Free Fitness Movement. All you need to do is show up!
News from Orlando, FL: The theme park capital of the world! Find us every Wednesday at 629am at Harbor Park by Lake Baldwin, and connect with us via Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
We head south today as we continue to celebrate AANHPI month where we’ll find Vincent (he/him), community member at NP Orlando.
Who are some of the Asian, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander athletes in the world of running/sport that you look up to?
During my college years, there weren’t as many Asian Americans involved in professional sports, but I enjoyed following my contemporaries Michael Chang (tennis) and Kristi Yamaguchi (figure skating).
While this is an unfortunate decision, we believe that under the existing circumstances and the tight timeline we’re working with, it is the right decision. The applicants have been informed of the details and understand the reasoning.
Going forward, the committee will review the tactics and the learnings and will outline the fundraising plan for 2023. The tax-deductible donations received this year will be rolled into the following year’s budget.
On behalf of the NP Summit Travel Assistance Committee, thank you for your understanding and support.
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A first stab at making NPSUMMIT more accessible. Looking for that sign to attend Summit? This is it.
You’ve seen the posts. You’ve heard about the hype. What IS November Project Summit?
Each year, NPers around the world gather for a short but intense weekend of racing, cheering, and connecting with one another. (Racing optional)
As fun as it is, as lively as it is, as FOMO-inducing as it is, we know that for some, it’s just not a feasible expense. So, this year we are trying something out. And if it goes well, we’d like to do it again next year. Maybe even bigger?
This year, we are fundraising an NPSUMMIT Travel Grant for up to 3 people from across the globe to attend NPSUMMIT 10 in Philadelphia, September 16-18, 2022 (up to a $1500 value). *We will be making travel and hotel arrangements for recipients.
Here are the deets:
Guess who’s back, back again? NP’s back… Tell a friend!
It’s been a long 14 weeks without the usual sunrises, smiles, and squat jumps together in our playground by the lake, and although the world looks very different in so many ways, there is still a lot to digest, reflect, and unpack about our time apart. To be honest, we’ve missed you. The virtual workouts and zoom meetups can only do so much, and now our fitness community is slowly coming back to life.
Personal Contact
I’m sure that many of you are longing for the days where you’ll be able to embrace your friends with a tight hug, high-five, or a fist bump. Unfortunately, there are still many uncertainties that are surrounding COVID-19 so until further notice, please make sure to refrain from engaging in physical contact with your fellow members before, during, and after the workout. Consequently, all workouts will be designed to follow this directive (no partner exercises, close encounters, etc.)
The Bounce
This is another NP staple that will have to take a back seat for a foreseeable future as having people in a tight space chanting and engaging in call-and-response is something that we don’t deem safe under the circumstances. We know that for some of you, the bounce is a great way to get into the mindset of the workout and we’re encouraging Co-leaders to come up with different creative ways to engage in introductions that will get you fired up to get going.
Wearing Masks
For those choosing to wear masks or a face covering while working out, we encourage you to participate at the level that is comfortable for you but please be aware that the mask can increase the workload and cause unnecessary strain on your body. If you are feeling light-headed, dizzy, or short of breath, please find a safe place to take a seated rest, slow your breathing, and hydrate. As always, locate a Co-leader and call your local emergency number if you are in need of medical attention.
Waivers
Before starting the workout, all members (new and old) will have to sign an online waiver that can be found by visiting this link or in the website top navigation as well as the footer, in the link named “Waiver”. Participation in November Project workout will not be allowed without a signed waiver.
Have Fun!
We understand that some of these things may not feel like the days of “old” November Project, but the beauty of this community is its willingness to adapt to the circumstances and make the best out of the situation in service of the greater good. We appreciate your help in making the re-opening of NP as seamless as possible.
When I moved to Central Florida a year-and-a-half ago, I had two goals in mind: 1. Rock my new job and 2. Make friends. As a TV reporter and anchor, my job takes me around the country for short contract stints, and it can be hard to find “my people” in a new place. Plus, Florida was the farthest I’d ever been from home.
