Maybe it’s the bright, crisp sunshine after days of rain. Maybe it’s the thought of the Chicago marathon from last weekend. Maybe it’s just time. Whatever the reason, yesterday I went back to running.
My yogi friend, Marita, did her final project for our ISHTA yoga training on yoga for runners. As a former competitive runner and someone who’s solely used yoga as exercise for the past few years, I was really intrigued and inspired by her research. After reading her paper, I realized I’m not getting all of the cardio I need for optimum health. For me, the fastest, easiest, and least expensive way to get that cardio is by lacing up my running shoes and hitting the park a couple of times per week.
I haven’t been on a good run for over a year. I hunted around in the back of my closet for my running shoes. I sunk my right foot into my shoe and felt a crunch – it wasn’t my foot that crunched but a dead bug. Maybe it’s been longer than a year since my last run? 🙂
I flushed the dead bug, put on my shoes, and headed out to teach my yoga for seniors class. After the deeply relaxing class, I took off for Central Park, the sun in my face and the wind at my back. My pace was steady, my gait smooth, and my breathing even. I could feel my good ol’ heart pumping, my lungs taking in all the fresh oxygen, and my muscles and bones getting a workout they’ve needed for far too long.
30 minutes flew by and I returned home refreshed and focused to have a productive afternoon. Somehow movement helps us to settle in. I guess when we shake things up, it’s easier to find our groove.
I’ve committed to at least 2 runs and 2 yoga classes per week to keep myself in tip top shape as I continue leaping through a life of my own design. Want to join me in this promise? Tell me about your running and yoga adventures. (And thanks to Marita for inspiring me to get going!)
IN BRIEF
Author, journalist, digital product manager, and licensed New York City tour guide. Creator and host of NYC's Secrets and Lies. Alumna of the University of Pennsylvania (BA), the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia (MBA), Arizona State University (Biomimicry), and the University of Cambridge (MSt in Sustainability Leadership).
I build digital media platforms, report on urban climate resilience and biodiversity, and produce live narrative experiences that connect communities to history, nature, and place.
THE DEEP DIVE
My work centers on a single thread: building systems and stories that foster deep connection to our shared world. Across digital streaming, environmental reporting, and live civic storytelling, I design experiences that help people understand complex ideas and the environments around them.
DIGITAL PRODUCT STRATEGY & MEDIA LEADERSHIP
At Carnegie Hall, I serve as Digital Product Manager, leading product strategy, operations, and technical delivery for the video streaming platform Carnegie Hall+. I translate artistic mission into scalable, high-performance streaming architecture that reaches audiences globally. Previously, I led agile product and delivery teams across operations and compliance at American Express, managed Broadway theatrical productions and national tours, and guided strategic initiatives across cultural institutions.
ENVIRONMENTAL JOURNALISM & AUTHORSHIP
As a freelance journalist, I investigate how living systems, urban infrastructure, and human culture intersect. My reported features on urban decarbonization, biodiversity, coastal resilience, and biomimicry appear in publications including Smithsonian Magazine, The Washington Post, Mongabay, Natural History Magazine, and Foreign Policy Magazine. In fiction, I write the Emerson Page young adult novel series, alongside upcoming historical fiction and nonfiction works on New York history, mythology, and human resilience. I also write Togetherhood, a LinkedIn newsletter focused on urban ecology and community restoration, and co-host the podcast Frameworks in the Wild.
LIVE EXPERIENCE & CIVIC STORYTELLING
As a licensed New York City tour guide and live event producer, I transform urban landscapes into shared narrative encounters. I created, produce, and host NYC's Secrets and Lies, an interactive live storytelling series staged across cultural landmarks including the New York Transit Museum, the South Street Seaport Museum, and the historic tall ship Wavertree. I also design and lead site-specific walking tours exploring coastal ecology, food history, and neighborhood evolution, often with partners at Climate Week NYC and the Natural Areas Conservancy.
DOUBLE OR NOTHING MEDIA
Through my independent production studio, Double or Nothing Media, I develop ventures across media, ecology, and public history:
Digital Products & Strategy: Architecting scalable digital platforms, streaming experiences, and operational models for mission-driven institutions.
Environmental Reporting & Publications: Delivering long-form reporting, books, and newsletters grounded in climate resilience and regenerative design.
Site-Specific Live Storytelling: Producing immersive live shows and educational walking tours that engage public audiences in community history.
CONNECT
Website & Production Hub: doubleornothingmedia.com and christaavampato.com
Newsletter: Togetherhood on LinkedIn - linkedin.com/newsletters/togetherhood-7273771832221089792/
Instagram & Threads: @christarosenyc
Emerson Page Novels: emersonpagebook.wordpress.com/
View all posts by Christa Avampato
Hi! Friend of Mary McManus here! I followed the link from Mary’s FB post! I am a runner and have been having some back issues, and I am looking to try adding some yoga to my exercise routine….for MANY reasons! I have arthritis in my right knee and I can’t bend it really well, but Mary keeps telling me to TRY yoga! Anyway, I love your blog! I just started a new blog….actually TWO, but one of them is mainly for my running! I am NOT a writer, but blogging seems to motivate me! I look forward to reading more of your post’s! Pam
Good for you! I love balancing yoga with running (and other cardio) and strength training as well – hopefully that will be next for you!! Happy to trade strength training sessions for yoga sessions if you were ever interested… xoxo
I think you’ll enjoy my friend’s blog about running, living, loving and yoga http://liverunloveyoga.com/
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Hi! Friend of Mary McManus here! I followed the link from Mary’s FB post! I am a runner and have been having some back issues, and I am looking to try adding some yoga to my exercise routine….for MANY reasons! I have arthritis in my right knee and I can’t bend it really well, but Mary keeps telling me to TRY yoga! Anyway, I love your blog! I just started a new blog….actually TWO, but one of them is mainly for my running! I am NOT a writer, but blogging seems to motivate me! I look forward to reading more of your post’s! Pam
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Good for you! I love balancing yoga with running (and other cardio) and strength training as well – hopefully that will be next for you!! Happy to trade strength training sessions for yoga sessions if you were ever interested… xoxo
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I love running, but my body doesn’t. I might just walk and garden. Good luck with your running Christa.
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