There is an Important blog post today regarding the culture of November Project and what we as a Movement stand for. Take a few minutes to read it, then take a few more to ponder how you feel about our “hug first” culture and how we can be more cognizant of how that affects others:
Wisconsin Notes
- The 100% FREE Southwest Collision Course is happening September 15-17. We will be carpooling to Joshua Tree on Friday night to camp as a tribe and hike Saturday morning. We’ll then meet the San Diego and Los Angeles tribes Saturday afternoon to run and mingle. IMPORTANT: YOU CAN STILL COME IF YOU DON’T WANT TO RUN. Please RSVP at the link above and add your pertinent info to this google spreadsheet.
- You are all killing the #NPlovesAZ challenge this month; clearly you’re motivated by beer. Speaking of, there will be beer at the Southwest Collision Course.
One of my favorite things in this world is the 5:45-7am block of time every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday*. Those are the mornings I get to run around like a child and witness what a Gread Damn Thing #freefitness can be. Nobody is excluded, regardless of their age/fitness level/IQ/background/pet preference/whatever.
Now, let me be frank: getting up early is hell, and my body often hurts from all of the training activities that I do. What makes it worth it is seeing the bouncing and smiling faces of those who used to think that they weren’t a runner, weren’t a morning person, or weren’t into people. They’ve bought into a great cause that just so happens to keep them active, and often opens doors to even greater things they wouldn’t have otherwise dreamt possible.
If November Project is your main means of group fitness, you may be astonished to find that not every group adheres to this credo: there are far more that aren’t quite as embracing, as affable, or as free. Most of you may think that I’m very active, and might even accuse me of being fit; but the fact is that I’m still subject to people telling me that I don’t run enough, that I’m slow on a bicycle, that they’re better than me. I log nearly everything that I do on Strava, and I’ve had comments on my weekly mileage. I’ve been left to myself on group runs. I’ve been subject to comments when I slept in, or couldn’t make a workout. You won’t be surprised to know that they’re not NP regulars.
We had an unfortunate, hopefully isolated incident occur during NP Summit 5.0, which has sparked an incredible amount of discussion among our leadership. We’ve probably even experienced our own share of drama in Phoenix, albeit on a much smaller scale. And while we try to keep our culture light and airy, the fact remains that the close human contact that we preach can come across negatively if taken advantage of. Regardless, what we are doing is legitimately changing our community for the better. I encourage you to read the blog post above, and think about both what November Project means to you and what it might mean to others. Don’t be afraid to open or engage in a dialog with others, including Jackie and me. If you are a hugger, don’t stop hugging, but try to read whether the person you are embracing is indeed accepting of your advance (I’ve been guilty of not doing this, and I SINCERELY apologize to the person I know was uncomfortable as well as those that I don’t); and if you prefer some other means of engaging with others, don’t be afraid to communicate that. Regardless, we are making and will continue to make November Project a positive voice for our city.
*Personal plug: I run a free workout that meets in Tempe every Tuesday and Thursday at 6am. It’s a smaller group of NPers that do something a little different from the November Project Monday and Wednesday workouts.
Share via socials:
