Free Fitness Movement. All you need to do is show up!
There’s no non-cliched way to say it: We can’t believe it’s been a year. A year since the free fitness revolution we all know as November Project welcomed our amazing city into their global community. A year of bounces, sprints, burpees, and finisher tunnels. A year of sweat, smiles, and social media.
Let me start with one thing we can all agree on: we are currently living in an uncomfortably polarized and opinionated world.
We live amidst more information than we know what to do with, and yet it seems like our current perspectives are only being further ingrained, rather than adequately challenged.
APRIL FOOLS!
Over the past year, it’s been pretty great being an NP leader in the Bay Area. Unlike most of our fellow cities (what’s up, Great Los Angeles and New York City Area), we are blessed to have two tribes SUPER close to each other. We go to each others’ socials. We go to each others’ races. And when we can, we try to go to each others’ workouts. That’s harder on Wednesday, the one day we both have workouts.
Every January, we’re bombarded with marketing campaigns and facebook posts about losing weight and setting goals. But I personally have always found the expression “New Year, New Me” a little offensive. Don’t get me wrong, I’m all about self-betterment (for more on the subject, please see my Yom Kippur blog), but I think the old me is pretty good. Sure, upgrades to the current model would be great and goal-setting is never a bad thing, but I’d prefer to think of it as a “better version of me”, as opposed to an entirely new person.
Our state is currently being ravaged by the most destructive and deadly fires ever, and we are hurting for our fellow Californians who have lost their homes and loved ones. Due to the hazardous and unhealthy air quality in the Bay Area, ESCSA has been cancelled (more information and details on The North Face’s incredible acts of kindness here) and we’ve been forced to get a little creative with our workouts locations.
I always get really excited when holidays fall on a Wednesday. Fourth of July, Halloween, all on Wednesdays this year. It means we can throw super fun, whacky, themed workouts. But when I realized Yom Kippur fell on a Wednesday this year, I was pretty torn as to what to do. For those that don’t know, Yom Kippur is one of the holiest days in Judaism. It’s the day of atonement after the Jewish new year (Rosh Hashanah), the day in which we ask God for forgiveness, and to secure our fate in the ‘book of life’ for the coming year. Most Jews fast, to put aside physical desires and concentrate on spiritual needs through prayer, repentance and self-improvement. Super fun stuff perfect for an NP workout, I know! I dreaded about what I would do for September 19th. Would I co-lead the workout, or lay low and focus on my own atonement (because having that much fun on Yom Kippur felt sinful, and Jewish guilt is a powerful force).
Oakland officially came on as a November Project city exactly 16 weeks ago, and today was our third PR Wednesday as NP_OAK. The tribe is still out there hammering those stairs, crushing those burpees, setting course records, pushing yourselves and one another to be your best, and BEAT your best. Your grit and support for one another is inspiring every week, but PR Wednesday especially.
First, Alex showed us all what he’s been training for since he was six; reciting the most motivational speech of all time from the cinematic masterpiece, Independence Day. Then we celebrated the year 1776 with planks, hoistees, pushups and star jumps. Finally, we truly honored our (perhaps a little bit insane) Founding Fathers with an old fashion DUEL …of rocks, papers, scissors.
We also had our first tagging session as NP_OAK, with our hella dope oaktree tag, designed by our birthday girl Amanda. Can’t wait to see you rocking that fresh tag all over Town.
This morning was fun and patriotic and all about community. We had newbies, and doggos, and three-generations of NP_OAK (because Ruby is a recruiting machine who not only brings her friends and coworkers, but also her daughter and granddaughter!) Thanks for bringing the laughs and smiles today, tribe.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
–Happy hour next Wednesday! (Because our usual first-of-the-month happy hour schedule got a little thrown by some holiday today) Location TBD but save the date for a drink with your friends of NP_OAK.
=&0=&: An amazing local organization, Running for a Better Oakland is hosting a fun run on August 4, followed by an East Bay Beer Runners after-party. Check out the details on Facebook and register for the run here to support RBO. Spots for the fun run are limited so register soon!