At my first November Project workout, I was greeted not with handshakes, but with hugs. That was it. I had found “my people.” For me, November Project has always been a safe space, a welcoming environment, the kind of place that makes you feel good even when you’re tired and cranky.
Since living in Florida, I felt compelled to do something new with my life but I didn’t know what. It was a friend from November Project who encouraged me to get my yoga teaching certification.
Now halfway through my 200-hour YTT (yoga teacher training) program and three days after a new half marathon PR at the New Orleans Rock N Roll (1:55:19!!!!), I led Wednesday morning’s burnout. Our awesome co-leaders, Angel and Dyani, asked me to offer yoga for everyone. A few child’s poses, cat cows, hamstring stretches, wide-legged forward folds and shoulder assists for each person (“motorcycle handlebars” is what we call it in YTT, otherwise known as “amazing massage awesomeness” to the general public), and the workout ended in more hugs and high fives as so many people thanked me for a relaxing five minutes.
I was so happy to hear “That felt so good!!” and to be able to share something so special with a community that has been so special for me.
SPONSORSHIPS
Brooks
During the media event in New York this spring, we proudly announced Brooks as exclusive footwear and apparel of November Project. Brooks has been an integral part of November Project Seattle for years and we were incredibly proud to grow this local relationship and introduce it to the global NP family. And what a ride has been so far: We helped Brooks community, run millions of miles for an incredible cause. We earned some sweet swag during the Sunrise6k. Our leaders visited Seattle and Brooks HQ during the Meeting of the Minds. And in Las Vegas, we collectively put together one of the most memorable NPSUMMIT gatherings. And if this year was a taste of the things to come, 2020 will be incredible.
Knockaround
We’ve been friends and fans of Knockaround folks for many years but 2019 marked a designation of this brand as official sunglasses of November Project. Through NP Homework and a custom NP sunglasses that launched at the Summit in Vegas, it’s safe to say that the future is bright.
52 CITIES
This year we added three new cities to November Project family. We kicked things off with the addition of the first city in France – Toulouse. A week after Toulouse, Rochester, NY, put New York State in the lead for the state with the most NP locations (5). The last city to join the NP family in 2019 was Columbus, OH, the sole representative of the Buckeye State!
NP KIDS
When November Project became a non-profit organization, one of our long-term goals was to bring free fitness to youth. This year we partnered up with an organization called Playworks that provides structured recess in schools. In conjunction with Playworks, we launched a pilot program where NP members are volunteering in select Boston area schools and engaging students in physical activity and play. The learnings from this pilot that’s currently only available in Boston, will help us devise a plan for scaling and expansion.
SCIENCE
Dr. Evan Johnson at the University of Wyoming Division of Kinesiology and Health and his team have launched a study to understand, investigate, and quantify how participation with November Project translates to physical activity habits outside of our early morning workouts. If you’ve attended at least one November Project workout within the past three months please help out with the research and fill out this survey.
