Free Fitness Movement. All you need to do is show up!
March Madness Is Here! Have you been paying attention? I’m from Maryland so I already knew about UMBC. But that put me in the minority before they smashed UVA (wahoo-wah?) last week!
Well this morning we came looking for our very own cinderellas. Our March Madness workout pitted two people repping their alma maters against one another. There were rounds of 64, 32, Sweet 16, Elite 8, Final Four, and an oh-s0-elusive opportunity for a championship.
This morning was one of my favorite NP mornings ever. Not sure if you guys could tell but I was having an absolute blast watching my parents shoot people with nerf guns. Seriously the best investment NPSF has ever made.
Giving Phil and Marla the guns was a wise choice. Of course I had initial second thoughts when the very first person my dad shot was Brad, today’s newbie. Please come back, Brad. My parents won’t be mean to you ever again.
This morning we did our thing. In some ways there were very few surprises. There were regulars, newbies, Tantek’s convertible, and Nikhil getting lost trying to find #earlygang. Plus I had to modify Paddy’s burnout. All standard stuff really.
But one of the coolest things about today was the silent support we lent to other parts of the November Project community. Very recently, our family to the south, NP LAX, lost one of their tribe’s core members after a ferocious fight with brain cancer. All I know of Sean Early (pictured below) is what I’ve read from others who knew him well. He was, by all accounts, beloved in the LA tribe. A hard worker and an inspiration, he was a particularly strong resource and voice for the LA tribe’s LGBTQ members with his saying “Fuck them. Be you.”
Today’s blog comes from our guest coleaders, Lindsay Bolt and Caity Rogowski. Great tribe members who put their own spin on today’s Lombard St. workout. Ninja style…
Holidays in a city like San Francisco are unlike how they play out in most of our fellow tribes around the world. San Francisco and the Bay Area is a place filled with folks from other places, and in most cases those folks head back to those places for holiday shenanigans. Our coleaders are among those that typically take flight. And so, the tribe is left in the willing hands of brave souls willing to get up a little earlier than everyone else, willing to take a hit to their sweat regimen, willing to find a way to make cheering their tribe on a cardiovascular experience instead of running alongside.
This morning was a shocker. Chris Sheesley, in true form, mentioned he’d like to make an announcement at the end of the workout. Normally we’re pretty strict about these things because they can spiral out of control, but Chris confirmed it was about a philanthropic project he’d already talked to us about (more to come on it soon). Naturally we had no problem giving Chris, a stalwart figure of the tribe, the stage to share about this altruistic opportunity.
There were a lot of exercises and a lot of maths this morning. You guys did great at both.
Tonight is Frost Fit, our workout at AT&T Park in partnership with The North Face. Should be an amazing time and hope to see many of you there!
This weekend there are park cleanups in the Presidio (talk to Laura) and in Alta Plaza Park (10 am, #justshowup). Keep doing good out there, NP.
Did you see that flash of blue this morning? That was Will Oberle passing you. You know the guy who looks like he’s dying a little bit as he stomps his way up and down the Alta Plaza steps.
Well today, we finally solved the mystery of how Will became the “fastest kid alive.”
Turns out slick Willie is engaged in a fight to the death with what he’s called the Fudge Dragon (his words, check the videotape). We can only assume this menacing creature has affected us all at one point or another but Will seems to be in a battle royale that just won’t end.
Man, it felt good to be back with everyone this morning. You guys crushed PR Wednesday. Going away always reminds me of how much I love being a part of the November Project family. Visiting other tribes is awesome and give me so much energy. Everyone should try it. I’m also reminded why I love NPSF so much. We’re weird, fun, fast, and there are just so many good people I love here.
Suffice to say, this morning was special. There were parents everywhere (Hi Scuras! Hi Selnicks!) and people were hammering. Mark Noviski did 10,000 step ups apparently. No one knows whether that was each leg or both legs or how to score it (my b, guys). Paddy scored an odd number of points with some combination of stretching and running.
We’ve all heard the excuse: it’s too early. “This workout group thing sounds fun but it’s just too early for me.” Maybe it’s just a sign that I’ve been doing this for too long, but 6:29 no longer sounds early to me. That’s why I want to talk about my favorite subset of the NPSF movement: Early Gang.