Tag: why I show up

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Just Show Up… and Show Out

This blog post is brought to you by November Project Atlanta tribe member Allison Lerer… she’s a hype lady. Always there to help out a tribe member in need, checking in with regular texts if she knows you’ve had a rough week, cheering you on at a race. Here she is!

So when I was asked to write a blog post for November Project Atlanta, it was pretty nerve-racking for me as I am not much for writing and blogging (this is my first blog). However, after my race yesterday I was inspired on a different level that I wanted to share with whoever reads this. read more

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Tribe Member Spotlight- Keith Steenlage (ATL)

**TRIBE MEMBER SPOTLIGHT**
Keith Steenlage

=&0=&: Lake Forest, Illinois

=&1=& Ponce City Market, Atlanta

=&2=&: I grew up on a farm in Wisconsin. When I was 14, my Dad suffered a serious injury in a farm accident. Faced with the prospect of losing the farm, my 16-year-old brother and I dropped out of school to take over my father’s farming responsibilities. We also both got full time jobs to supplement the farm income and support our six younger siblings.

Without an education, I didn’t have many opportunities when I turned 18. But knowing I needed to do something with my life, I applied for admission into the Diesel & Heavy Equipment Program at the local technical college. Without the required prerequisites, I was immediately rejected but I literally begged until they made an exception and let me in.

The next summer, in between the two years of diesel school, I was working at the local John Deere dealership as a mechanic. One day, several weeks before the end of summer, I was laid off without any warning because they had hired another full-time mechanic. I was devastated because I was a very good mechanic, but I knew that crying about it wasn’t going to change anything. Instead, I focused on moving forward.

A few days later someone who knew me well said, “You like history and politics, and you love to argue. You should go to law school.” At that moment law school became my new goal, even though I knew that they didn’t let junior high dropouts into college, let alone law school. I also set a goal of someday working as a lawyer for John Deere or Caterpillar, so I could put my mechanical background to good use.

Over the course of the following 12 months, I finished diesel school and completed four years of high school through correspondence courses. I then applied for admission at the University of Wisconsin-La Cross (a local university) and was once again immediately rejected because of my low admission test scores and lack of requisite high school classes. “No” wasn’t an opinion for me and my goals, so I needed to find a way to change their minds.

Several years earlier my older brother had taken the GED and was admitted on probation at the same university. Fortunately for me, he had done very well and had just been accepted for early admission into Yale Medical School. Armed with this information, I marched into the office of the same Admission Director who had rolled the dice with my older brother and begged him to take a chance on me as well.

Four years later I graduated from that university and was accepted into law school at Rutgers. Today I am an Assistant General Counsel at John Deere.

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Tribe Member Spotlight – Mike Buiocchi (ATL)

Mike Buiocchi has been part of the tribe since close to the beginning, when he heard of NP from a local run club. When Mike talks about his newfound passion for trail running, he’s being modest. He has already ran two 50ks (placing top 3 overall in both), a three-day mountain stage race and snagged a 2nd finish for a local Atl beer mile a few weeks back! Read more about this trail running dude below!

Mike Buiocchi

Age: 24

Hometown: I’m originally from Okemos, MI, but moved to ATL in February 2017 from the greater Philadelphia area. It’s only been a year but I’m loving every minute of it!

Occupation: Chemical Engineer with a specialty in adhesives and silicone coatings

Current Neighborhood in ATL: Grant Park represent! Coming soon: I’ll be moving to Midtown to start the very first NPATL house with the one and only Andreas Wolfe!

Hobbies: If it happens outdoors, it’s a safe bet I’m into it: Trail running, mountain biking, rock climbing, backpacking, beer drinking. I thrive off of good coffee and great friendships and appreciate any type of live music I can find. I tend to follow college football religiously, but the past few years my very own Michigan Wolverines have left much to be desired. There’s always next season!

Mike, the one jumping like 10 feet in the air during Bojan’s.