MEETING OF THE MINDS
2019 gifted us the second annual Meeting Of The Minds (MOM), a gathering of nearly all 120+ co-leaders from 52 NP cities around the globe. For 4 days in August, these co-leaders descended upon Seattle to discuss the future of NP, brainstorm new ideas for their workouts, build personal relationships with one another, connect with our new partner, Brooks, and tirelessly discuss how we can improve, as both leaders in our community and a global organization. Here are a few highlights from that weekend:
A Peak Behind The Curtain
We had the pleasure of spending an entire day at the Brooks HQ, rotating from one area of the enormous building to the next, to learn about everything from product development to marketing research. The morning was kicked off with the warmest welcome from Brooks CEO, Jim Weber, and CMO, Melanie Allen, who matched the excitement level of a room full of NP co-leaders – an impressive feat in itself. Earlier that morning, before the sun had risen, we were given the incredible opportunity run alongside Des Linden, 2 time Olympian and 2018 Boston Marathon champion. So you could say it was amazing the roof of Brooks HQ didn’t blow off with the cheers from the leaders after such an amazing way to start our day. To read more about the experience from the leader perspective, give this recap a read: https://november-project.com/npsf-mom-aka-leader-summit-recap/
Community Agreements
This year at MOM we were lucky enough to engage in a deeper discussion with D.A. Dirks and Soumya Palreddy, two experts in their respective fields in building more inclusive spaces through improved language and intentions. The co-leaders participated in activities which fully embraced our true identities, and revealed how we perceive ourselves and others. The exercises gave leaders a chance to dissect their daily patterns and language, finding new ways to invite people in without subconsciously excluding others. At the end of the day, we assembled into small groups to create the November Project Community Agreements; a list of understood agreements that all co-leaders and members are expected to follow if they would like to participate in November Project workouts. They are agreements that we have been quietly following for years, but have never had the chance to put down onto paper. That list has been brainstormed, edited, brainstormed, and edited multiple times and the final result is available here.
EDMONTON HITS 1000 WORKOUTS
Why is this a highlight when Boston and San Francisco hit 1000 workouts before them? Because while there have been leadership changes in both of those cities, the same two leaders, Jen Ference and Nadim Chin, have been at the helm of November Project Edmonton for all 1000 workouts. Yes, they have had co-leaders, including co-founder of NP Edmonton, Andrew Ference, and current co-leader, Rob McDougall, but Jen and Nadim have been at (nearly) every single workout for 1000 straight. Known as one of the more badass winter cities in the NP Universe, the willingness and ability to pull themselves out of their warm beds to go run around in -30 degree weather 3 mornings a week is mind-boggling.
NOVEMBER PROJECT SUMMIT, LAS VEGAS
The 8th Annual gathering known as #NPSUMMIT was hosted this year in Las Vegas, which was wacky for many reasons and gave us many firsts. The Rock N’ Roll race series filled both Saturday and Sunday night with races from 5K to 26.2M. Live music along the course, under the glowing lights of Vegas, it was perfect/odd, unlike the trail scene we’d become used to. But getting our summit celebration to a road race had more than a few upsides. First off,
Team Hoyt SD
November Project is teaming up with Dr. Evan Johnson at the University of Wyoming Division of Kinesiology and Health to understand, investigate, and quantify how this free fitness movement translates to physical activity habits outside of our early morning workouts. Specifically, we’d like to measure NP participants’ feelings of fitness independence both within NP workouts and within your own workouts. We are looking for people who have attended at least one November Project workout within the past three months. This study will be conducted through online questionnaires and an optional phone interview, requiring a total of 25 to 60 minutes of your time. You can take the first step by clicking on this link. We (including the researchers) appreciate your time and can’t wait to share what you tell us!
If you have questions about your rights as a research subject, please contact the University of Wyoming Institutional Review Board Administrator at 307-766-5320.
As my counterpart Dyani made her way up to the Pacific Northwest a little early this week, this fearless crew powered through today’s workout under my watchful eye in quick, successive rounds of #rockpaperscissors. Each new partnership resulted in a penalty of burpees, pistol squats, or inchworm pushups for as long as it took the victor to run a lap out to Jake Street and back.
Even though 3 out of the 4 teams had to make a fresh start, every team managed to make it to the high-fiving finale and victory lap at least once. Not one single person who showed up was Sorry that they went through the Trouble of getting up a little early for some fun and games in the community that we all love! Congrats on winning your Wednesday morning, once again.
Love,
Dyani
Reminders:
Congrats to Haile P. And Dave G. who participated in our Sunrise 6k and both picked up some new kicks, courtesy of Brooks!
When all 51 branches of November Project worldwide decided to band together to hold the annual Sunrise 6k event during the same glorious week in July, we knew that it would be a true test of our #weatherproof-ness to throw down 3.7ish miles in the height of summer and the perfect chance to show the world what we’re made of.