–SUMMIT: Register soon for the North Face Endurance Challenge Series at Kettle Moraine State Park in Wisconsin. You can run 50 miles, 50 kilometers, a marathon, or team up with a few other folks to run a marathon relay. Here’s a Google doc to start coordinating relay and race interests, travel, and other stuff.
It’s a different vibe than the rest of NP Oakland’s workouts. We run stairs at Cleveland Cascade, the beloved public staircase off Lake Merritt. It’s bookended by apartment buildings, so unlike by the Boating Center, we have to be quiet (#ninjas). But even if we could be loud, we wouldn’t be—the tribe just works too hard on PR Wednesday.
No partners. No circuits. Nothing to keep track of except your laps and your breathing. Just stairs and burpees. It’s a tough one. And this tribe gets after it.
Throw in a bunch of new friends, many dogs, a little post-workout World Cup #breakfastgang, a visit from Alex’s (and Steve’s!) parents, and a new all-time NP Oakland PR Wednesday record set by Tim (13 laps!), and you’ve got yourself a pretty solid start to your weekday.
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=&2=&: Next Wednesday is the Fourth of July, and we’re tagging shirts to celebrate. The #NP_OAK tag will be revealed tomorrow at noon, just in time to tag next week and in time for…
=&3=&: We’ll be posting all your fantastic portraits tomorrow. They make excellent profile pictures. Share them on the #soshmeeds, tag @novemberprojectoak on IG or November Project Oakland on FB, credit Shing Wong for his excellent photography and photo editing, and spread the #OaklandLove.
=&4=&: Running for a Better Oakland is hosting a fun run on August 4, followed by an East Bay Beer Runners after-party. Check out the details on Facebook and register for the run here to support RBO. Spots for the fun run are limited so register soon!
=&5=&: Register soon for the North Face Endurance Challenge Series at Kettle Moraine State Park in Wisconsin. You can run 50 miles, 50 kilometers, a marathon, or team up with a few other folks to run a marathon relay. Here’s a Google doc to start coordinating relay and race interests, travel, and other stuff.
Some goofy. Some #nosmilegang. Some stripped. Luana brought a mini Port of Oakland Crane. Ricky brought his dog Haven. Rebecca stole some branches from a nearby oak tree. The theme was #OaklandLove. And we ran with it, and you ran with it, and you loved it and we love you. #OaklandLove, full circle.
(Photos will go live next week, be patient.)
We said it once, and we’ll say it a million times: a huge thank you to Shing. He shot our yearbook photos today, helped us with our day 1 workout, and we are endlessly grateful to him and his camera.
We also ran with the workout. We know it’s a good workout when lots of people tell us at the end (or before the end) that it kicked their ass. So to our loyal, badass tribe members: expect to do that full-body ladder again.
(And doing the ass-kicking with a smile and high-five.)
ANNOUNCEMENTS
PR Wednesday: Next Wednesday is the last Wednesday of the month, so get ready to crush your PR. Remember to meet at Cleveland Cascade instead of our normal spot by the boathouse. Spread the word.
Oaktown Half VIP Party: Oaktown Half is hosting running/beers/snacks at Road Runner Sports in Berkeley. They’ll be raffling off some gear and offering discounts on apparel. Details here. And don’t forget to register asap for the Oaktown half, prices go up tomorrow. Use the discount code NPOAK for $10 off.
RBO: Running for a Better Oakland is hosting a fun run on August 4, followed by an East Bay Beer Runners after-party. Check out the details on Facebook and register for the run here to support RBO. Spots for the fun run are limited so register soon!
SUMMIT: Register soon for the North Face Endurance Challenge Series at Kettle Moraine State Park in Wisconsin. You can run 50 miles, 50 kilometers, a marathon, or team up with a few other folks to run a marathon relay. Here’s a google docs to start coordinating relay and race interests, travel, and other stuff.