#novemberprojectcanada

[craicmonkeysdelight]

Last Commonwealth Stairs of the season, so I had to show up. #novemberprojectyeg #novemberprojectcanada #justshowup #yeg #stairsforbreakfast #allyoucaneat (at Commonwealth Stadium) https://www.instagram.com/p/CjVVLNXrlsb/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[craicmonkeysdelight]

First time back in a long, long time. This morning’s run was in memory of Dick Au, a inspiring member of November Project whose smile brightened our early morning community. #novemberprojectyeg #novemberprojectcanada #justshowup #community #yeg (at Walterdale Hill) https://www.instagram.com/p/CSQnXRbgS63/?utm_medium=tumblr

[adventureswithphil]

Two years of crazy... awesome

Two years ago, I started showing up to this crazy thing called November Project Canada. At the time I didn’t really know what it was all about except that a group of people were crazy enough to be outside, in January, at 6 AM, just to stay fit. What’s kind of crazy is I don’t remember exactly how I found out about NP. I didn’t have a crazy friend who invited me. I actually didn’t know a single person the first crazy day I showed up. I think I read an article somewhere online, or maybe it was in the newspaper, something about fitness, there may have been a NP pop-up, and there may have been a reference to some guy named Andrew Ference, I honestly can’t remember.... crazy, huh? What brought me to NP was that I had a goal: to be as fit as I could in a month so I would be prepared for the crazy adventure of climbing Mount Kilimanjaro. 

After a few times at NP, I figured out a few things: there was a lot of running, and a lot of these people were crazy fast. 

I definitely consider myself to be crazy for showing up and continuing to show up at NP, because I am not a runner. When I was younger, I was a good sprinter; considering how short I am, I was actually crazy fast (I could do 40 m in about 5-6 secs). But I dreaded running anything more than 100 m. 

A few months after coming back from Kilimanjaro, I ran a 10 km race, my first one ever. Whatever possessed me, a non-runner, to do such a crazy thing? It must have been all those crazy people at NP rubbing off on me. 

Well, after 2 years, I am still not a runner. But what keeps me coming back to NP, other than it being free ;) are all the awesome people that I’ve met. Thanks for all your positive energy, thanks for the motivation, thanks for the high-fives and hugs, and thanks for being you, you’re all crazy, just like me! 

PS. Almost forgot, a few weeks ago, I earned my NP -30 badge, which is now proudly sewn on my backpack. For those who don’t know what this is, well I think it’s proof we just may be crazy. You earn this badge for showing up to NP when it’s -30 or colder.