The countdown is on! Literally! The new year is a few hours away, and I promised you one last blog post for 2017 about successfully achieving a 2017 Resolution of mine: Finding something fun and new and different to work out. SUCCESS! Enter: Art Runs with Runstreet.
People tend to make resolutions about working out more, or eating better, and I won’t go into why these are bad resolutions, since I already talked about that once this week. But to quote one of my fav instructors at Peloton, Robin, as she said on Wednesday, let’s make a resolution to “stop doing sh*t you hate,” and that’s exactly what I set out to do this year.
I love to work out. I work out more than 90% of people I know. Ok, 95%. Here’s what I like about it: I have fun. I feel much more energized when I finish. I get a sense of accomplishment. I achieve goals. I get stronger. Oh, and I get to eat more.
But going into 2017, I was beginning to lose my very first reason I work out: I wasn’t having fun anymore and I was BORED. I still felt accomplished and stronger, but since I wasn’t having as much fun anymore, it was starting to feel like a chore. So my 2017 resolution was: find something new that makes me excited again for physical activity.
Here’s what I knew: I loved teaching classes, because I liked the people and atmosphere of community. I had taught too many classes on the bike and wanted to move around a little. I liked being in fresh air. I wanted something different. I loved selfies and posting on Instagram.
I really didn’t know how I would combine all of those things and then miraculously, I got a follow on Instagram from Runstreet aka Marnie Kunz. (Check out that Instagram link and see if you can spot me a lot of times!)
Marnie is the writer and creator of Runstreet Art Runs, which she says is “a way to encourage runners of all levels to explore beauty around them and learn about local art and artists.” I was totally sold. She linked to an upcoming event in her Instagram bio, and I signed up immediately. I was not disappointed.
Basically, a group of runners meet up at a designated spot with Marnie, a certified running coach, and Marques Jackson of Filles Garcons Photography. We drop off our bags, socialize and meet each other, and then hit the pavement. We explore neighborhoods from Queens to Brooklyn to the Lower East Side of Manhattan, keeping an easy jogging 10-minute mile pace, and we stop every once in a while to gaze at amazing street art, and learn a bit about the murals and the artists from Marnie. The whole time we run, we talk, smile, laugh, and take photos – both amateur ones on our own cell phones, and real amazing quality ones snapped by Marques, who runs along with us (all photos below by him).
I have many favorite parts about Art Runs, but one of the big ones is exploring neighborhoods I have never seen before. Marnie herself found that the best way to learn the city and explore neighborhoods was by running through the streets. In fact, that’s how her Instagram started, by documenting the art she saw as she explored. Two weeks ago, I did a Holiday Art Run with Runstreet and I made sure to turn my Nike+ app on to document our route. It definitely was not my fastest run documented on the Nike app (probably due to the many photo breaks and readjusting of my Santa sweater… it was a HOLIDAY run, after all), but I wanted to be able to look back afterward and see where I had run. That holiday run was in Williamsburg, a part of Brooklyn I hadn’t spent much time in before. I have also done runs with Marnie on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, SoHo and Crown Heights!
She often partners with vendors and stores, so we finish with a place to warm up (or cool off, depending on the season), and with snacks to munch and juice to sip. Also, we hang out afterward and talk, which is my most favorite exercise. Also, her runs tend to have themes! I did one that was Hip Hop themed, where we were able to submit songs before the run and she added them to a playlist that bumped along with our feet the whole time. She also had an Ice Cream Art Run, which happened to be during #30Years30IceCreams. So obvi I had to go. It did not disappoint.
And last, but definitely not least, everyone is SO NICE. Every single person I have met through Art Runs has been incredibly sweet. I gained at least 15 new Instagram followers, and we often comment on each other’s posts and hug when we first see each other at the next run. In fact, I went on an Art Run after an ankle sprain, when I thought it was better but ultimately ended up stepping on it wrong and re-injuring it. Everyone was fast to stop, and incredibly concerned. A few runners offered to stay back with me, although I managed to tough it out the last mile (do not recommend this).
I love nothing more than a goodie bag or a keepsake. And after each run, we get a Dropbox link with all of Marques’ amazing photos, which become souvenirs, Instagram posts, AND viral advertising for Art Runs. V smart business model. All of the photos in this blog post are by the talented Marques aka Filles Garcons. Sometimes, a photo of me even gets on Marnie’s Instagram. Here’s me on top of an ATM, ankle brace and all. It got 419 likes!
Moral of this story: 2017 Resolution was a SUCCESS. And if you are like me and you’re looking for a FUN and ACCESSIBLE and ACHIEVABLE 2018 Resolution: look no further than Art Runs. They have a run on Monday, January 1!! It’s a Resolution 5K + Yoga. I can’t make it to this one, but I’ll probably be at the next one! Use your LONG LEGS and explore this BIG CITY. Try it out and tell me what you think!! Happy New Year everyone!
