Dear Mr. Vogel,
When my physical therapist told me I shouldn’t run stairs during my injury recovery, I was heartbroken. Heartbroken because for the past year I’d been running stairs every Wednesday morning at 5:30am with a group of amazing people who make up November Project.
But as I thought about it more, I rationalized it to myself- I thought okay, well maybe I’ll just stick to Mondays, 5:30am is really early, and I’ll still get to see almost everyone on Mondays. I won’t really miss running the stairs at Lincoln.
And while I was injured, I stayed true to my promise- I didn’t show up on Wednesdays. My fiancé was thrilled I was no longer waking up at 4:50am every week, my PT was happy with my progress, but I wasn’t happy. There was something missing.
Not only did I miss each and every person who shows up for the 5:30am workout (because let’s be real, 5:30 is the best crew), but I also missed the place. My favorite thing in the world is to drive into DC at night coming in from the south on 395. Seeing the monuments lit up, driving the windy road past the Kennedy Center sends a chill down my spine each and every time. And with November Project, I get this feeling every single week.
I’ve grown to love seeing the sun rise over the Washington Monument. I can tell you how it looks at each different season. I feel a sense of awe every Wednesday when I run up and see Abe’s face as I catch my breath to turn around and do it all over again. This was what was missing from my life. That sense of awe and wonder and community that I was lucky enough to get every week. Being injured made me realize I could never give up 5:30am, no matter how early it is, because I would lose that magic hour with the monuments and the people, and the reflection and gratitude it brings me.
There are many special places in the city where we work out. Running up the 15th st. hill at Meridian Hill park countless times and building those hill muscles led me to win my first race. I’ve seen new parts of the city I never knew existed because of our Friday workouts. I know many people will write about these locations, and I could write more on them, but I want to save my words to give a special shout out to Lincoln.
The Lincoln workout was my first workout, my first interaction with NP, and will always have a special place in my heart. I showed up with a friend on a cold November morning, and people cheered for us even though they had no idea who we were and it didn’t matter. The community we found that morning has been what keeps me coming back and what has grown my love for NP into an obsession and a lifestyle.
Because you know what’s better than that extra hour of sleep of sleep? It’s the hug you get when you first arrive on the steps of Lincoln in the morning. It’s the tears that come to my eyes every time I stop and think about where I am and how lucky I am to be able to work out, for free, in our nation’s capital surrounded by incredibly inspiring people. When I was injured I craved NP, I missed it like it was a relationship I had left behind. Because it is a relationship- a beautiful commitment I’ve made to 500+ people to show up every week, to smile, to hug, to work my butt off, and to share in a community that shines bigger and brighter than it may ever know.
I hope you’ll join us one morning- there will be hugs waiting for you.
Sincerely,
Katelyn
This post is to let NPS know how much NP and our workout locations mean to our community. See more here: http://november-project.com/npxnps-dca/
Ps: You too could look this happy- #justshowup
