Category: Orlando, FL

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.

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6 o’ one, 1/2 dozen of the other (ORL)

Springing our clocks ahead an hour this week was perfect timing for the elusive leprechauns of central Florida to come out and celebrate St. Patrick’s Day a wee bit early. We got things rolling with a magically delicious Lucky Charms relay warmup. Even though Ray was caught rainbow handed- illegally using those mitts, his team still could not overcome Team 1 who came out as the victors in this exercise. illegal use of the hands ⬆️proper form ⬆️⬇️Would they be able to keep the momentum up as we moved right in to the main competition? Teams could choose any three out of eight exercises, and complete 17 reps of each action. Then, they got to run-following a rainbow route that led them back to the main deck and directly to a pot of coins. There they drew one at random, and if it was gold, they had the luck of avoiding the 3 burpee penalty and banking that gold coin for their team. If they were just as lucky, they choose blue, purple or silver, threw it back in the pot, got to do the three burpees and start fresh from the top with another set of 3/17. Depending on your outlook, all teams could be considered winners on Wednesday. While Team Three brought home the most gold coins, thus doing the least burpees and winning chocolate, Teams One, Two and Four got to do bonus burpees and avoid the temporarily satisfying confections. No matter how many Blarney Burpees, Shamrock Shuffles, Dublin Dips or Jameson Jumping Jacks those lucky little leprechauns did, they were all eligible for a Tubthumping burnout of half burpees, planks and squats that left the lads and lasses quite knackered! So, it’s hard to name real winner, when it’s 6 o’ one and a 1/2 dozen of the other! As always, we are thrilled that you show up week after week to improve yourselves and encourage others to do the same. The shenanigans and friendly competitions that we come up with would not be possible without your participation. Now, get out there this weekend, celebrate your roots-have some corned beef, taters and Guinness-you earned it and, well, everyone’s a wee bit Irish this weekend! read more

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Skip it and reverse it (ORL)

A fast, fun partner workout was in the cards this week- and we made best use of the plaza to play a game of chance that had us adding up squat jumps, power push ups, oil rigs (a wheelbarrow-y squat and push up combo), and jumping jacks with our partners. A few skips and reverse jogs around the fountain, along with some sprints to each dock, kept our heart rates and body temps up in between card shuffles. What better way to keep us on our toes than by a random numbers of strength exercise reps? read more

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PR’s are meant for breaking (ORL)

While we hope you are always challenged with your Wednesday morning workout, we also hope you always have fun-and PR Day is no exception! Though it is a more systematic plan than we run occasionally; devoid of Bojans, bear crawls and bench jumps, we still want you to enjoy your early morning while attempting to crush those PRs! We try to keep it well regulated so you can continue to challenge yourself with a healthy dose of self competition. We designed the new course back in August, taking advantage of the gorgeous lakeside path and planning a route that would allow for maximum high fiveage. We threw in 21 burpees per full lap because, lack of stairs+we just really love those full body burners! Whether you set your PR at 2, 2.3 or 3.2 rotations, or maybe you didn’t get your full beauty rest and hated when the alarm went off (like me, getting the bright idea to soak the NP stencils in acetone just after midnight, and scraping off layers of paint with my bare hands at 2am so you could all get a fresh tag) but, you still had the drive to get up and get moving. Either way, congratulate yourself on showing up for yourself and your tribe, because fitness is always more fun with friends to encourage you along the way. Btw, I really love that our traverballers are competing not only with themselves, but also calling out others! Keep pushing yourselves, and each other-the work is worth it!

Love,

Dyani

Reminders:

Roll call for The Best Damn race this Saturday! We’ve got 20+ signed up for the 5k,10k,&half! If you are having FOMO you can still register for the half Saturday morning at the race, or you can come out and cheer on all of the other runners! (5k@10k sold out) read more

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The compass that guides you home (ORL)

The good people of November Project Orlando come from far and wide, but we all gather here on Wednesday mornings, where X marks the spot, to celebrate this free fitness movement that YOU create every single week.

Today, we welcomed Brad, Jean and Cindy from The Give Team, bright and early at 545am, for our warm up jog around the lake. They told us a little bit about their organization, and why they showed up to grind out a workout while carrying an unforgiving cinder block (named Cindy, of course) in preparation for next week’s Spartan Race in nearby Jacksonville, FL. #aroo read more

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I just show up because I love you (ORL)

It was Tuesday night, I was sitting home writing up notecards for a ‘conversation station’ that would be a part our Valentine’s themed workout, when I received a text. It said something like, ‘Hey, can we maybe do a parking garage workout tomorrow, because…rain. Some people are not sure if they can make it.’ Now, let me point out that this text came from someone who recently boarded a plane, flew 1200 miles, and showed up for a weekend of workouts in Syracuse, NY where it was sub-fucking-zero° outside.

