Today I drove up to Alamo Sq Park in SF and joined in with an awesome group of hugging folks who like to get together every Wed morning at 6:30am (and then again on Fridays in various SF locations) and do some hill running and calisthenics for about 45 minutes. It was a great way to start off the New Year, and since it was New Year's they started at 8:30am rather than 6:30. This group is the SF branch of the November Project (here's their facebook page https://www.facebook.com/NovemberProjectSF), started in Boston by two college grads who rowed together at school and were missing the camraderie, encouragement and sense of coming to practice so as not to let the team down. There are now 9 chapters in North America, including one in SF and San Diego. While majority of the men and women were in their 20's and 30's, they are open to all adults and all levels of fitness, all getting the same encouraging handclaps, high-fives, and hugs to do their best and push themselves. It was truly inspiring.

If anyone would like to start up something similar (and absolutely FREE of charge) in the Palo Alto area, starting one day a week, possibly around 6pm after work, I have two others who are in, and we are hoping to get started soon. Thinking that this would be for folks 40+, men and women. Please email me at [email protected] or, better yet, post a comment so everyone can see how the group is developing.