change endorphins
favorite city runs & comfort "food"
One time I pitched myself to John Foley, the co-founder of Peloton. I walked straight up to him at an event and told him why my background as a professional ballet dancer was just what the platform needed before floating home on the foam-top of my own audacity. Needless to say friends, that dream lives on. Until my next chapter of inspiring audiences with athletic performance, I’ve had fun getting to know my limits beyond the stage. I found church in hot yoga, clip-in therapy on the bike, and connection to cities I love through running… lacing up took me an honest minute but I can now love/hate my way to that coveted “high” with the rest of ‘em.
Here’s the nudge you didn’t ask for to go tickle your city on fast feet—do something that scares you. *Or* pin my favorite city laps & loops linked below for your next run through Paris, London, NY, Rome, or SF.
Favorite City Runs:
Paris.
Coulée Verte René-Dumont is my absolute favorite run in Paris — think high line in NYC but exponentially more European and therefore, b≈tter 🧈
Parc des Buttes-Chaumont is a former quarry, nature’s kiss in the 19th arr. need I say more
Seine a run (stroll/walk/waltz) around this river will leave you besotted… not original, not above mentioning
London.
Clissold Park - I fell in love with Horse Chestnut trees & wild Buckwheat while looping this park last Spring, I think about them often.
Clissold Park, London
New York City.
Central Park, forever & forever, amen.
Central Park Reservoir, NYC
Rome.
Tiber, nothing humbles you like running the river through the Eternal City… transverse a bridge here or there & lookout for all that was not built in a day
River Tiber, Rome
San Francisco.
Marina x Crissy Field trail the beach from Ft. Mason to Hopper’s Hands at the base of the Golden Gate Bridge and be so glad you did—swing this on a Sunday and grab goodies from the Ft. Mason Farmer’s Market, de rien.
Speaking of endorphins… a moment for novelty, how wildly underrated. This past year has brought delicious amounts of change in my life—new jobs, coasts, people, perspectives… a mind-body feast I’ve yet to fully metabolize. Trying new things doesn’t have to be dramatic, though. Maybe you audition a new genre (*cough, Romantasy), give barrel jeans a college try (haven’t figured mine out), or go on a hike date (my new personality). A lemon-squeeze for the soul is well within your reach.
Don’t skirt your comfort cravings, bien sûr. In the shadow cast of dark days and darker news, mine include farmer’s market fish—black cod for inquiring minds—the ASMR of a match strike, and Ina Garten, respectively. Other times, nestled between the mundane, I’ll savor fresh flavors, here’s a handful.
Comfort “Food”:
Listen: Mel Robbins On Life-Changing Tools & Habits To Rise Up & Build Your Dream Life in 2025 & Beyond …say it with me 5-4-3-2-1
Taste: the balanced combo of Greenest Goddess Salad (recipe) + a local donut (SF spotlight: @bobsdonuts)
See: LIVE ART, ballet specifically… still dreaming about these stars in SFB’s Manon
Strike: never not candle season, this one smells like Le Labo Santal 33 (under $40, I have purchased this no less than 5x #paidlink)
Read: Be Ready When Luck Happens: A Memoir by Ina Garten, all hail
Touch: nature… gift yourself a bouquet or learn to make one yourself!
I’ll be at Picnic SF for a 💐 Workshop on 2/13—sign up here if you’re in SF!
🧈 Bonus recent discoveries include:
* May Erlewine’s mantra song: Never One Thing
* THE water bottle you’ve been looking for #paidlink
* Peloton Hike Bootcamps & Low-impact Cardio with Rebecca Kennedy
Do something bold this week & savor comfort “foods” that quench each sense.