What was the biggest turning point in your life: My friend Matt opened my eyes to the world of trail running about a year ago and I haven’t looked back since. I’ve been road-running for as long as I can remember, but over the years it just became something that I did, not something I enjoyed. I started to lose sight of the real reason I loved running. Fast forward to 2017: I’d just moved to Atlanta where I didn’t know a single person, and one of the first friends I made was this goofy (but awesome!) dude named Matt. We went on a few trail runs and even signed up for a race together and he showed me that I could combine my love of running with my passion for the outdoors. It opened my eyes to a whole new set of adventures. These days I rarely feel more at home than when I’m running in the mountains, miles from civilization, and it has allowed me to rediscover my passion for running in ways I couldn’t have imagined. Thanks dude!

Mike and Matt, post Beer Mile..

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Guest Blog: Stevie Makes DC Wanna Shout! (DCA)

Yesterday we shouted goodbye to our favorite Ironwoman, nutritionist, Buffalonian, Stevie. You’ve probably seen Stevie running, biking, or swimming her way through Washington–or petting a dog at workouts. Stevie, the enthusiasm you brought to NP workouts, in addition to your rock-solid work ethic have been an absolute joy to be around. There’s no replacing you, and we’ll miss you dearly.

 

I’ll let Stevie take it away:

 

How do you measure, measure a year (or six)?

In bounces, in sunrises

In miles, in doggos

In sweat, in hugs

In tears, in laughs

 

I always knew that someday, these would be the good old days.

Some of you know me very well, some of you know me as that crazy girl who races a lot of Ironmans, others know me as one of those girls that loves doggos, and some of you don’t know me at all. I’m not the fastest, I’m not the strongest, and I’m not the loudest at any workout, but what’s for certain is I give one damn good hips in hug.

 

As I enter my final days as a District resident after 6 years, it has been impossible to not reflect on what an impact and impression this chapter has left on me. I’ve lost myself and found myself in this city, I’ve learned what type of person I want to be and what type of people I want to have in my life. But most importantly in my time here, the last few years in particular, I’ve learned gratitude.

I’m grateful for the friend who convinced me to #justshowup three and a half years ago (hi, Doc!). I’m grateful to have the opportunity to cross paths with humans I never would have if it weren’t for the group of crazy yahoos who started and those who helped to grow this movement into what it is today. I’m grateful for fitness, movement, and what my body can do. I’m grateful for the consistency of this tribe when everything else in my life seemed to be uncontrollably chaotic. I’m grateful for every moment, every bounce, every hug, every sunrise, and every laugh along this crazy ride.

 

I didn’t know it at the time, but I was so lost when I first showed up to Lincoln that cold November morning in 2014.  And now as I begin to take some leaps of faith to follow my passions, I’m finally feeling found. NP_DC, thanks for being you and helping me to find that courage to believe in myself again as well as helping me find that inner-weirdo that got silenced.  I’m glad you’re here.

 

Until we meet again…..DREAM BIG, HUSTLE HARD, LOVE FIERCELY, AND PET ALL THE DOGGOS.

 

Oh and hi, SEE YOU SOON NP_BUFF!

 

It’s not goodbye, it’s see ya later!! Jason, YogaSteve–take good care of this gem.

 

Much love, DC

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Tribe Member Spotlight (ATL) – Stein Esser

Stein Esser

Age: 29

Hometown: Macon, GA

Lived in Atlanta: Since 2006

Atlanta Neighborhood: Cheshire Bridge

Occupation: Health Informatics Consultant

Biggest Turning Point in my Life: Last summer, I realized I needed to change. I was at a low point mentally that affected me in pretty much every facet of my life. When you have depression, it’s kind of like living underwater where the world around you is obscured but the thoughts in your head are amplified. The way I coped with these episodes was to mentally checkout, go on autopilot, and ride it out until I was able to surface to my normal state. But, by mindlessly going through the motions too often, I really felt like I lost my sense of who I was. Even though I am very fortunate to have family, friends, and a very strange little dog here in Atlanta who have all helped me over the years (whether knowingly or unknowingly), I recognized that I needed to make more of an effort to grow and get out of my comfort zone. I wanted to be true to myself but do it in a way where I become more kind, more positive, and more available to others.

