Spotlight on Fitness: Runstreet Founder, Marnie Kunz

 

New York City is an amazing city to live in when you are a runner. The number of places you can run and the amazing views you see when you run are innumerable. This city is amazing. When I moved here two years ago I quickly tried to find my running tribe. I typically like to run by myself but at times I love running with a group. I first met Marnie when my yoga studio hosted one of her art runs. I ran with her group, met people, had a great workout and most of all, HAD SO MUCH FUN! Marnie took us through the streets of the city, showed us street art, we took fun pics and we ran back to my studio.


Over the winter, Marnie and I taught a few guided mediation and visualization classes geared towards runners. We talked with the runners about their goals, their fears and why they run. We ended the classes with a guided mediation conducted by moi. We left blissed out and ready to run, mostly because we reminded ourselves why we run and why it's so important to us. Marnie also helped me train for the NYC half marathon (which I didn't do because I was injured) and her training plan really helped me stay focused. My injury was due to overuse, I increased my mileage too much too fast and I pulled my achilles on a training run. It was so frustrating but...everything happens for a reason. It's all good.

Runstreet is a running group that takes runners all over Manhattan and Brooklyn, past street art (for an authentic view of the city and very cool pics!) and brings a running community together. The group usually meets at a yoga or fitness studio for a bag drop before they hit the cityscape and Marnie will lead the group in a stretch/strength workout after the run. Runstreet also has fun runs during Halloween and the holidays. Marnie is a certified running coach; she writes running programs for clients and helps them increase their overall fitness with HIIT workouts and strength sessions. Encouraging and patient, Marnie is an ideal coach and just an overall amazing person! Check out my interview with her. Oh and if you are nowhere near NYC right now, Marnie's goal is to have Runstreet go international!!! Running through the streets of Rome, Paris and Dublin? Yes please!!!

How did you get into running?

I started running in Jr
. high because I wanted to do a sport and I was too uncoordinated/awkward/shy for the sports that had tryouts. Cross country had no try-outs- that sealed the deal.😂

What inspired you to start Runstreet? 

I have been running my whole life- since I began track and cross country in junior high. After competing in college, I kept running because I loved the physical benefits but even more enjoyed the mental stress release and sense of freedom I felt from running. My background is in journalism and I was freelance writing content for a lot of websites and thought, I should start my own site on something I love- running. I got certified as a coach to make it official and also to be able to train others and help them get into the wonderful world of running.

What are some of your all time favorite places to run?

I think when I run, I find something beautiful wherever I go. Whether it's a few poetic words scrawled on concrete or leaves blowing on a tree, a cute dog or someone's smile when I pass, I feel thankful to be there in that moment. Running makes me appreciate the world around me more.
I run wherever I go. I loved running along green country roads in Ireland when I studied there in college. I also enjoyed running in France when I studied there. I loved running on the beaches in Puerto Rico, where a dog joined me everyday and became my beach buddy. In NYC, running the bridges and running by all the amazing street art always inspires me. San Francisco is another beautiful place to run. I also enjoy trail running and love the Lone Wolf Trail, a scenic run up a waterside cliff in the woods near my parents' house by St. Louis. I guess I could go on and on about places I love to run haha...

What races have you done and what is on your bucket list?

I've done the NYC Marathon and Brooklyn Half and many other races in NYC and other places I've lived, as well as trail races and lots of obstacle races. I'd love to do a trail race along the coast of California. I'd also love to run in places I want to visit- including South Africa, Brazil, Spain and Cuba.

What do you tell your clients about making running goals?

I tell them to brainstorm and write out all of their goals and then prioritize the goal they most want to achieve and work backwards to create smaller goals to get to the big one.

What advice is the most important for runners to hear?

For beginners, many don't realize how important it is to get the right shoes. I recommend going to a running store to get fitted by experts. Also, people often don't know how important it is to have a training plan. It's a blueprint that will lead to achieving your goals. Without a plan, it's easy to drift and get caught up just doing the same thing everyday and getting the same results.

What advice do you have for runners who are injured?

I advise them to rest and ice. If the pain doesn't go away with rest, I recommend physical therapy. Rest sounds simple but it's the hardest thing to do when you love running and have races coming up, etc. but resting early on can prevents months of injury down the road.

What advice do you have for people who are just starting out running? 

Stick with it, it will get easier! And have fun- find ways to enjoy your runs by exploring new routes, running with people and signing up for fun runs. Consulting a coach can also really help if you have fitness or running goals that you want to meet and need a blueprint to get there.

Where do you see Runstreet in 5 years?

Runstreet will be organizing art runs around the world that inspire people and give back to the street art community.

Visit Marnie's website below to check out her run schedule and all of her events and follow her on social media:

www.runstreet.com
Facebook: Runstreet1
Instagram: Runstreet
Twitter: MarnieRun

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