but if you weren’t there, you missed out. Despite some rain and the over-flooded fountain, you all showed up in BRIGHT RAINBOW colors, ready to run your asses off and get dirty on the ground!
But don’t think the rainbow theme was a fortunate coincidence. Just showing up is always the first step – at November Project and in life. As we start this new year, remember that despite anything that life may throw at you – shitty luck, shitty life events, and yes, even shitty weather, don’t sit around and wait for things to turn around. Create your own rainbow. And be bright for yourself everyone around you.
Dear November Project,
I love you. I did not fall fast or hard, but as any good relationship it came in time. Over the years, through our ever evolving relationship you grew on me, and at some point I was hooked. And like anything that you love, it’s hard to let it go. So this is not good bye, it will just be a new chapter.
If you were at the workout this morning, I talked about a recent incident that occurred after PR Day this past October where one tribe member messaged another and made some comments that made this person feel uncomfortable. And there were a number of things about this situation that infuriated me. But I’ve already stood on the soapbox this morning.
I find myself saying this pretty often. Whether it’s to go for a trail run, hit a garage gym, grab a drink, or see a show, I’m always saying, “come play.” Because there’s something about that word “play.”
In fact, “play” is defined as, “engage in activity for enjoyment and recreation rather than a serious or practical purpose.”
H.O.M.E.S. Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Eerie, Superior. If you didn’t already have this little acronym in your memory tool box, now you’ll be able to be a motherfucking hero at your next trivia night when they ask about the Great Lakes.
If you take the periods out from between the letters, though, you’re left with “HOMES.” Not a single “home,” but plural; two, three, more. While having multiple places to call home is nothing new for most of us, this tribe has [no surprise here] made our connections to those homes insanely stronger.
We’re on a huge community kick lately. Today we did a “teamwork” themed workout, because we’re sending some people off to ECSCA this weekend, and BRUCE IS RACING IMAZ?!
We talk about community a lot because as a buzzword it’s so Hansel right now, but also because time and time again you hear the same themes from everyone who has an opportunity to come to one of our workouts in any of the 44 cities. We all need someone to lift us up every once in a while. So come, if not anything else, to maybe link arms with someone and help prop them up every week.
Going into day 3 of Hell Week, we didn’t let anything stop us from hosting a good ol’ fashioned PR Day. Continuing our HELL WEEK of workouts, we’re meeting at the entrance of the Embarcadero Marina Park SOUTH, at the back side of the Convention Center. WEAR ALL BLACK. NO GRASSROOTS GEAR (NO TAGS OR ANYTHING BRANDED NOVEMBER PROJECT).
4 score and 4 years ago, your founding leaders brought forth onto this community, a new tribe, conceived on the idea of #freefitness, and dedicated to the notion that all athletes shall be treated equal.
Today we celebrated four fabulous years of NPSD. It blows my mind how fast the time has flown by, how much the tribe and my own life has changed for the better, and how excited I am for the future of NPSD.