Michael T is part of the bedrock of November Project DC. His commitment through every season is admirable, his friendliness is universal, and he is absolutely deserving of the Positivity Award! Most recently, he served the community as co-coordinator of the Spring Fridays where he and Alex Spigelman co-lead a series of community-run Fridays throughout the Washington D.C. Here he tells his rich, rich history with the community and why he keeps on coming back!
Give us your running backstory. How’d you get involved with running?
It started with NPDC! Although I had never been a runner, at NPDC workouts I would run segments – Indiana Jones runs up 15th Street, the stairs at Lincoln Memorial, various sprint zones … Then I realized that I could link these segments together. I ran A 5K with my daughter in 2015 (Hills of Milltown In Old Ellicott City), and since then ran several 5-Milers, 10-Milers, and half marathons. The best races have been those that I ran alongside my wife, Sara, like the 2019 Cherry Blossom 10-Miler, the 2021 Parks Half Marathon, and the Celtic Solstice runs (in Baltimore) most Decembers.
When did you first come to November Project, and what do you remember about your first workout?
A friend at my gym told me he had just been to an NP workout in Georgetown, and how it had so much energy. I attended my first workout on November 7, 2014. The ice-breaker activity was telling the person next to you something unique about yourself; which was fun. I started attending workouts regularly in 2015, and they had a unique sense of community, energy, and a grass roots feel.
I live in the suburbs with my wife, Sara, and our three kids (actually one is at college), commuting from Maryland into the city before morning rush hour — so the early morning workout time of NPDC works well for me (commute + NPDC and related biking/running + coffee, and still at my desk early).
Beyond the community work-outs, there are so many great spin-off groups and activities, much discussed on Discord. Among those I’ve taken part of are the 100-mile bike ride to Purcellville, and a group bounce before the Cherry Blossom 10-miler:
What motivates you to keep you coming back?
Community, making use of our local parks, accountability.
On days when I’m not commuting into the city, my go-to workout is November Project WWW – which I’ve also done while covering NPDC coat check (gear watch)!
What does winning the Positivity Award mean and represent to you?
It’s an honor! The Positivity Award is one of many NPDC traditions that foster a sense of community. Others include the group photos, welcoming first-timers, and celebrating birthdays (boom!), NP-versaries, and yearbook photos.
NPDC re-enforces a culture of positivity, so I value that and try to carry that through in other settings as well.
Describe for us your favorite November Project moment to date.
Can’t give just one example, so here are a few:
- Helping NPDC colleagues move from one home to another. We stumbled across a TV news crew that happened to be in the area – the resulting news coverage is here.
- Co-leading my first workout in summer 2022:
- Kelly O’Hara’s (professional soccer player) visit to NPDC in 2019:
- Mary Bowser showing up to a workout in Langdon (Chuck Brown) Park, in 2017:
- Co-leading the 2023 “Spring Fridays” series
- Every bike pool to a workout (some with a twist, e.g. the 2019 “flat tire” bike pool to a workout in SE)
- Co-leading a holiday-themed working for NPNYC (during the lock-down period) together with Sara:
- All workouts in honor of Cherry Blossom season
What’s one thing the NP community has led you to do that you wouldn’t have done otherwise?
I love the #weatherproof mantra. Some of the most memorable, challenging workouts are those that take place in the rain, snow, and even DC’s summer heat. A weatherproof approach has also led me to bike for parts of my commute (mostly without regard to weather), lowering my carbon footprint.
Another great NPDC mantra is, “part of the workout is getting to the workout” – the run-pool, bike-pool routine is a further way to build community. I usually incorporate some sort of biking or running to get to or from workouts.
And, getting to know different parts of the city! Friday workouts generally alternate locations. There are so many parks, alleys, and neighborhoods that I learned about only because of NPDC.
Anything else to share?
A huge thank you to NPDC co-leaders, present and past, for their leadership, dedication, and time to make NPDC a success.
