This is a reflection on Summit written by Your Dad, Roger Huffman:
November Project. What is it? What does it mean? This is a question I have been called upon to answer many times. My answer is always a little bit different. Those who have been to a workout can tell you that it is more than just a workout, even if they cannot put a finger on the reasons why. You just walk away feeling good and sometimes it is downright inexplicable. This is something Christine has dug into in these blogs week in and week out. There are many ways to try to explain this movement. It is hard to capture exactly what November Project is because I am not sure anyone truly knows. It is bigger than all of us, and it is so damn good!
After having some time to reflect on the 5ummit weekend in Boston, I cannot help but keep coming back to one thing. Change. I think about how much this movement has changed me. It has made me a better person, a more positive person, and a more outgoing person. I also think about moments where I can see it changing someone else. We are talking about the best kind of change. Not the kind of change that falls out of your pocket when you sit down at your desk. This change does not weigh you down. This change lifts you up and it makes you want to lift those around you.
I felt this change in my first November Project experience. The week before DG led the first MKE workout, I received a message on facebook from a mutual friend of ours telling me to go to this workout thing. I had no idea what it was or who DG was. I googled it and came up empty, but I figured, what is the worst that could happen? Maybe I miss out on a little sleep? So I went. I had no idea what I was getting myself into or the impact that decision would have on my life. When I showed up we bounced around to stay warm, we partnered up, we ran some hills, we high fived, and we took a group picture. That all sounds like a regular workout, right? What was different? What changed me? Well, I was grinning like an idiot all day. I could not explain why, but I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face. I just felt so good. It was amazing. I knew in that moment that this was something special, even though I could not explain why. I just felt good and I did not care to question it. It changed me. I was sold and I knew I wanted to go to these workouts and feel this feeling every week.
This same atmosphere was obviously quite prominent at 5ummit. People were experiencing the positive vibes and were changing all weekend. It is impossible to share all the moments without writing a book so I will share one of them:
I was standing at the foot of the mountain in the finish line area. I was watching runners as they finished the race. There was a lull in the action. Silence. Then a man came around the corner on his way to the line. He was rocking the 50km bib. Everything played out in slow motion in front of me. The exhaustion was written on his face. Hours and hours of pushing. Everything in his body telling him to stop and he kept pushing on. He was now just feet from the finish line. Relief. The push was finally over. The finish line area was coated with people who started roaring when he came into view. They were going nuts for this guy. We are talking full blown cheering section. His emotions turned to pure elation. I could see the crowd bring him to life. He picked up speed as he approached the line, his hands high in the air. I looked around and the finish line area was covered with people wearing bright shirts with “november project” sprayed across the chest. Everywhere I looked – grassroots gear. The man who just crossed the line – no grassroots gear. Maybe I jumped to conclusions, but to me it was clear this guy showed up to a 5ummit event by coincidence. He had trained his butt off and showed up to a race where there happened to be hundreds of November Project enthusiasts all over the place and for a moment as he crossed the finish line – he had all the feels. This is when my mind started racing and I had a ‘holy s***!’ moment. How freaking cool is all of this?! I started connecting all the dots of the entire movement. Two guys deciding they wanted to get in shape together to hold each other accountable. Some people started showing up to join them. Someone wanted to start it in a different city. People showed up. Another city – more people. Another city – even more people. This continued on. Then 5ummit – a mass of people who all traveled to share their experience with each other. Looking around – it blew me away. Every person wearing grassroots gear at that mountain on that day, cheering that guy on because they individually made the decision to just show up. All these people were changed and they were all connected because of it. So many people. I could feel something in that moment. It was powerful!
Not only is this thing built off of connections and deciding to show up, but it is in every sense of the word – good. This movement taps into this feeling of just being human. It allows you to let go of your daily stresses and responsibilities. Having real connections and real conversations with people you just met. This thing allows you to be whoever you want to be. You will be accepted. Are you out of shape?Just show up. Are you a pro runner? Just show up. New to the city? Just show up. Not sure if you want to go? Just show up. All you have to do is make that choice and your whole day or life can change because of it. That can ripple into the world around you. Your mood will be contagious to the next person and they will pass it along to the next person. This thing is changing people. I have seen it. It’s powerful! It happened to me and I know those close to me have seen the difference this movement makes. I am so thankful for it. I am surrounded by amazing people who I love because of this movement. I am not sure where I would even be without it. So, don’t be afraid of change. Change is good. Share it with someone else. They will pass it on to the next person. You can make the world a better place. Be open to change – #justshowup
Love,
Your Dad!
