NOVEMBER PROJECT: STREAK WORTHY

Chicago, decorated for the Fall season. Taken by PKSenagore October 11, 2017. All rights reserved.

BREAKING THE CYCLE of winter flabbiness, inspiration for Earned Runs, potential fun getaway activity AND foundation for a streak?
 
“Part of the November Project's success is that it addresses some fundamental barriers that stop us from exercising, like weather or financial cost.”  In an article for CBC Sports, “November Project Aims to Remove Financial, Motivational Barriers to Exercise” Adam Kreek describes his experience at a December 2015 session in Victoria BC, Canada, and tells a bit of the NP creation story. This free fitness movement, he explains, was founded in 2011 in Boston by two former collegiate rowers, Bojan Mandaric and Brogan Graham, who had difficulty staying in shape during cold New England months.
 
Locations have grown to include multiple locations (I count 44), mostly cities across North America (USA, Canada) but also some in the UK (London), Europe (Amsterdam, Netherlands; Novi Sad, Serbia; Reykjavik, Iceland), and Asia (Hong Kong, Malaysia). The movement motivates and encourages “people of all ages, shapes, sizes and fitness levels to get out of their beds and get moving”.  Activities are scheduled in early mornings, many in the dark in the winter months.
 
Learning about the NP movement in 2012, (see WBUR’s CommonHealth piece) I was inspired!  I lived in a small city. Could I successfully start a tribe there? Or was it another organized fitness activity I had to pass up due to circumstance?  At that time I was struggling with how to feel part of the larger running community; yearning to participate in fun races that circumstances and finances would not allow. Eventually I came up with the concept of EarnedRuns™, which is like a micro-NP that also aims to remove the barrier of financial cost and bring people together (groups of 4 or less!) to have fun running, regardless of the size of their city.  
 
Many are now ABLE TO JOIN this “grass roots morning fitness tribe” since the movement has spread so far. To read more and FIND LOCATIONS there is a link to the website and an early article about NP beginnings.
 
“Nomad” is an NP, “one-time pop-up version of the program” that was launched in 2014, according to a Portland Press Herald item that appeared in November that year in advance of the first Nomad session there.  The purpose of pop-ups is to “scout the potential for future November Project locations.” The most recent Nomad was held in Bethlehem PA, on October 14, 2016.  It appears that Dallas TX was added as a permanent location in summer 2017.
 
If you’d like to join this early morning, big city workout experience, alongside elites and novices, check the list for the nearest or ‘destination’ location. Many hold sessions on Wednesdays only, but others schedule Monday and Friday meet-ups too.  If travel is required, a Friday morning session allows you to get the hard work done at the very beginning of a unique weekend getaway. 
 
It’s FREE; if you’re on a budget what a fun way to get to know a city and find friends. Yes, you can register for a big urban race in one of these places, but consider running with the locals at a 6:30am November Project session. The amount saved in registration fees can be donated to a local or national charity, used to buy TGIF beer in celebration with new-found buddies, or fund another Friday getaway.
?Streak the NPs!
 
RUN HAPPY!
 
http://www.cbc.ca/sports/olympics/kreekspeak/november-project-kreek-1.3362167
 http://commonhealth.wbur.org/2012/11/november-project-free-fitness
http://november-project.com/about/
http://www.pressherald.com/2014/11/27/november-project-promotes-exercise/