Now, I had spent countless time in the previous days, cutting out paper hearts and writing exercises on them, and I was concerned that they might get wet and that would have dampened my plan. So, I did take that into account when tirelessly trying to plan another interactive, challenging and fun workout. I responded to that request assuring them that I had a plan that would give us a little respite from any precipitation. But emphasized that we are, in fact, #weatherproof. Wednesday morning came, along with a steady drizzle. I got up, slipped into my favorite North Face raincoat, loaded up my bike, covered up the accountability chart and anything else that might actually not stand up to the rain, and pedaled down to our meeting place to set up that romantic ‘conversation station’-complete with candles, flowers, conversation cues, and partner exercises.

At 6:29, we welcomed a couple of Ray’s new recruits, and an enthusiastic bounce in the rain ensued. “I just showed up because I love you, I just showed up because I really care.” No truer words have I yelled at all of you in the predawn hours. I don’t think any of us #justshowup because we like working out in the rain, or when it drops below 50° in the Sunshine State, or when it’s 1000% humidity before the sun rises, or when we just need another hour of sleep. I think we all show up because this shit is good. Knowing that we’ll be there for you no matter the circumstances. Knowing that, without fail, every Wednesday morning you can find positivity, encouragement, hugs and high fives, just by setting your alarm and avoiding the excuses that we all could make. All of this good stuff you can get for the bargain price of getting going a little early. I can’t think of a more beneficial deal anywhere. So know, that no matter if your single, taken, or it’s complicated, there is nothing complicated about joining your local tribe.

Besides observing everyone bonding with each other over partner curtsies and pushups, my favorite part of the morning was, for sure, seeing everyone running in the rain, proclaiming their love for one another with pitch (im)perfect renditions of the Barney song.

#angelface shared his love of hardCore burnouts with a Valentines Vsit challenge that had the group falling crazy in love with lemon squeezers, too!

Thanks, as always, for showing up to be there for yourself and your tribe, to squat, burpee and bear crawl with the fiercest of them. We hope that the love and positivity that you start your morning with carries on into your daily lives, and that you continue to spread the love to those around you. Oh, and if you’re wondering how the tribe member held up in the morning most? Well, we didn’t see Sandra on Wednesday morning-turns out she is #snowproof, but we’ll work on that #drizzleproof thing with her, fo shizzle.

Love,

Dyani

Reminders:

  • The highly anticipated buff design has been released, and we still have some available for order when they get delivered. Only $5 ea.
  • Check our FB social page for info on who’s running what races and when.
  • We are hot and heavy into our recruiting challenge! Don’t forget that for every new friend you bring-you get another chance to win some sweet gear!
  • Promo code NOVPROJECT2019 gets you and some of your favorite running buddies $100 off any Ragnar relay race.

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    Shock to the system (ORL)

    Dyani and I both know that things can sometimes get predictable in our corner of Baldwin Park. The rose colored sunrises, the sticky humidity, the burpees by the boardwalk… there’s a certain rhythm and familiarity that comes with gathering together for a workout in a confined space. An arena that that isn’t blessed with stadium stairs. A spot that isn’t surrounded by dusty hilly trails. Or a venue that’s smack dab against a national monument. read more

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    Field #Goals (ORL)

    It was nearly 100° warmer in Orlando than it was at November Project Chicago this past Wednesday, yet the people who showed up for a Sunshine State Super Bowl challenge were bundled up as if they’d be meeting by Lake Michigan instead of Lake Baldwin. We huddled up and got the blood flowing with a bounce borrowed from Friday Night Lights. ‘Clear eyes, full hearts, can’t lose’ was the mantra for the morning’s game. After a warmup that proved that, while completely badass, this tribe is far from making it to the Battle of the Pigskin.

    The group separated into two teams, and had a series of exercises to complete to earn a point for their team. A 3-burpee blitz was an occasional welcomed(?) break in the action. It is not a foreign notion to me that there are Patriots fans and there are ‘the haters’. With a majority of the tribe choosing to play for LA, and the Patriots losing several players to work obligations, #angelface and the Rams came out ahead at the end of regulation. We went into overtime with A ‘Best of You’ plank/push-up burnout. The morning ended in a dead heat with all players leaving everything on the field.

