Get out of bed, Baltimore, and join the quest for world fitness takeover. Sydney Van Horn, 24, from Washington, D.C., is one of the co-leaders (with Patrick O'Neil and Nick Rodricks) of the Baltimore chapter of November Project. A free, grassroots community fitness movement that started in Boston three years ago (yes, in November), Van Horn said the now-year-round November Project is dedicated to spreading joy and fitness to all.
The Baltimore "tribe" was launched in January and though it started with about four or five members, Van Horn said, by Nov. 5, the turnout was as high as 178 members. Participants meet every Wednesday at Rash Field at 5:30 a.m. and 6:30 a.m. and every Friday at Patterson Park at 6:30 a.m. For more information, go to november-project.com/baltimore-md.
In a recent interview, Van Horn talked about how November Project is "taking the headphones out of working out and putting community back in."
What sets November Project apart from other workout programs or groups?
We don't call ourselves the "run club." We're not a spin class, we don't have membership dues. It's free. It's totally and completely free and all it is, is just showing up. So we're different in the sense that I feel like we're building community in the process. … People come for the workout, but I believe that they stay for the community that they form. And we don't give out handshakes. We hug each other.
You work out outside year-round. So when it's cold outside, how do you keep people motivated to keep coming out?
Its called "dropping a verbal." We have a lot of things in life that we make excuses for, but when you drop a verbal, when you give oral confirmation that you are coming to workout, you're held accountable because your word is the most important thing and that's all you really have. So when you say you're going to come to workout, there are people waiting there to work out with you.
What's the weirdest thing that's happened during one of the workouts?
We decided that one day we were going to have a costume day, in the middle of May, nothing to do with Halloween or any sort of holiday. But we said we wanted people to be more ridiculous and people were. People showed up, in the morning, 50 or 60 people, this was in the beginning and they were all in costume. I remember just looking around and watching people work out in tutus and in Forrest Gump beards and very strange things. … And for me, that makes me so proud — to see the dedication that these tribe members have to this movement.
Why is this project important to you and what do you think you've gained from it?
It has gotten me so many friends and [given me] so much respect for the people that live in Baltimore. ... I hear their stories and they're training either for an ultra marathon or a 5K, or just their first lap around the field. It is built and meant for everybody.
What is the goal for moving forward with November Project?
World takeover. … The goal is to have November Project in every city, to be able to spread free fitness and community literally around the world. So for us, in Baltimore, what does that mean? For November Project to be something that's so well known and something that we have to get permits for because we're so big.