Author: Maggie

For those who missed announcements this morning, I hope you enjoyed your LAST Wednesday of sleeping in for a longgggggg time…that is, unless you want to miss out on…STICKERS and so much more!

Specifically, jazzy fun stickers that you get to put next to your name every time you #justshowup for #np_wla! That’s right, you guessed it, we’re throwing down our very first ATTENDANCE CHALLENGE! Since we spend so much time on UCLA’s campus we figured you’re all basically college students and should be getting credit for all the hard work you’re putting in. Also, November Project Minneapolis just threw down this challenge in the dead of winter, and even though #LAwinters are real ok?! I have a sneaking suspicion we can get our posterboard to be even more colorful and sticker-filled and amazing and beautiful and everything that represents our tribe. read more

I could probably write a whole blog on Clare Healy, but this is her opportunity to take the mic, so I’ll keep it short and sweet. Clare is the personification of “good vibes.” She is effortlessly cool and kind, easy-going while also vigorously fun to be around. Clare, thank you for everything you’ve given to NP West LA. We love you so much!!!! read more

Today we asked a lot from you guys.

We asked for hill repeats, shuttle runs, planks, and more strength exercises than you can shake a stick at!

We asked that you give us your all, trust your body, and cheer on your neighbor with any breath you had left.

We asked that you not make too much fun of Tara while she modeled her bike helmet.

MY FAVORITE THING about today was how you guys would clap for yourselves and for each other at the end of every strength minute as you jogged back to the start line. The FUCK YEAH spirit in the air was undeniable!!!

BIG congrats to Jonathan on the Positivity Award, who brings the FUCK YEAH spirit every. single. time. We’re so glad you’re here!
ANNOUNCEMENTS:

We Have a SISTER CITY!

• November Project Kelowna!!!
  • (pssst. that’s in Canada)

  Check out their Facebook page HERE! We will be interacting with them more in the future.

  West LA Social Page, add yourself! Click HERE!

• A few of our troops have been organizing 5:30 am RUN GANG around the UCLA campus loop! A hilly 4 mile lap around campus for those who either can’t stay for the main workout or just want a little more milage! Look out for the posts in our social page on where to meet!
• If you’re ever free after the workout, BREAKFAST CLUB @ Whole Foods on GAYLEY located HERE!

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This past weekend, Tara and I traveled to Santa Cruz to connect with 105 fellow November Project co-leaders. We learned a lot. Some of it was practical; how to tag shirts, how to create an inclusive environment. But what I really took away from the weekend was that there are amazing people involved in this movement.

I said it today and I’ll say it again, it takes a special kind of person to wake up when it’s still dark outside, start their morning by jumping up and down and screaming with a mob of people, and hand out high-fives and hugs to strangers all before breakfast. No one is showing up every Wednesday just because it’s free, because if all you really needed was free, you’d pull up a Youtube workout in your living room and save yourself the hassle.

I was chatting with one of the Dallas co-leaders one night and I found out he had a marathon PR of 2:25, which had qualified him for Olympic Trials. HOLY SHIT. He then got injured, couldn’t compete for awhile, and was finally making his way back to marathon running. “My goal time is 3:45,” he told me cheerfully. “If I get that, I’ll be thrilled. If not, I’m just so happy to be able to run next to my friends.” Tywon’s relentless joy over running with his community, regardless of any past PRs or expectations, got me stoked for the day I’ll be able to run PR Day next to you guys. Or maybe I’ll walk a big chunk of it. It won’t matter. All I can ask from myself, and from you all, is putting in your best at that moment, and letting that be reason enough to leave Drake feeling proud.

