"Being a part of Back on My Feet has given me things and shown me things that transcend running. It has provided me with a new appreciation for battling adversity and introduced me to some wonderful people. Aside from that, I think New York is the greatest running city in the world."

My goal I guess is that people get attracted to the work, stop, and get taken away in the moment…away from their smartphone and live in the present.

I've had the opportunity to run 12 miles with someone who has overcome greater odds than I can imagine, but at one point didn't think he could run a mile. A teammate that struggled through a 10-mile race a year ago, carried me through a 16 mile run last week. My sister is running her very first half marathon in January and I get to run beside her. They motivate me.

I first came across Myth's street art in Bushwick when I stumbled into this amazing super heroine calling for an end to catcalls. Thank you Myth for this interview, and I hope sometimes I'm at least half as heroic as your street art characters:).

Plenty of gyms offer workouts with virtual scenery. You can (stationary) bike through the forest and (treadmill) jog around the Grand Canyon. But running coach Marnie Kunz thinks that New York City has plenty to keep you entertained while you exercise without resorting to virtual reality. She created Runstreet, where she offers group runs on city streets, stopping to admire street art along the way. While you sip water and catch your breath, she talks about the artists and the meanings of the murals and graffiti you might otherwise fly by. The flame-haired sprinter chatted with us about her art on the run.

As we runners know, running offers so much more than a workout or race goal - its power to build confidence, connection and community extend far beyond just the miles and sweat. Margaret Kurtz helps spread this amazing power of running through her involvement with Back on My Feet NYC.

Phoebe and her creator artist Libby Schoettle indeed charm, mystify, inspire and ultimately engage us as we follow Phoebe's adventures in love, loss, disappointment, risk, reward, seduction and modern living.

I have been following kick ass Canadian runner Roxanne Gail on Instagram for some time now, and if anyone epitomizes superwoman, it is her. Roxanne slays ultra marathons, trains through dirt, mud, rain, cold, heat and I'm sure would continue through an apocalypse as well. 

"I just wanna connect, I really do, It's the best shot I have at communicating with the world."

Running has impacted my life by giving me an almost limitless source of energy.

"I run by feel because I'm a thinker and if I allow it to consume me too much, it won't be as fun. Running just helps with life."

While all of us girls were inundated with messages on how we should look, talk, think, date and act by the time we reached high school, some of us were too busy running, sweating, shooting, jumping, throwing, lifting and kicking to listen.

Something that has helped me navigate the sometimes murky waters of following fitness personalities on social media is to remember we all have a unique construction and are at different stages in our fitness journey.

What we as runners experience during each run is its own chapter celebrating life in an ongoing legacy.

Support Red Hook Art Project at our next event.

"I connected with Back on My Feet because I have been to hell and back. I hit bottom and didn't have a place to live for three months." ~Carley Houser

We all have times where our running motivation can slump, but with a little inspiration, you'll be happily lacing up your running shoes again in no time. Here are some of the best running quotes to keep you running happy:

The passion you bring to your runs will spill over into the rest of your life as well, creating a more fulfilling, thrilling existence.