Tag: Ottawa

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The power of continuous recruitment(Ottawa)

It’s easy to say you’ll show when it starts getting lighter out and it’s easy to say you’ll show up once it’s warmer. But, what continues to hold everyone back once it does get warmer out or once the sun is shining before 6:29am?

When we first began creating this community here in Ottawa we started in January. It was cold, to say it was dark would be an understatement and there was a solid four to six people showing up. The location stayed the same, the workouts continue to evolve but we always stayed in the frame of mind to keep the workouts simple, clear and challenging. When the weather began to creep up the thermometer more and more people began showing up. It helped that CBC came to feature and extend beyond the immediate circles of people that we knew. But, still sometimes you wonder why do people show up one week and not the next? Or what holds someone back from making it out at 6:29am on a bright summery morning? read more

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A Holiday Monday Workout (Ottawa)

Today is Monday, it’s Family Day. We started off the holiday Monday bright and early, 6:29am, in the darkness, a nice brisk morning, buffs required for extra wind protection. Though some people were heading off to work, those individuals were sent off with the exercise/social/positivity endorphins to take with them for the rest of the day. Others climbed out of bed extra early to maximize this Monday off, though it would have been easy this morning to roll over and snooze, feeling like it’s the only time to sleep in. Yet, out in the winds you went and just showed up to take on the deck. read more

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#community

Some would say that a community is “a group of people living in the same place or having a particular characteristic in common.” That’s actually the definition of community when researched. However, I would like to expand upon that definition and include some images to help further explain the power of community and what that looks like here in Ottawa and out in that big, big world. read more

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The moments before the bounce (Ottawa)

Every morning when we show up at a different location, I always find the couple of moments before we gather and bounce very surreal. I take a couple of deep breaths, think about what we are about to do, and the feeling of anticipation never seems to fade. There is something so special about the silhouettes coming from multiple directions, the darkness of the morning is so real (as in, it’s really really dark at that hour in the winter), but you can still see people hugging, connecting, introducing themselves, and new people being welcomed. That is what you all do to create community. It’s the simple routines, norms and culture that has developed and evolved over time that you see come into action every Wednesday morning. read more

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A morning in January (Ottawa)

Another morning in January, but different than yesterday, and different than last Wednesday. Today we ventured to the Rideau River Adàwe Crossing for 30 minutes of movement. New Wednesday, new bridge, new workout, new people! We bounced, we worked on our ability to not dominate the entire bridge for the commuters and we moved. read more

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London Bridges Falling down (Ottawa)

This title has nothing to do with the workout and everything to do with the “bounce” we did to start the morning off. We sang and played a game you may or may not have played since Junior kindergarten. Just a reminder not to take ourselves so seriously. Some how those mornings bring that kind of spirit out in us, even if weird, you know nobody is judging you for singing and laughing and enjoying the childish entertainment. We played on a bridge, ran around, worked with a team and moved our incredible bodies. read more

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So began 2020 (Ottawa)

It was another Wednesday morning, another morning at November Project. It could have been just the same as every other morning. But somehow it was more than that. Starting our day, the decade, 2020, with human connection. There may be some exceptions, but everyone I spoke to had rang in the new year just 6.5 hours prior, wherever New Years Eve plans took each person. If that is the case, likelihood is, those individuals didn’t go to sleep at 12:01. And likelihood is, nobody woke back up at 6:28 to make it in time to meet at the spider at 6:29. In and around the 3-4 hour timeframe of sleep is likely what most people got who showed up this morning. read more

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new traditions (Ottawa)

Morning. It is well past 7am by now and your fingers have surely defrosted. We were back on the lawn of the Supreme Court of Canada. High fives and hugs (mittens connecting) were being dished out in the transition area as we heard movements and reps being shared. When you reflect back on mornings like today, you can use them as a conversation starter, a pick me up or a refresher of how fortunate enough we are to workout in the greatest city of them all. How lucky are we to make the most of these shortest days of the year, by starting early and dark being surrounded by such wonderful souls? To have that extra reason to peel yourself out of bed to make those mornings brighter with some HIPS IN HUGS! (This was reviewed today, in case you missed it- hips in, eye contact, embrace. It’s important to keep the standards high and hold each other accountable. We can get lax on the quality of those hugs if we’re not careful). read more

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Counting on (Ottawa)

This mornings workout was comprised of 3 moving parts. The first, being a run down to the gate and back up the hill. The second, a burpee step up with a clap over the head and the third, a Toulouse side swivel. The intention of this workout like all other Wednesday mornings was to have members of various teams connect with one another. Whether that was by handing out some high fives along your way down to the gate, chatting as you took over the burpee step up or having a laugh with your teammate as they did their very best side swivel. You had the opportunity to push yourself and those surrounding you harder. The workouts are designed so YOU can challenge yourself in any capacity and yes we design them with the intention that you will probably run faster if you know someone has to complete copious attempted, amounts of side swivels or burpee step up and claps over the head. I’m not too sure about you, but I know that I ran faster today up that hill knowing that one of my teammates was just swivelling from left to right waiting for me to relieve them. Holding your teammates accountable by accumulating burpees as you go, collectively allows you to push just a little bit harder. If your team is at 80, are you going to meander through 14 burpees, or are you really going to push to finish 100 before you run down the hill? It’s the little things, done over and over, that make us better. read more