We’re incredibly lucky to be part of a movement that attracts physical inspirations, like Tywon, as well as emotional ones. I learned this weekend that one of the Chicago co-leaders works a job he’s not super amped about, but it’s worth it to him because it means he can put his brother through college. I told him that was amazing and he seemed taken aback, because he never would have considered living any other way. These inspiring people are showing up to Drake Stadium too. Next time you have a minute, get curious about who you’re getting sweaty with. Walking back to your car after the workout or holding up the cheer tunnel during PR Day, find out what’s going on in someone’s life. And if you’re having a tough time, physically or mentally, don’t stop showing up. Tara and I have your back. November Project West LA has your back. 49 tribes around the world have your back, because it takes a special kind of person to show up at 6:30 am and lay your heart out on the stairs.

Keep climbing high, Westside. Each and every one of you is crushing it.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

• If you’re not already in our social page, you can find it HERE!
• Next week is PR DAY!
  • Bring one shirt if you would like a sweet Shaka tag!

  In TWO WEEKS we will take a field trip to UCLA’s JANSS STEPS

  • Location here!

  =&2=&, November Project’s Annual gathering, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on 9/14-16.

• This is the BEST weekend of the year in the NP world, you don’t want to miss it!
• DISCOUNT CODE: NP20 for 20% off!
• GOOGLE DOC HERE (with all NP tribes) #logistics
• REGISTER HERE!

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With the summer solstice fast approaching, there’s a lot of talk about getting our bodies “summer ready.” Personally, I have never been motivated by someone saying, “gotta get in shape for bikini season,” but I am absolutely motivated by the way our tribe grinds up Bruin Walk and ferociously gets after those stairs. I am motivated by Rocky’s face when he asks what time we’re at during PR Day and he realizes he’s going to PR that month. I am motivated by the fire in Neil’s eyes as he sets his sight on the top stair and refuses to stop running until he hits it. I am motivated by Jessie Sims leveling-up on burpees by adding a tuck jump – I mean, who looks for a way to make burpees harder?!
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I found November Project through Nike Run Club. I spent my whole life on sports teams and after leaving college, I felt alone without a team by my side. I started seeking out run clubs and, although I loved that I didn’t have to go on runs alone, I hadn’t found my people yet. I didn’t care if the person next to me had a good run that night or had a race coming up. And I didn’t know what I was missing out on by not caring.

After a run one night this guy told me I had to go to November Project the next morning. “I can’t really describe to you what it is,” he said. “It’s a run club kinda, but so much more. Trust me, you need to be there.” I showed up the next morning and fell in love immediately.

Starting the West LA tribe has been transformative for me and Tara because it’s given us the opportunity to catch hundreds of people experiencing the magic for the first time. People show up, and it’s instantly weird and amazing at the same time (we hope). Everyone’s hugging. There’s a lot of shouting. People are singing their names. There are so many high-fives! What the heck is a birthday bang? Why is everyone doing the wave?! These people are fucking nuts!

So now that we’re #oldnews as a November Project tribe, what keeps the momentum going? What keeps the magic alive and keeps the city of Los Angeles as describing us as “so much more than a run club”?

Brogan, the founder of November Project, challenged us to turn outward when he made us official, and now I’m going to challenge us to turn inward at the same time. Ask people about their PR Day goals and races they might have coming up. If someone seems a little off one morning, take it upon yourself to cheer for them extra hard and hug them a little tighter.

I’ve been on an Abby Wambach kick lately (pun always intended). Abby describes the moment immediately after a goal is scored as the moment that transforms individual athletes into a team. The ball hits the back of the net, and the team sprints toward the scorer in a mob of celebration. “You will not always be the goal scorer. And when you are not – you better be rushing toward her. Her victory is your victory.”

We are a tribe that works exceptionally hard in the time we have together every Wednesday. It has not gone unnoticed by visitors from other tribes, and it is an aspect of our tribe that makes me extremely proud. We are scoring hat tricks as far as I’m concerned – and now let’s take advantage of the fact that we aren’t scoring goals alone. I can’t wait to sprint toward each and every one of you as you check goals off your list. But the best part is, I know I’ll just be part of the mob.

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-PR DAY TRACKER. Record results HERE and keep track of how you improve every month!

