Remember a little bit back when we launched that Racin and Pacin program thanks to Emily Bryson? Maybe you participated, maybe you didn’t but the gist of it was this. A bunch of people ( maybe 5, maybe 2,maybe more or less) got together and helped each other train for an upcoming race. Some of the groups have stayed together for months, helping each other PR and crush Boston qualifying times. Other groups forgot about each other two days later and are now feeling guilty about it. Regardless, two November Project Baltimore runners and all around awesome people have been pacing each other for months despite being separated by many countries and oceans. Here’s a guest blog from Rachel and Jenny, a pretty damn awesome Racin and Pacin success story!
It’s a real circus out here- NP_BAL
This photo says a lot about this morning. Let me give you a little insight into how this morning comes about and how we ended up with 200 balloons, lots of ribbon and a high level of “goof-troopery. (TM)”
A few days ago Kay came up with a good idea that involved three rings of a workout, a bunch of new exercises and just a tough, throw down of a workout. I stress good because the idea was really good. It was all set to be a tough workout that only a handful of us could get through, punctuated by a bunch of planks, allowing Kay ample opportunity to glance around, critiquing plank form.
What’s What in Baltimore- NP_BAL
There’s a lot going on in NP_BAL these days, so we’re dropping a brief post summarizing all of the fun stuff we have planned. Summers get busy and things are always getting lost in the shuffle so we’re just going to leave this all in one place, so next week, when you forgot what’s going on, you can refer back instead of helplessly texting Kay’s flip phone (Kay does not have a flip phone but i’m going to tell you all he does. Kay also breeds ferrets, but I digress.)
NP_BAL- WISCONSIN NOTES
We’re keeping things real brief today with a quick blog full of things that are helpful for you to know. We’re also including a cute picture of a dog.
As November Project has grown so have the opportunities available for us. Take advantage of as many of these things as you can when they are available, and if you have questions don’t be afraid to ask. We’re not going to clearly explain things 100% of the time so don’t be afraid to clarify things by reaching out to your co-leaders.
The Web- BAL
This morning at 5:15 am I was standing in a cold drizzle, with a cellphone flashlight shining in my mouth. I was holding a bunch of solo cups and plastic spoons as Emily Bryson examined my tonsils. I made the mistake of telling a nurse that I had a sore throat.
“It’s probably nothing,” she said, ” just drink some fluids.” This is coming from the woman who frequently rolls up to November Project on zero sleep, recovering from a night shift in the emergency room. I trust her when she says that i’m probably not very sick. She’s hands down one of the toughest people I know, so if she says i’m fine…I’m fine.
Guest Blog: Jenny Brooks- BAL
Our friend Jenny is leaving us next week for a sunny place they call “The Bay Area.” This is despite the fact that we have a bay (Chesapeake. Heard of it?) and definitely had it first (I’ll need a geologist to back that claim up). So while San Francisco might be inheriting one of our members, one with a massive smile and even bigger heart, we couldn’t be happier that Jenny showed up one day, and then kept showing up for many, many more. Just to ensure that we miss her a lot a lot, Jenny wrote a great blog post to remind us all of how great she is. Jenny, we’ll see you soon. Thank you for your warmth, fantastic joyful energy and delicious cookies.
“Wait…but i’m not in shape yet”- NP_BAL
This is a blog I started a while back when someone told me they weren’t in shape and thus couldn’t come to NP. It went something like this:
“Of course you can.”
That wasn’t a very good blog at all. After being prompted with this statement again this week, I decided to make some edits and to clarify a few things. I suppose we’re not really doing our job if that sentiment is a common one. So here it goes:
“Find Your Why”- Guest Post from Nick Paul
Today Nick Paul conquered the 15×15. He’s only the 3rd person ( the other happened to be at 5:30 am…props to you John!) to actually that finish that workout within the time limit. Nick is fast…really fast. But for him, that’s not what NP is about. We know that some days NP looks like a group of super fit, super intense people, which can be daunting to any newbie who maybe isn’t one of those things. But read Nick’s guest blog post and get some insight on what we believe NP SHOULD be about. You can’t finish first in positivity…
Ravens Stadium- #NP_BAL
As many of you know, I grew up in Baltimore and in my early years we didn’t have a football team. The Baltimore Colts skipped town in the middle of the night in 1984, shamefully relocating themselves to Indianapolis. Luckily, by the time I was able to be a free thinking football fan the Ravens had arrived in Baltimore (much to the chagrin of Cleveland Browns fans) and quickly took over the city. I remember that time, 1996, when everything started turning purple after the city staged a brief argument over the name of the new franchise. “The Baltimore Ravens,” was the winner, bringing Edgar Allen Poe back to relevance for an entire generation of football fans who may never have otherwise known his name. There may also be an entire generation that now believes Edgar, Allen and Poe are just the names of the Ravens’ mascots…but I digress.
Wedding Weirdness- NP_BAL
This little guy is getting married today, so we dedicated the workout to him and his far superior partner Siran. Now folks, don’t go thinking every time you pull off a wedding you’re going to get a matrimony themed workout. Chris had to brave many, many cold, rainy, snowy and sweltering workouts to earn a tuxedo t-shirt and an uncomfortable workout with a vaguely matrimonial theme ( like…super vague, and mostly just awkward). But still, we’re excited for the two of them and hope that this photo gets framed and put on a mantle somewhere.