Many people find November Project through the internet or social media, even more find it through word of mouth or friends of friends. My intro was less typical: I read about NP in a book. Not THE November Project book (though I highly recommend reading that if you want to learn more about how this wild thing got started) or any book related to running really.
It was a book about how to build a fulfilling, connection driven life by approaching every day activities with more intention, commitment and purpose. The book covered a myriad of topics, but here’s my quick (biased) summary of the section about exercise which referenced NP: Why force yourself to go to a gym that you don’t like, that costs money you don’t want to spend, to do exercises that aren’t fun, when you could do silly workouts in the fresh air with other awesome people at the low, low price of absolutely free?
In June 2021, with the world starting to tentatively open up again after the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, what I read in the book was enough to get me to give NP a try. My first workout was Pride Month-themed at the Georgetown Waterfront where folks dressed in the colors of the rainbow. I remember an obstacle course of exercises utilizing the unique layout of the park and a cheer tunnel at the end where I found myself boisterously clapping and laughing with 50 people I’d never met.
I skipped coffee that morning and only remembered a few names of folks I’d met, but the next week I decided to show up again. And the same the week after that. And the one after that, and the next one and the next one until somehow, it’s November 2024 and November Project has truly changed my life.
I didn’t fit into the group right away and self-sabotaged efforts to make friends by turning down invitations to coffee for the first three months (pro tip: coffee is where the friendships blossom). It was actually a bit lonely during those first months; I felt like a stranger alone in a crowded party. But the workouts were free, made me feel great, and got me out of bed to watch the sunrise above the Capitol dome – a view I hope I never take for granted – so it was enough. And slowly, as my body got stronger, I started to see the same people every week (or multiple times a week) and the community connections began to flow.
Let me back up quickly. Before joining November Project, I had never run more than 4 miles in a single stretch in my life. I grew up playing sports, biking, hiking, and swimming and I loved moving my body, but if there wasn’t a soccer ball to chase after or a volleyball to return across the net, I didn’t really see the point in running. The circuit-based nature of NP workouts lowered the barrier of entry for me because I didn’t have to worry about knowing which distance I could handle or which pace group I should stick with. What I found out though, is that all those circuits, week after week, add up. Before long, I could feel the physical changes in my body as my strength and endurance increased.
In October 2021, about four months after I started attending NP workouts, I was invited by NP regular Julia Trencher to go trail running in Rock Creek Park. After working out together many Mondays in a row, she and I had struck up an easy camaraderie and once I made sure she knew I didn’t see myself as a runner, let alone a long distance runner, I agreed to join her. That first morning, we ran six miles and afterward, I was elated by the fresh air, the hard work and the new friend. In the subsequent weeks of shared long runs through the park, I learned from Julia how to slow down to go far, how to breath deep to run long and, thank goodness, how to navigate the trail system in Rock Creek Park.
In February of 2022, I ran my first half marathon — something that had been outside the realm of possibility for me just a year earlier. The conditions were tough that morning with below freezing temperatures and snow on the ground. It was a trail half on a course with 1000 feet of elevation gain which I probably wouldn’t pick as my first race if I had it to do over, but c’est la vie.
The half marathon was a good morale boost for me and redefined how I thought about what my body could do. But becoming a stronger runner is only a small piece of what I’ve gained from NP. For me, the fitness aspect of November Project is far from the most important part. More than three and a half years after my first workout, a large chunk of my closest support system and dearest friends in DC are people who I met through NP or through someone I met through NP. The power of showing up, working hard, and pushing through tough moments together is social glue that leads to deep long term connection.
For me, it’s important to show up every week because you never know who you might meet, whose day you might make, or what group escapade might unfold. Each workout is a chance for our community to show up for each other. We gather in the darkness, sleepily bleary eyed and we don’t disperse until, high on endorphins and human connection, we’re practically late for work – racing off after the workout to shower before an early meeting or lingering at coffee until the day’s responsibilities are looming too large to be ignored. It is a gift, every time. And it is something that I believe in deeply and am ready to invest in seriously.
After a year of considering taking on a co-lead role, things aligned in my life this fall to make that decision not only more feasible but quite irresistible. This community is a still point in a constantly turning city that’s often focused more on status and job titles than connection and commitment. I’m honored and a little intimidated to take on this role, but I couldn’t be more thrilled to embark on the adventure. And I trust that you, my community, will be along for the ride — showing up for me, correcting me, supporting me, and calling me in (rather than out) when I need it. See you out there at a workout soon.
What an amazing outlook at what NP means to so many of us Phoebe!