Our next story in the big series, celebrating 10 years of November Project Canada comes from a recent positivity award winner and a family of community members. We’ll see everyone at Walterdale hill on Friday where you might just catch Eric bounding up the hill with his long hair (pretty it gives him a speed boost). Great work dressing up and participating in this year’s yearbook photo shoot who knew the 80s were so great! Keep being awesome – Rob.
I started going to November Project, not because my brother had invited me countless times, just to be told he is crazy and who in their right mind would wake up at such a forsaken time just to work out?! And not because I was looking to fill my day at such a ridiculously early time. But because I was invited to go backcountry snowboarding with a group of people I revered, and after reflecting on my endurance (or lack thereof!), I feared being the guy that was lagging behind and everyone had to wait for.
I decided I needed to do something different. Different from what I had been doing. Working out after my carpentry job wasn’t panning out with my energy spent and with just me to rally myself on. So why not try this thing, this November Project. After all, it’s just for November, right? 😉
Well I #justshowup. After asking my brother where to go, and making sure he would be there,because who knows what these crazy people are like.I mean, they work out at 6am! What other kinds of nutty things are they up to?
Well it turns out I built up my strength, I built up my endurance, I went on a backcountry snowboarding trip and had energy to spare. And can you believe ,I started showing up for work not just on time but even early. I was getting to bed earlier and being more organized just because I needed to be in order to pull off this feat of getting enough sleep, having everything I need for work, and making it out of the house in time for “the bounce”. Ok… I still am chronically late for the bounce But being late for the bounce made me on time for everything else that followed. Just because I was awake and already in the city feeling alive.
These are not the only benefits I experienced. My mental health has benefited, I’m more resilient, I challenge myself to talk to new people that is scary. But turns out these nuts aren’t that scary. They are actually pretty cool! I like seeing them, and miss them when I am gone. I ran 6 km without stopping. I don’t think I have ever done that before, or at least if I did i didn’t know but now i do. Hey! I can do hard things it turns out. I was actually asked to be a back up runner for the Sinister race. I didn’t do it but, hey I was asked. Who knew?
And just a few weeks ago I was presented with the positivity award. For being positive?, I guess. That is pretty neat. It has been riding around with me back and forth to work and wherever I go. It has reminded me in times of discouragement and frustration that, hey you have this within you here is the proof. You can be positive!
I now am constantly inviting my friends and family to join me in the mornings for a workout, and maybe a slip and slide, and am getting the “are you nuts?” And sometimes it happens that they join me. Like on the November Project Canada 10th birthday I was doing the bear walk with my sister, 8 year old nephew, and 6 year old niece riding on my back. And they were pretty stoked to be a part of such a fun thing with fun people in a fun new place. I’m sure the balloons and donuts they took home helped too.
Last year I decided to show up the extra half hour early to see what all the hype is about with the 96er/grissle challenge. Pushing myself to the point of total exhaustion just to be a few stairs short of finishing the 96er. Taking breaks to catch my breath caught up to me as time ran out. Well this year rolled around with the stairs at commonwealth and I was beggining to think I could attempt it again. On the last 96er challenge day of the summer I #justshowedup not all that confident but willing to give it my best. Half way down the second side of the lower bowl I thought I might die. Then I ran into my NP friend Chris-Anne who was cheering us all on. Probably noticing I was on the cusp of going to finish or not she put on the heat cheering me on and also not allowing me to take my time or take any breaks. I kept going. And going. And going. With her encouragement and a couple other friends we picked up on the way who decided to pace me. The end was beginning to come in sight. By this time I had thought to myself back and forth many times “I won’t make it” and “impossible? no I’m possible!” Recalling the cheer we did at “the bounce” just before starting. Now I was starting to think could it be? Will I make it in time? Getting closer to the end with the clock ticking hearing the crowd that had gathered starting to cheer me on as well I had to do it now. With just seconds to go I conjured up one last push. Which I learned I could do when my other NP friend Balkar raced me to the finish at the end of a sunrise 6k the previous year. With no time to spare I skipped down the last set of stairs landing at the bottom just as Rob yelled out across the stadium TIME!
All this to say, I don’t always want to wake up so early and climb stairs till my shirt is soaked through with sweat but you never know what joys will be unless you #justshowup.