I made it my goal over the summer to experience new things and to meet as many new people as I could. It was challenging (I’m introverted AF) but it led me to November Project Atlanta (née Fitlanta Movement) at the end of the summer. My sister, Coco, told me she went to a group workout at 6:30 am where they played rock, paper, scissors and then jumped around for 45 minutes. The skeptic in me definitely gave her a WTF face but she also said it was free, my apartment’s gym was going through renovations at the time, and my exercise regimen mainly consisted of eating a bag of tortilla chips and passing out on the couch when I got home from work. I showed up in late August, got (unexpectedly) welcomed with hugs by Christian and Alexa, and then proceeded to get my ass kicked by the workout. There was a sense of camaraderie (something that I hadn’t experienced in a long time) that was evident. Needless to say, I’ve been hooked ever since.

#WhyIShowUp

November Project has become an outlet for me to push myself and more importantly to make meaningful connections with other tribe members. I genuinely value the motivation and encouragement that they provide. Hopefully, I’m able to return the favor. Through it all, I feel like I’m back on that path to self-discovery.

That’s why I show up.

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Tribe Member Spotlight (ATL) – Benjamin Nantasai

Benjamin Nantasai

Hometown: Chiang Mai – Thailand
(My family moved to Seattle, WA area when I was a late teen and I went to college in a small town called Pullman across the state at Washington State University (WSU). Right after grad school, I got a unique job position in the concrete design space with company in ATL, so they moved me to the Hotlanta right around the middle for 2016. And because I grew up in Thailand, I secretly love the heat and humidity 😅!

ATL Neighborhood: Midtown

Day Job: I’m a Civil Engineer specializing in concrete materials and structural design of concrete pavements.

Hobbies: I enjoy doing active activities like running, rock climbing, camping, biking, motorcycle riding, exploring new hiking trials, and because ATL is such a cool city with tons of free fitness classes/workout groups, I have definitely been taken advantage of those! I also like sports, music, food, and beer! So, I always make time to support my sports’ teams, hit up some concerts, try out new food at different restaurants, breweries hopping from time-to-time. Lately, I have added playing bingo on Sunday night at the American legion to my list, thanks to our friend, Liz from our very own NP-ATL for hooking me up!

Biggest turning point in my life: Moving to the US and starting fresh. It has been one hell of experience learning the new culture and foreign language. But nothing beats hanging out and goofing around with my November Project ATL family because everyone is super active and down to earth and we enjoy similar activities life style. We are a group of people that are down for whatever and whatever we ended up doing has always been a blast. I really love hanging out with this great group of supportive people even though we give each other shit from time-to-time, but hey, that’s what make us family!

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The Power of Positivity- Guest Blog by Rael Linder

One of our absolute favorite things to do at NP_NYC is pass out the Positivity Award. Being able to recognize the hard work and contribution of our Tribe always feels special. This week, we recognize Rael Linder, our Mile 14 Cheer Zone Captain and all around wonderful human. The 51,000 people who passed through our Cheer Zone at Mile 14 of the TCS New York City Marathon know EXACTLY what we are talking about. But enough from us… let’s hear from Rael herself. 

This community means the world to me. I feel like I’m a part of a fun team and a support system with buddies and neighbors. In fact, that’s how I start when I explain what NP is to a newbie or friend who asks about a workout. But it’s really so much more. It’s what helped me get over a breakup, a career change and a fractured foot from a bike accident. It’s where I feel happiest. And where I want to be. read more

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A Very Typical Day (IND)

Nothing to see here… Just a grumpier old man saying, “I’ve had it up to HERE with you; you meddling kids mind your own damn business,” and startling mild-mannered youths.

 

Waaiiiitttt a tic… I’ve got this all wrong!!! EVERYTHING to see here!

 

The “older” thing applies, but the “grumpier” definitely does not (except if we’re talking War Memorial staff). And more like “medaling” kids, amIright??!!