-6/2 SATURDAY NIGHT MIXER at SPORTS HARBOUR, 9PM!
-6/6 FIELD TRIP TO TENNIS STADIUM (NEXT WEDNESDAY)! Exact location HERE!
-6/13 YEARBOOK PHOTOS!
=&1=&TOUGH TOPANGA 10K! Facebook event HERE!

-#NPSUMMIT, November Project’s Annual gathering, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on 9/14-16.
This is the BEST weekend of the year in the NP world, you don’t want to miss it!
DISCOUNT CODE: NP20 for 20% off!
GOOGLE DOC HERE (with all NP tribes) #logistics
REGISTER HERE!

What an amazing ride this has been thus far! Time REALLY does fly when you’re having fun. We wouldn’t be anywhere without all the amazing, beautiful, kind, strong, badass humans that decide to #justshowup to Drake Stadium, so we first want to say THANK YOU to everyone who’s joined us! THANK YOU for being a part of this wonderful growing community, THANK YOU for showing up, for giving it your all and supporting us week after week. You are all superheroes and we are madly in love with each and every one of you.

We spent 24 weeks as an #np_pledge before we were welcomed aboard as November Project’s 45th tribe, thus joining the worldwide #freefitness movement. That means every Wednesday morning around the world, 45 groups just like us are bouncing, running, and high-fiving all for the price of $0. This doesn’t even count the amazing November Project pledge groups that are also kicking ass!

We wanted to reflect on how awesome it’s been since day 1 of pledging back in November, so without further ado…

=&0=&We honestly had no idea what to expect on our first day of pledging. We knew some people knew about the group, but we didn’t set any crazy expectations for what kind of turnout we would have on day one. We said we’d be happy if 10 people showed up. Well, not only did that happen, but another 39 on top of that showed up, giving us 49 amazing humans on our very first day! We still like to tease our friend Ben that if he had shown up (like he said he was going to) we would have broken 50! We forgive you Ben. The energy, the sweat, the sun- we kept feeling this ELECTRIC vibe across the stairs, and we knew this was the start of something awesome. We were lucky to have a Bostonian (#mothership) and two folks from SD (all who attend November Project in their cities) join us and give feedback on our first day which helped a lot when crafting all of our future workouts. Thanks for joining us, Drock, Mike & Randi! (You’re all #traverBALLERS, and the first of 40+ traverbalers to work out with us!) 

=&1=&What makes Drake Stadium so great is how versatile it is. We have the opportunity to throw down a killer stair workout, a hill workout, a track workout, or a combination of all 3! We’ve had a lot of fun mixing and matching different sections of the stadium for each workout, and the best part is- if someone isn’t into running around in circles, or their knees can’t handle the stairs, or they just simply hate hills, there’s 2 other options of what they can run around. In addition we will always provide an alternative strength or injury deck workout for anyone that can’t do cardio, as there is tons of surface area to do all sorts of exercises.

The atmosphere of Drake is incredible. We’re not even the first to arrive! There are ROTC kids from UCLA, different club sports teams that filter in and out, and lots of other athletes working out alongside us. Everyone seems to express the same vibes and respect one another. We’re different communities with one home and a shared goal of leaving a little healthier and a little happier.

=&2=&We knew we wanted to have an award to express our love and gratitude for our tribe members. We first have to give credit to one of our favorite humans/mentor/big sister/girl crush to the max: JEANIE from November Project Brooklyn who gave us the idea of using a surfboard for the award.

The surfboard award represents someone who’s been ‘riding our wave’ meaning they show up, they work hard, and they bring great energy week after week. We wish we could give it to every single person every single week, because everyone who shows up to Drake shines with so much positivity and enthusiasm! But we do like to honor one person each week which can allow for the tribe to get to hear a little bit about someone they maybe don’t know yet, and then get excited to befriend them! Now that we’re an official NP tribe we are excited to continue utilizing the surfboard alongside our positivity award and turn the surfboard into a peer-to-peer award that will be handed out monthly.

