Free Fitness Movement. All you need to do is show up!
Coming off a wildly successful and positively epic three-week collaboration with the DC Department of Parks and Recreation, I want to thank them for everything they did for us, and what they do every day for the District of Columbia.
DPR, it was truly a pleasure to work with and alongside y’all to promote #FitDCFridays. As tremendous advocates for exercising outdoors and enjoying green spaces, thanks so much for everything y’all do to keep DC parks clean, safe, and ready for gnarly workouts.
It’s not four years, it’s for life. Where my sorority sisters at?!?! (I’m joking, this is a JOKE. Please keep reading.)
If you can’t sense by the absolutely ludicrous amount of “4” puns that are about to ensue, November Project DC celebrated four years as an official NP Tribe yesterday. Our NP-versary, if you will, coincided with the absence of one of the most critical components in this movement. Steve-O, if you take a chance on your honeymoon to read the blog (hint: don’t. I got you, Court) there’s simply no NPDC without you, you’re the heartbeat of this community and we all owe you a tremendous debt of gratitude.
Two hundred burpees?
You did that.
50 Lincoln Logs?
You did that.
500 (AND ELEVEN) people at Lincoln?
You did that.
You, yes YOU. I’m saying you, but what I mean is WE. Every person that has ever participated in a workout has contributed to awesome and powerful achievements of the human body and spirit at November Project DC.
Last Saturday, four NPDC members took to the mountains of Park City, Utah for a trail race, but not just any trail race. The North Face Endurance Challenge Series 50K trail ultra-marathon extravaganza (that’s the real name, I looked it up). Now a week later, they’ve collected their thoughts, and captured the emotional highs and lows of the day. The fab four recounted their experiences below.
I was struck this week while scrolling through Facebook post-PR day and I came across this thread:
Prompting me to 1) Be insanely impressed by how thoughtful people were with there responses and 2) Accost people at this morning’s workout to ask them this exact question. (Kudos to Amanda for the inspiration, and CONGRATULATIONS on your NP-versary!)
Over the course of the past week we made November Project history. For having the most people at a workout? No (although we’re working on it, #recruiteveryone!). Did we do something insane at a workout? Like singing Backstreet Boys classics while doing push-ups? Been there, done that. Nope. WE hosted the first-ever #np_poetrycontest to raffle off bibs for the Baltimore Running Festival.
The NPDC community is comprised of ambitious, eager (good-looking) people who are constantly on the hunt for their next challenge. We see folks come and go, cycling through this revolving door of a metropolis often. People come to Washington for jobs, for love, for any multitude of reasons–and they leave for (better) jobs, for grad school, for the allure of a new adventure. One of the facets that makes NPDC exceptionally cool is the tendency of November Project to make people feel rooted and entrenched in our city, when they are brand new to a place. NP has a warmth to it that makes people feel at home; this makes departures all the more difficult. Over the past few weeks we’ve said goodbye to some pure gems, setting them free to spread their wings and flock to other GREAT November Project cities. We miss you, we love you, come home soon.
Last week, I was graced with the opportunity to talk to the interns at my office. There was no established topic, just a calendar invite. It read: “#UnderTheRadarMaria. 12pm. Large Conference Room.” That was all. I had initially agreed because I’m a “team player,” or whatever. Just kidding, I love my coworkers and I desperately wanted to drop some knowledge on these ‘terns.
Dust off your Buchs kids, we’re about to take y’all to school.
Verbal (n.): A spoken or written commitment that no matter what, you will be at the workout.
Now, I know lots of folks out there shy away from dropping a #verbal, because they’re scared of a little thing called ACCOUNTABILITY (millennials, am I right?). However, verbals are meant to convey the deepest sense of promise — you are promising, despite bad weather, bad morning breath, too little sleep, or any number of unforeseen circumstances, that you’ll be there for another person. On an even more important level, you make a verbal commitment for yourself. I will show up. I will be accountable. I will be responsible. All this being said, we still get the occasional broken verbal from time to time, and it happened this morning, not once, but TWICE.
This blog post will DESTROY you. If you’re not into feeling feelings, turn back now. For real, today’s guest blog is incredible, it will make you feel thankful, #blessed, and possibly cry a little. THANK YOU Jenny Collins for writing it, you are a national treasure.
My dad loved to move. I remember watching the way his muscles fully extended when he walked or ran, as if they were savoring every moment. To this day, I’ve never seen anyone else’s muscles move as his did, with that same level of bliss and near astonishment.