Yoga For Runners
Plot Twist: I’m also a Runner🏃🏾♀️
ANDDD we are back with another video, but first!
When asked what I did this summer, I honestly spent most of my time at the studio, running, in dance\spin class, or resting. Basically, 80% of the time I was in a sports bra and leggings. 😂
But something really beautiful came out of all that movement: I took a little summer side quest and started running with a group.
Running isn't exactly new territory for me. I grew up doing track and field, and even as an adult, I've participated in 5Ks here and there. I've always been athletic and movement has always been a pretty natural part of my life.
But this summer, I wanted to switch up my routine.
Before joining run club, I had been pretty consistent with spin classes at Crunch Fitness. I already had cardio in my routine, but as summer approached, I wanted to get outside, try something different, and challenge myself in a new way.
So why not running?
I had already been running 5Ks. I just never really thought of running as a hobby.
Enter: my summer side quest.
I found a nearby running group and knew I wanted to try it. The funny thing is, it actually took me a few weeks to make it out because of my schedule. But once I finally got myself there, I was excited.
And honestly? I loved it.
Love my HOKAs!
There's something different about running with a group of people who are genuinely excited to be there. Everyone has their own pace and their own goals, but there's this shared energy around showing up, getting outside, and working toward the next race.
And somewhere along the way, I realized: Oh… I actually really like running.
I've had plenty of days where I tell myself, I'm just going to run one mile.
And then somehow I'm at mile two.
Then three.
😂
My pace has gotten faster, my confidence has grown, and I genuinely feel amazing after a run. Not just physically, but mentally too. There's something really satisfying about finishing a run and knowing that I did something I didn't necessarily feel like doing when I started.
One of my goals for this summer was to participate in a running festival and I actually did it!
St Charles Run Festival, September 2026
That felt like a little full-circle moment for me. What started as a simple idea to switch up my summer routine turned into something I genuinely wanted to keep doing.
I'd love to sign up for more races and continue exploring running, although I also have to be realistic about my weekends. Owning and operating my own business means my schedule isn't always mine to play with. 😂 So I'm learning how to make room for running while still honoring the other things that matter to me.
And I think that's actually what I loved most about this summer.
It wasn't about completely reinventing my fitness routine.
I was already moving. I was already taking spin classes. I already had years of athletic experience behind me.
I just gave myself permission to try something different.
I got outside.
I met new people.
I challenged myself.
And I discovered that something I had always considered “just exercise” could actually become a hobby.
And because I'm a runner AND a yoga instructor…
It felt like the perfect time to finally make something I've been wanting to create for a while:
Yoga for Runners.
I've been wanting to record a yoga practice specifically for runners, and now that I've been getting more consistent with my own running, it felt even more relevant to create one from the perspective of someone who actually runs.
So, naturally, I recorded a Yoga for Runners video for the channel.
It's a short practice designed to help you slow down, move through some of those areas that can feel tight after running, and reconnect with your body after you've logged your miles.
Because running and yoga really can complement each other beautifully.
One gets you moving forward.
The other reminds you to slow down and check in. And maybe that's the real lesson from my summer side quest: sometimes it's not about adding something new. Sometimes it's about revisiting something you already loved.
Running has been a part of my life since I was young. I just hadn't given myself the space to see what it could look like in this season of my life.
Maybe that's the beauty of a side quest, you don't always know where it'll take you. Sometimes it brings you somewhere completely new. And sometimes, it brings you right back to a part of yourself you forgot you loved.
I'll see you on the mat. 🏃🏾♀️💗
xoxo, Courtney
