Tag: Washington DC

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NP SUMMIT journal — reflections from a November Project kinda weekend in The Vegas

A large group photo after a Kesha concert.
Just a small NP picture after a Kesha concert in Vegas.

What happens in Vegas … will not stay in Vegas — at least not in the NP world. Last weekend, a fearless group from DC joined hundreds of others decked out in grassroots gear representing 52 cities from around the world at the 7th annual November Project SUMMIT. To say this was a different kind of Vegas trip would be an understatement. Sure, there were pools and perhaps some gambling, but mostly there was a lot of running, hugging, high-fiving and community. We asked those who made the trip to sum it up succinctly or with a favorite memory, and to send us a picture. Here goes. read more

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CHEERs to the 2019 Marine Corps Marathon (DC)

A group of 12-15 people crowd together with signs and cheer on runners.
2018 MCM cheer station in all its glory.

Dear reader,
Sunday, October 27, has been marked on your calendar for the better part of a year. You’ve put in the hours. You’ve put in the training. And now it’s finally here — you’re ready to hold a sign, shake a cowbell, and scream for runners at the 2019 Marine Corps Marathon.

Congrats on making it to this point.  read more

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A Real Treat: The Custard Chase (DC)

A young woman eats from a Shake Shack cup during the 2019 Custard Chase race

This past Sunday, August 18, was an epic feat of athleticism, strength, and gastrointestinal fortitude. The first ever Custard Chase, a follow-up to last summer’s Taco Mile, went down at Banneker Rec Center. Bolstered by our community ties (and excellent planning from our very own Noelle Ellerson Ng), we welcomed hundreds of runners for the event. First, a sincere thanks to Shake Shack for providing the delicious custard, Pacers Running for the race clock, and the DC Department of Parks and Rec for the AV system and the space — we couldn’t have done it without y’all. read more

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Welcome to my Greathouse: Meet Maddie! (DCA)

Maddie runs the stairs at the Lincoln Memorial, where NP works out on Wednesdays
Maddie crushing stairs at Lincoln, where you can find her every Wednesday.

I can’t remember the last workout Maddie Greathouse missed. Either my memory’s poor (possible!) or Maddie doesn’t not just show up. While A+ attendance is in no way a requirement for receiving the Positivity Award, it certainly doesn’t hurt and it’s one of myriad reasons we handed it to Maddie last week. Now, get to know her. You can say hi, too, at Wednesday’s workout. I’m just gonna go ahead and #verbal for her for both 5:25 & 6:20. read more

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Be the Spark: Kim Garrard Stemple’s legacy lives on

Kim and Tamara hug it out during the Marine Corps Marathon
Kim and Tamara hug it out during the Marine Corps Marathon

It would be impossible to measure the impact Kim Garrard Stemple has had on so many lives both within and outside of November Project.

Kim, or “The Queen of Grit and Grace,” or simply “Mom,” or [insert inspirational name for any group of humans she has inspired], would hate this blog. After all, we’re writing about her and not about others. Of the thousands of people within this incredible, goosebumps-inducing NP community, Kim is right up there at the top of a very long “selfless” list. She ran to inspire others. And she started her charity to lift people up when they needed it most. She smiled and loved so often, she touched all around her in the most beautiful way imaginable. read more

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Guest Blog: The Rankins (DC)

If you’ve been to a workout, you’ve probably seen the Rankin kids. Running around, making friends, smiling, ALWAYS doing the right thing. It’s a little maddening. We asked these stoic heroes to jot down a guest blog on the topic of their choosing. So without further ado, I’ll let Mark and Zoë take it away…

Mark and Zoë Rankin here guest-blogging this week!

Before November Project was even an idea, the Rankins had committed to showing up and respecting the verbal (hugging strangers came much, much later). If there’s one thing our family loves, it’s following through on something crazy we said we would do, that other people might even think is a little stupid. So when NP finally came around, the whole family fit right in.
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Meet Sally, a professional baker and a positively great human (DCA)

Today we present the newest recipient of the Positivity Award, Sally Roach! What amazes us about Sally is her thoughtfulness around helping the NPDC community. When we announced that we would be celebrating our fifth birthday last fall, Sally — an incredible baker at The Hamilton — immediately reached out, unsolicited, and offered to bake us a cake for the birthday. There were A LOT of people at that event; we didn’t finish the cake until the end. That was one BIG CAKE. And then when we had Show & Tell at REI last month, Sally baked hundreds of cookies to help keep folks warm and content during the outdoor event. Those gestures, totally unnecessary but greatly appreciated, plus Sally’s constant good energy and exuberance at workouts are why she received the PA. OK, I’ve written long already. Get to know Sally below and find her at a workout! read more

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Positively Phil — meet our newest Positivity Award recipient

We say this often, but it really is true — when we give out the Positivity Award, it’s usually overdue. Such is the case for the newest PA recipient, Phil, who commutes from Annapolis for every workout. Phil is a family man, an embodiment of the community that he runs and smiles with, and an all-out great person. He personifies how NP truly brings together people from different backgrounds, different stages of life, and different physical places! OK, I’ll let Phil speak now. If you haven’t yet gotten to know him, I hope this helps — and introduce yourself at the next workout, too! read more