    “I just love working hard. I love being part of a team; I love working toward a common goal.” – Tom Brady

    Congrats to everyone for working as a team, accomplishing all of your Wednesday morning goals and sharing the love of NP with family, friends, colleagues and strangers.

    -Dyani

    Reminders:

  • Hold yourself accountable, and recruit a friend! Every time you show up for a Wednesday workout you get an entry for some super cool giveaways! Bring a friend and you get a bonus entry sticker!
  • Shoutout to November Project’s newest partner- Knockaround Sunglasses.
  • Promo code NOVPROJECT2019 gets you and some of your favorite running buddies $100 off any Ragnar relay race.
  • Check out our Fb social page for info on races and other extra curricular group activities.
  • Send warm wishes to your fellow #weatherproof friends up north, it’s cold. 🥶

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    Everyone Summits (ORL)

    The beginning of the year can be an uphill struggle. While we hope to make good progress toward our New Year’s Resolutions, recover from the pressures and pounds of the holidays, and enjoy nestling in the warmth of our beds every morning, we can all count on the fact that these Wednesday workouts give us the motivation and encouragement to get up, get out, and get connected. So no matter how much you want to drag your feet, seem to lose your stride, or get frustrated and give up, just know that when you’re with your tribe, #everyonesummits. No one gets left behind. read more

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    Farm Fresh Fitness (ORL)

    We believe the best kind of workout is one that is fun, challenging, interactive and, of course, free. We try to attain those qualities in every workout that we plan. It was chilly this Wednesday by the lake, but a hearty herd showed up to make the morning matter. After a possible record long bounce, everyone chose a random farm animal from the bag, and was instructed to find their kind making only their animal sounds. This fun activity had me cracking up and it set up their teams for the workout. The session consisted of Teams Sheep, Cows, Pigs, Chickens, and Horses competing to gather eggs from the coop. They first had to decide as a team how many eggs they would try to retrieve and that allowance of eggs was pre-determined by how many exercises they were to do. In order to retrieve 1 egg, each animal had to complete 10 burpees, 20 partner pushups, and 10 partner leg throws, then a long plank while the egg was retrieved by one person. If you wanted three eggs, the work was three times as hard.

    Farm life is tough.

    No one could count their chickens before they hatched, because it came down to the wire. In the end it was Team Sheep and Team Cows who came home with the most eggs, tied at 7. The teams worked hard to get all of their eggs in a basket and the interaction between old friends and new gave me a warm feeling on a cold morning. (Super cheesy, I know, but it’s true.)

    I got even warmer feelings when the tribe surprised #angelface and I with the kindest words, generous gift cards and beautiful calendars full of pictures of some of our favorite tribe memories! You guys sure are T double E double R double R double I double F double I double C C C! Thanks for showing up week after week to this inclusive group that brings fulfillment, friendship, and love, along with so many more enriching qualities to our lives and our community.

    Love,

    Dyani

    Reminders:

  • Recruitment challenge is underway. An accountability chart was presented this week, with everyone who showed up earning a sticker. You will get a sticker every *Wednesday that you show up here or #traverbal to another city. Extra stickers will be earned by bringing new recruits, working extra hard, or any other reason we see fit! In a couple of months, we will raffle off some pretty sweet swag from companies like The North Face, Jaybird , Ragnar and more!
  • We got some discounts on great races this year! NP20 will get you 20% off any race in the TNF Endurance Challenge Series and code NOVPROJECT2019 will get your team $100 off any Ragnar Race in the US!
  • Check out our Fb social page to stay up do date on all the haps with the tribe!
  • Good luck to all of our tribe headed to Syracuse this weekend for the SNOWGLOBE!

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    counting sheep (ORL)

    another fine sunrise in baldwin park means another shot at making the morning count. after pressing snooze once, you probably threw on your shoes in the dark, and managed to make your way to the lakeside to greet your weary-eyed friends. if you’re feeling ambitious, perhaps you earn some extra credit and run a loop around lake baldwin to warm up. or maybe you bring a furry friend (or two) along because it happens to be their birthday today (yay luna!). but however you begin the day, you know that working out with november project will #makeitbetter. this goes for the other 48 tribes around the world who know exactly what we’re talking about. read more