=&3=&We are super grateful for all the help and support we receive from our tribe members because- let’s face it- we wouldn’t be anywhere without everyone who shows up and continues to help us grow. Liana created our beautiful recruiting papers and parking map- which both have helped a tremendous amount when bringing in newbies. Kevin has stepped up and completely taken over our Snapchat presence. Some of his stories get over 7 thousand views! Whenever Jeff Yang is at the stadium, you’ll always see him with a camera. He runs around getting a killer workout AND takes pictures without us even asking. Our girl Clare (who is actually the coolest girl you’ll EVER meet, like, ever) shot AND edited our yearbook photos in lightning speed. Dana has helped us build our connections with UCLA (she got us on the jumbotron at a basketball game, nbd) and she and Jose have been constant soundboards for us and helped in countless ways, including testing out our PR Day and being the hype crew of dreams during yearbook photos. The list goes on and on, and these people make it easy for us to feel like we’re never alone on this journey. #thanksjose

=&4=&Brogan Graham, one of the co-founders of November Project, set up a video conference with the two of us last Monday, April 23rd, at 7:00 PM PST. We thought it was just another video chat, and it was…until he pulled out a fresh new POSITIVITY AWARD with “Westside L.A., CA” engraved on it and we lost our shit!
 

Yes…we have to address it…Westside L.A. No one who lives outside of LA seems to understand the whole Westside/West LA thing. We decided “Westside” will continue as our common name (like the name “Maggie,” as a random example) and “West LA” is our official name that people can use in formal situations (like “Margaret”). Honestly we’re just lucky the Positivity Award doesn’t say Santa Monica which is where Laura Green still thinks we are located.

=&5=&Brogan Graham showed up. Rich Roll showed up. Traverbalers from NP-San Diego showed up. 140 people showed up. The energy was INSANE. Not only was it touching to receive so much support from the worldwide November Project community, it was also really touching to see our Westside Wednesdays regulars show up with so much excitement when a lot of them didn’t know about November Project/really understand what was happening. They were just excited because we were excited. We’re pumped to show these November Project newbies a bigger picture of our worldwide family! 

=&6=&PR Day can be tough. Some people love it, some people hate it. It can be intimidating for newbies but also gives the competitive among us a chance to hone in. Yesterday morning was everything we ever wanted a PR Day to be. People were ready to race right from the start. Spirits were high, the music was bumpin’, high-fives a plenty, the cheer tunnel was lit, the #powerofpurple and #loveforliana were prevalent, and there was really, really good running. The first ten finishers were pushing each other hard and it made for a very exciting morning (Marcus, looks like you can’t move away until you reclaim that #1 spot from Anthony)!!! Reli and Shani’s family running that course together is so beautiful we could just weep. You can’t walk away from 70 people taking on those stairs with everything they’ve got and leave uninspired. You just can’t.

Congrats to HOLLY for being the first recipient of our POSITIVITY AWARD!! You’re a BADASS, a beautiful person on the inside and out, and you have been one of our biggest supporters from the very beginning. You show up, you work hard, you are loving, caring, hilarious- pretty much everything we’d ever want out of a tribe member. Don’t ever change. Or leave us.

That’s all the gushy stuff (for now) so onto logistics!

=&7=&Breakfast Club: If you’re ever free immediately after the workout, there’s always a group that hangs at the Whole Foods off of Gayley (located here). Parking is free (as is Wifi- in case you need to start working early)! Plenty of outdoor seating available for good times and yummy bites!
Social Page: If you’re not already in our internal social page ‘Westside Warehouse’ be sure to join it! This is a place for all of us to communicate outside of the workouts. Use this group to plan carpools/run gangs/bike gangs to the workouts and breakfast clubs after workouts!
Tracker: GUESS WHAT?! We have a tracker now:

https://tracking.november-project.com/ read more