All good things must come to an end – unless they are a marriage, motherhood, and salted cashews (because please, let me keep some joys in life). Jokes aside, which in times of sadness and moments of being uncomfortable you all know I can’t resist, it is with a heavy heart that we say goodbye to NP Amsterdam. Or at least, we say goodbye to the form or vessel of what we know and have come to know NP Amsterdam to be.
Ode to a friend – The Retirement of Dani
Friendship is defined as the state of being friends. It is not some grand meeting at the beginning that measures and sustains a friendship but rather the time that exists in the mundane, in the ordinary. It is the state where you no longer exist in this universe alone but in relationship of mutual affection between two people. I found such a bond with Dani.
Be runnin’ up that hill – By Kate Driessen
It’s the soundtrack to Chariots of Fire that rouses me from my sleep. Day of the Athens Marathon. A slow-motion montage of 16 weeks of tempo runs, threshold runs, trail runs and Sunday long runs plays in my head and I AM SO HERE FOR THIS. My roommate’s humorous yet motivational choice of dramatic run-themed tunes continues, and so, possibly foretelling of unexpected sporting glory, I hurriedly get dressed, vaseline my feet, grab my gear and hit the streets.
He Married a Marathon Runner
I met Hugo November 16, 2020, after swiping right on Tinder. It was definitely love at first swipe. We immediately bonded over parenthood, our love for sports, and the weird coincidence that both our white and black French Bulldogs bore the name Stella. He is a volleyball player/cyclist, and I am a runner. Within weeks of dating me, Dani and I planned an impromptu ultra-marathon together. Hugo could not comprehend why anyone would want to run that far. I tried to bait him into the marathon frenzy by sharing memories of my sub-3-hour marathon in Amsterdam and my Elvis Presley dressed marathon in Las Vegas. He refused the bait and vehemently swore that he would never run a marathon.
Athens Marathon – By Stephan Griesel
The entries open and I am first in line to enter or so I thought. Signed up, little confused with the different entry types but luckily, we have friends who have done it in previous year’s and they can point us in the right direction. Advanced package, lets go! Advanced entry definitely sounds like it fits since I have done quite a few marathons 🙄. Oh yes, turns out I am not the first in line, the runners that signed up in the pandemic, have precedence. I am in the last batch 🤣.
Things Don’t Always Go According to A Plan
Things aren’t going according to any plan. What is normal, no longer is stable. There is no status quo. One day we are working out on a Wednesday morning at November Project Amsterdam and the next we are confined within the four corners of our apartments.
Being lonely has become a familiar feeling that we each carry in our own unique way. For some, we wear it heavily as we go through each and every day. Days, weeks, months flow into one another without distinction. Monday’s seem no different than Friday’s. We have gotten used to listening to our own, silent breath on our runs or walks. We scroll through our phones as we sip our coffee or tea without company in the morning. Post-workout Starbucks coffee has become a memory of the past.
All Are Welcome at November Project Amsterdam
By Dani Holmes-Kirk
The night before 30 June’s Pride workout for NP Amsterdam found me scurrying around my house trying on a number of rainbow combinations and constantly asking my wife for feedback.
“Babe… is this too much rainbow?”
“Do these neon rainbow pants clash with my rainbow cape?”
“This rainbow cape or the new rainbow flag that I can turn into a cape?”
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:
And I will run 120 kilometres
What is next for you? If I had a page of frequently asked questions for my life, this would top the list. Whether it was when I finished my world record for fastest time to hula hoop ten kilometres or fastest marathon dressed as Elvis Presley or running a sub-3-hour marathon or running my first ultramarathon, people are always eager to know what my next goal will be.
Leadership Lives Here
I have never been very good at goodbyes. Every time I visit my parents in Canada, I write them a letter and slip it under their bedroom door before leaving back to the east side of Canada, the United States, or Europe. I tell them how much they mean to me, my favourite memory, or a silly story I had of our most recent trip together.