We had one of the most kick-ass mornings in NP Indy history! We broke all sorts of Indy records: Most dogs passing through on their way to NP Summit in Boston from Colorado at one workout; Greatest number of Handlebar employees in one place whilst not (openly) drinking or discussing pedal pub liability and workplace safety standards; Most time spent discussing neighborhood noise complaints with a former military general on 6/7/2017; Mary attending a workout; Largest gathering of Sony-Walkman-headphones-sporting jorts wearers outside Kentucky; And (notably) MOST PEOPLE EVER AT AN NP_IND WORKOUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Our very own fearless leader, Mr. Jason Shaw (LeeAnne isn’t really his middle name, BTW; the FB event invite was deceptive on this. His middle name is actually Cren but he sometimes goes by Rik. What a weirdo). Anyway, let’s quit getting distracted here; let’s stay calm and focused, e.g.:

…As I was saying, Shaw pledged a ways back (in his younger, more free-spirited days) that if we amassed 150 people at a Wednesday morning workout (both sessions combined), he’d get an NP tattoo. Well, by Jove I think we’ve done it! [Editor’s note: I, er, Colleen, at the time of my writing this hasn’t yet tallied the official count, but JShaw announced in front of 90 (or so) of his closest friends that we achieved the req’d number and more, so we totally made it.]

…

MOVING ON!

…

 

WORKOUT

  • Team up with 6 friends of relatively similar stairs-running speed.
  • Roll that die and see if you’re dealing with 7 reps of: burpees, push-ups, leg-raises, squat jumps, plank-jacks, or gold door touchies.
  • Each time you hear a short whistle, send your strongest champion to challenge a nearby team to some Rock, Paper, Scissor”’s, And, Pause, Watch, Shooooot-ish, Adjust hands, Mentally recap what beats what, Change choice, PretendShoot! Winner stays, less-winning-winner (trophies all around!) and her team run an up-n-over.
  • Repeat until we throw down a humongous HypeMAN at the end!!!

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    Was That The Sun We (Almost) Saw Today? (IND)

    042

    Was that the sun we (almost) saw this morning? What do you think? Was 6:15 tougher than 5:28? Was it different once we decided pairing hombres up works better than having them run around solo? Did we emphasize the “fire under your ass” aspect of the workout in explaining it to 6:15 so it would exhaust people? Did you #justshowup to find out the answers to these questions? Are you wondering why this whole thing is written in question form? Does your answer to the #justshowup question answer that last question? Yes…?

     

    Workout

    5:28: Run around like a chicken with your head cut off.

    6:15: Same as 5:28 for Mary and Frank. For everyone else, team relays! Pair up, form a team of 8 (was solos forming a team of 4 for 5:28), and run station to station tagging out your teammates along the way. Peters just try to fit in where you can. Stations: Gladiator pushups, [5:28 bicycles turned] windshield-wipers (if you’re SMyer, don’t ever drive when it rain’s  …), boxer burpees. Quick! Sprints between. Plank party at the end. Party? Really?

    07111

    Notes

  • It’s true. If you don’t use it, you lose it. . . (what’s he talking about?; you decide)
  • 4/22 No Coast. I think we’ve got all aboard who’s coming aboard. We’ll get details re money, time, place, etc to those folks going soon.
  • 4/29!!! Big ol’ recruiting, tagging, sign making, coaster creating, party having good time. We’ll be at Elbow Room at 11a after a solid workout prior-to. Bring anyone you see along the way! Details here.
  • We’ll see you Friday at the tire swing on the White River State Park bridge (go through the peppermint forest and across the licorice lagoon).
  • Recruit, recruit, recruit! Spring is the best, most perfect, hugest, greatest time to bring in newbies, so take advantage of that and let people know what NP is all about! Stay tuned for the recruiting contest we’ll be dropping more info about next week.
  • Serious note: Our workout, our hugs, our community we’ve built means a lot of things to a lot of people. For some it’s just a workout. For others it’s just a fun time with newfound friends. And for others still it’s a way to feel wanted, needed, helpful, or helped. Some, in fact most, of these groups overlap. What I’m trying to say is be mindful that when you give that morning hug, when you give that encouraging shout, you may be giving some, if not all, of your tribesfolks more support than you know. Regardless of what’s going on at home, at work, in your heart or in your mind, WE’RE GLAD YOU’RE HERE!

