SeaWheeze Weekend aka Summit 5.1.5, you never fail to disappoint. We had at least 250+ November Project tribes-people representing their grassroots gear all around our beautiful city, and it was AWESOME! Our friday morning pop-up was bigger and better than ever! BG showed up reppin’ a Canucks jersey, and that was AWESOME! We had newbies out for their first NP workout; new friendships made; old ones rekindled. The Crate Escape took us on a walking tour of historic Gastown as trivia points were made and stories of “Your Game Changing Moment” were shared. And that was AWESOME! Saturday was RACE DAY – the energy was fantastic and pure and again so much NP representation, it was so great to see on the course and at the best aid station. The social event before the Sunset Fest and Goldie’s yoga, brought about 60 people together which was great to really have time to sit and talk and get to know others from different tribes. All in all, the weekend was AWESOME!
Photo Cred – Thai Truong
Today’s blog came to us somewhat out of the blue as it was an early morning conversation a while back; however, the sentiment is so goooooooood…
“It’s November Project Wednesday – 6.44 pm. I’ve been up since 5:30 am. Today’s workout was particularly brutal. Verner had us doing the “Yoke.” You team up and each person runs down one side of the hill and then back up. Technically, you meet in the middle at the top and stop and drop and do push-ups. I say technically because you meet where you meet so if there is a faster person on your two person team, that fast person might make it to the top and back down to meet you as you slog your way up the hill. That is where you stop and drop to do your push-ups (or mountain climbers – gee thanks Verner – you gave us a choice!).
“It’s a race!” he gleefully shouted.
Great, I thought to myself. I had been up till midnight the night before…biking home from West Van where I had met my friend for my annual “bike to her house up the hill, swim, drink, go to music fest and bike home day.” (Note this is an annual occurrence. I’m not a super fit person. I’ve been getting more fit with NP but when I joined last year I hadn’t run in years.) So I was secretly thinking to myself that I would just go and be slow when I woke up Wednesday morning.
I had a foreshadowing that was not to be however when I realized Richard, aka Daddy Rich, was off on holidays. Mel – our other fearless co-leader had drafted in Kyle and Verner (both of whom like to eat hills for breakfast) to be our guest leaders this morning.
“Team up everybody.” Verner yelled. I didn’t want to. I walked slowly to the start and was still my single self. Maybe no one would notice.
But there was another single person still looking for a running mate. Iris was new – it was her first time to NP in Vancouver. I had just met her when we were gathering before the bounce. Please be slow, I thought to myself. Please oh please of please let the new person be slow.
Iris was not slow. And Iris did not get tired. Iris was an exercise robot.
Well, I couldn’t let Iris think that seasoned NPers (I’ve been there an entire year! Do I get to call myself seasoned yet?) are wusses so I had to keep going and going. Every time I looked over across the hill, there she was going up steadily the other side. Argh. I had to keep going.
I think today was the hardest NP workout I have ever been to. It was hot and muggy and the air was full of smoke from the forest fires in the interior and I was really tired. And there was Iris. She was awesome and amazing and she pushed me and I felt great (and very sweaty). I didn’t get to tell her that before she left but I hope she comes back next week.
I biked home (down a hill) and the endorphins were hitting hard.
My work day was amazing. Was it the morning start? FUCK YEAH!!!!
I’ve now had my daily rum and coke (I know – not very healthy – but it tastes so good – and packs so much punch on Wednesday evening) and I’m sitting down to write this post that has been percolating in my head since Mel put out the call (I think) a few months ago.
So I’m probably going to regret this.
Yah – I’m an introvert. I’m totally going to regret this.
I’m going to compare November Project to Online Dating
Why would I do that?
Because they are my two most recent hobbies and November Project wins hands down and takes way less time and energy (did you read the part where we had to run up a hill – yah – NP takes less energy than online dating) and is way way way more rewarding.
So…
Online dating: You search around on the internet for someone to meet up with that you share common values with la la la to do something fun with. Physical exercise may be involved 😉
Takes days. You send a message to someone (OK ten people – as my friend said it’s a numbers game) that piques your interest. You don’t get a reply. But then two people message you Friday at 4 pm. Being desperate and against your better judgment, you message back. You decide to forgo the one from the guy with the online name “Cub for Cougar” and go with “Hi Beautiful.” You reply…”.uh hi!” You spend the weekend messaging back and forth and when you finally nail down “hi beautiful.” for a coffee date something comes up and they bail.
In between bouts of messaging, you run screaming from the house, hop on your bike and pedal like mad to escape obsessing about online dating.
When you finally manage to meet someone and go for a ride (bike ride people!) it lasts a few weeks before you realize that you weren’t in it for the same reasons so you go back to the net and your bike.
And repeat. Repeat. Repeat. REPEAT.
So by the end of last summer, I was starting to feel pretty fit.
That’s when I met Cherelle and Christina when out for dinner with our mutual friend Martina to discuss online dating and its related perils (ok – there were brief moments of fun).
I was telling them about my inadvertent get fit program that had resulted from online dating and they told me about NP. Free? I thought. Hmm. I’m an accountant. Free appeals to me. It happened to be the next day and so I agreed I would show up. It’s pretty darn early though. 6:30 am? Yikes.
So I showed up. I’d found my new hobby. This is what it looks like:
November Project: You login to Facebook on Tuesday night to see what fun and excitement is planned for Wednesday morning.
You show up. You don’t have to spend anytime figuring out where to meet. It’s always in the same place at the same time. All year.
Other friendly and awesome people are there to cheer you on and tell you you’re doing great as you run, jump and do push ups at your own pace (ok – except today).
You head home on an endorphin high that keeps you going for days.
You begin to realize that Wednesday is your favourite day of the week.
You realize you’ve found your new hobby and it kicks ass on online dating.
You realize that you haven’t looked at your POF account in over a year and a sense of peace and calm takes over as you realize that you are now getting out there to do what you want without the drama of the online dating world.
So come on people. Don’t tell me it’s too early to get up. I thought so too. I was never an early morning exercise person until now. It’s worth it and there’s always rum and coke at 5 when you start to crash. After all, you earned it.” – Renee
So, what are you waiting for? Has the #FOMO set in yet? Are you still curious? Did our loud and amazing bounce trigger something in you while you waited in line for Lululemon merchandise? Do you want to meet AWESOME people, have an AWESOME workout, and feel AWESOME on a Wednesday?
The choice is yours… set that alarm and we will see you at 629am QE Park …
Mel
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Can we get posters made?? j/k Great post and sums up how I feel and I am really really new.
Vancouver is the balls and this tribe rules! Seawheeze was a blast but all of you made it so much better, great meeting many of you!