JackRabbit Sports on 14th Street transformed its showroom into a yoga studio this morning. Recovering marathoners and casual runners streamed in for a free yoga class taught by Elizabeth Neuse, a former marathoner, and a senior YogaWorks instructor.

Neuse led the crowd though a 60-minute practice that included lots of hamstring and calf muscle stretches.

Elizabeth J. Neuse is a yoga instructor and marathoner

She also peppered the class with advice on creating a yoga practice to complement your running mileage. For example, pigeon pose is great at opening the outer hips. But it should only be done after a run.

Neuse also showed us some poses for a post-run repertoire that you might not encounter in your regular vinyasa class, including one that gives a massage to the arches of the feet—a hard-to-stretch area of the body.

Mark Montgomery, JackRabbit’s store manager and a marathoner, called the class “a revelation for my hamstrings” and vowed to do yoga more regularly. Mark, we’re going to check back.

Melisse Gelula (at left) and Alexia Brue of Well+Good with Mark Montgomery of JackRabbit

After class, the newly limber runners received week-long passes to any New York City location of YogaWorks, and Evolve Kefir poured some yummy probiotics. We can’t wait to do it again. Stay tuned…

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