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    Spring Awakening (IND)

    HAPPY RACE DAY!!!!!!!!!!!

    Spring has [somewhat] sprung, and so has NP Indy! Dishing out (shhhhhh)irts today, we were worried we’d run out with the solid #raceday numbers that showed, which is a good problem to have. Aside from faster times, greater numbers, more than one person wearing sleeveless shirts and shorts, and less laundry, spring also provides us with a wonderful opportunity to grow our tribe. It’s the time of year where people are craving the outdoors, wanting to get moving again, and most notably looking for sweaty hugs from strangers. Fortunately, we can provide all those things.

    DSC_0164DSC_0186

    I know for a fact (personal knowledge admissible in court) our leaders are working harder than ever to make sure they bring unique, top notch, ass-kicking workouts amid an atmosphere you can’t replicate elsewhere. And we’re getting help from people like Tory Dube on the social meeds and Jaden Brown on the pics (among other tremendous helpers) to ensure we can guarantee great workouts week in and week out. Our goal is to consistently provide you guys with workouts that are obscure yet high intensity enough that NP becomes something you want to talk to others about, to encourage others to join. Shaw and I work on commission, and we also work on salary, and also hourly, and also as volunteers, all for the same rate. So for us the numbers are about making a community impact, plain and simple. I realized this past Friday evening–one of those nights where it’s sightly warm so the city’s population seems to grow 12X it’s winter size–that there are just a ridiculous amount of un-infiltrated pockets of recruitable people around Indy. I look at those numbers as an opportunity; the more of you we reach through NP, the more rewarding it is for us and the more driven we are to make this thing fucking awesome!

    But more on recruiting next week. This week it’s about celebrating another successful Race Day and dishing out shout-outs to the fantastic helping hands we have left and right and elsewhere (picturing multi-armed Hindu goddess) [ps: we readily accept help when and where we can].

    DSC_0127

    Shaw’s bounce got people so pumped they Scooby-Doo-skedaddling-from-a-ghost’ed right out of their shirts [if one person can picture where my mind’s eye is on that, I’m happy; fuck it, I’m happy regardless]

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Notes (law review article’s worth of footnote citations below; this shit’s better reading tho… much better.)

  • Thanks a TON to the paint crew today! Tom Hale and Anne Camille Jongleux woke up and showed up just to run the graffiti show; big props! Give them some ridiculous hugs next time you see ’em.
  • Jaden Brown was killing it on the pic front, as usual. He ran his race day during the little known 5:00a workout (led his own bounce, made his own announcements)  so he could take pics at both workouts and help sort shirt sizes. Thank you thank you, Jaden!
  • Friday’s workout will be at the north end of the canal (canal cul-de-sac); show up and be ready to kick some ass.
  • Tory Dube requires a shout-out in here too, without a doubt. Tory has shouldered the task of running (and majorly upping) our social media game…hence the sweet looking graphics, videos, artistic croppings, etc. Thanks so much, Tory!
  • April brings with it another Sister City Challenge between, betwixt, among, and amongst us here in Indy and our sister tribe out in San Fran! Sign up, and we’ll take care of putting you on a team (teams of 5, two min of plank/day/team member, 300 min/team total).
  • Wear those Kelsey Gergen designed shirts with pride (but keep it quiet online–says the guy writing this online blog post–so other tribes get the joy of a free gift and the disappointment of incorrect sizes too)! They look awesome! We have men’s XL and women’s S (aka XXS) left for those without; anyone have a beer-bellied husband and a newborn?
  • Props to Cara Williams Underwood for what was a Race Day PR and what’s clearly going to result in cape ceremony. She destroyed her old record by 2 min…and did so with a smile on her face. #toughstairsnocares
  • Anyone still interested in the No Coast Summit in Milwaukee April 22 needs to let us know (text, call, FB, smoke signals) by Friday. It’s going to be a ramblin’, ragin’, rowdy raucous [can I use raucous as a noun? #syntacticalerrorsnocares]!

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