Free Fitness Movement. All you need to do is show up!
Happy Global Running Day! It’s been a jam packed week of fun run times in the Nation’s Capital (and it’s not over, if you’re attending the event tonight with OCRC & M2M). Congratulations again to everybody who raced on the weekend, and congrats to everyone for showing up this morning, despite the uncertain forecast, for our first Sunrise 6K of 2022! We may not have seen the Sunrise, but your smiling faces sure bring light up a gloomy morning.
This morning we learned a new Korean game, while working out to some awesome K Pop tunes, thanks to Gloria’s creative inspiration! I was listening to the playlist all last night, as you may have guessed from our Dynamite bounce this morning. If you want to have a second listen, uninterrupted by burpees, check it out here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2QfbYbX76jM2piYxWEV8it?si=4a82ad846f32459f I am confident you’ll be dancing around your kitchen when you do!
What a great Wednesday morning! The sun was shining, the wind calmed down from last night so our game cards were safe, and the slight chill to the air quickly disappeared once we got our bodies moving.
Twenty Eight cards were laid out on the ground this morning – or 14 matching pairs – exercise side facing down. It was interesting to observe the game play as strategies started to shape up. Funnily enough, everybody remembered exactly where the Burpee cards were once they were uncovered, but for Glute Bridges I think we had to try three times before the correct match was made. Coincidence or Burpee Avoidance Strategy….you be the judge!
Five years ago yesterday November Project Ottawa had our first workout as an official “November Project” group! It was a beautiful day, not unlike today, the sun was shining, and a group of happy soles came together for 31 mins of free fitness. It wasn’t all that different from the week before it, except now we had three things – a new name (previously we were known as Work It YOW), the official November Project stencils to tag our shirts with, and the Positivity Award. Today, it was my honour to present the PA to Barbara who has been part of our community for several years now, and who always brings an open mind and open heart to all that she does. She did a wonderful job leading us in a fun and creative birthday party workout this morning!
Scrolling through social media after this morning’s workout, it warmed my Star Wars loving heart to see that many other NP cities also took advantage of May the Fourth landing on a Wednesday this year. My feed was filled with themed workouts, puns, movie quotes, and a few costumes from cities far, far away.
Oh hey there friends, it’s me again
The one who speaks in rhyme
Apologies for the long hiatus
But I simply haven’t had the time
With the arrival of the tiny human
Perhaps NP YOW’s youngest member
I’m lucky if brushing my teeth
Is a task that I remember
But we heard today was a big event,
The one we call “PR”
The day when we see just how high
We can really set that bar
Happy National Banana Day!
A few years ago a Canadian grocery store called No Frills penned a love note to one of the world’s favourite fruits, the Banana. They cleverly nicknamed Bananas as “the Portable Fruit”, and though Jimmy Fallon may think otherwise, we can think of no other fruit we would rather share with you on a Wednesday morning!
A couple of weeks ago I blogged about several recent “Firsts” for NP YOW (a new location, a new baby, etc). We added to that list today, with Benhur’s first time guest leading! Benhur has been an enthusiastic member for many months now, and quietly leads by example every time he shows up. I was very grateful when he jumped at the opportunity to step up, and into the middle of our circle as Guest Co-Leader today! From crabs to silverbacks, and from ducks to tigers, we covered quite a spectrum of the animal kingdom this morning.
Yes, we’ve said it once or twice before in the last 365 days…but PR Day is BACK…Again!
Whether PR Day is your favourite or your least favourite workout of the month, it is a staple at November Project across the globe. For some it’s an opportunity to race against their peers, for others it’s a chance to beat their previous best (do you remember your previous best?? If you want to track it, you can do so on our spreadsheet ). PR Day can be 31 mins spent catching up with a friend, or chatting with a new friend, or meeting a Traverbaler (Hi Linda!). It can even be a day to do your own thing and focus on your core if your legs need some rest and recovery. PR Day is for Everyone, whether your goal is a PR in hills, in reps, or in fun!
Did you know that today is “World Meteorological Day”? If you made it in time for this morning’s bounce at the Canadian Museum of History you do! And fittingly, this morning upon checking the temperature before leaving the house I spotted that Meteorological Services of Canada had issued a “Special Weather Statement”, warning of: rain, freezing rain, and a possible mix of snow and ice pellets. For those reading this Blog from outside of the Ottawa area, this time of year is often referred to as “False Spring”, because truly, any type of weather is possible, even within just one day. It always makes me think of the Crowded House song, Four Seasons in One Day…I’m definitely dating myself with that one lol