Perhaps one of my favorite things in this world is FREE
FITNESS. Whether it’s my running group,
the Nike Training Club, at home workouts or a free trial at a gym- I am all
about proving that you can be in shape at not spend thousands of dollars! And
lucky for me, NYC is just BURSTING with free fitness groups. I swear, I discover a new one every day.
So it’s kind of amazing that it has taken me this long to
#JustShowUp for November Project, which meets every Wednesday morning at 6:28
a.m. at Gracie Mansion (I am a fan of their punctuality). I can literally
roll out of bed at 6:15, jog over, and be enveloped in a million sweaty hugs
from this crazy awesome fitness family.
The first time I came to #WakeUpTheSun with November
Project, it was a little intimidating. I’m not the world’s biggest hugger, and
meeting new people isn’t my strength. But everyone was SO friendly, and I
definitely have found that fitness-freaks like me have a special bond.
The
first morning I went was “PR Day” where we basically ran “mansions” (laps
around Gracie Mansion) and saw how long it took us to finish a certain number
of them.
Everyone has shirts (#GrassrootsGear) and everyone is
enthusiastic and motivating and badass. We start each morning jumping up and
down and screaming “Fuck yeah!” I’m not even kidding. We are called a tribe. And our leaders? So inspiring- not to mention fucking hysterical.
And I got to meet Ali, whose blog I have been following for
a while now, and who works at my most favorite place- JackRabbit! The next
morning I showed up, my friend Salim from JackRabbit was there! The fitness
community in New York City is kind of crazy that way. November Project even has
a special vocabulary and traditions and I’m all about that spirit-y stuff. I
was hooked from the start!
Every Wednesday, they announce the location for Friday’s
workout- and I’ll admit, I’ve been lazy and only made it to one- on the Fourthof July! We met at Grand Army Plaza decked out in our patriotic workout gear
and did a bunch of fun stuff like suicide relays and leaping over people
planking.
Wednesday’s workouts are usually running-centered, with
loops around the park alternating with different exercises like burpees (ugh),
pushups, planks, tricep dips, lunges, etc. Not to sound like a snob, but one of my favorite parts about November Project is that these guys are no joke. The workout is hard, and you will be pushed! But it's also a great social atmosphere, and you laugh and smile while you're getting your butt kicked.
And did I mention there’s a photographer who stealthily
captures you looking badass? Yes. There
is. And I’m vain, and I love checking Facebook every Wednesday afternoon to see
if there’s a shot of me.
I’m pumped because tomorrow, we’re meeting at Randall’s Island and I’m finally going to have my own #GrassRootsGear. If you read up on November Project, it’s a really amazing story, and thinking about it always gets me pumped to set my alarm early. These people are SO dedicated- sometimes running over 8 miles just to GET to the workout. And November Project is in 17 different cities already!
Thank you to my friend Tina for getting me involved in this
awesome group. Everyone reading this- we want YOU to join us! Just show up!
