The Balanced Runner

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The Balanced Runner

We've helped runners from beginner to Olympian improve their form and learn to run pain-free, effici She is also a frequent podcast guest.

Jae Gruenke is a Certified Feldenkrais Practitioner, running technique expert, and founder of The Balanced Runner™. Known as a “the wise woman of running,” she has helped runners and triathletes from beginner to Olympian relieve pain and improve their performance, and she specializes in helping runners whose problems have persisted despite medical treatment. Jae studied modern dance at Bennington

College and Williams College, and graduated from Williams in 1992. Working as a professional dancer from 1992-2003, she performed with a number of New York City-based companies, and at the time of her retirement from dance in 2003 she was a senior company member of Sarah Skaggs Dance. Jae’s interest in running technique was sparked when, as a professional dancer, she was asked to perform choreography that included sustained running in large, outdoor environments. Frustrated by how difficult and uncomfortable running felt, she began to study running technique and use the Feldenkrais Professional Training Program she was enrolled in as a laboratory to discover how to coordinate her movements so that running felt comfortable, easy, and enjoyable. Eventually, realizing she’d come to prefer running to dancing, and also that the changes in movement that had made the difference to her running were not being taught, discussed, or researched elsewhere, she retired from dancing and launched The Balanced Runner. Jae has been a member of the Feldenkrais Guild of North America since 1999 and the United Kingdom since 2011, and was a certified personal trainer from 1999-2012. Jae’s work with runners has been featured in the media, including Canadian Running, Runner’s World UK, BBC Scotland, the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Podium Runner, and in the book Rise of the Ultra Runners by Adharanand Finn. Her elite clients have included three-time Olympian Jen Rhines, Olympian Sonia Samuels, and London Olympic Triathlon Medalist Lisa Norden, as well as multi-record-setting ultramarathoner William Sichel and Susan Marshall, 2022 winner of the Self-Transcendence 3100 (the world’s longest race). She is especially proud to have contribued to Dr. Mark Cucuzzella’s 1-2-3 Run program for the US Air Force.

19/05/2026

I had such a great time talking with Dr. Mike and Dr. Crystal about how to avoid the typical running form mistakes beginners make and how to move your body to run healthy for the longterm and enjoy it!

30/04/2026

Sabastian Sawe had a different movement strategy from Kelvin Kiptum in their respective world records.
Full video link in my bio.

17/09/2025

Marla's favorite thing she's learned from me:

"When I received your email about the free challenge, I decided to give it a try. It didn’t take long to realize—it was exactly what I needed.

"What really struck me was the emphasis on letting your hips move. I’ve had off-and-on hip issues for years, and I remembered an article I read a while back. It suggested imagining your hips as a bucket of water, with the goal of not letting any spill while running.

"My interpretation at the time was to keep my hips completely still. Now I realize that may have contributed to my discomfort. Your approach helped me rethink that—and it’s already making a difference.

"My running form used to feel so restricted, but now I feel free—and I’m moving faster than ever!"

–Marla

02/05/2025

I had a great time talking with the Runegades! They started with the hardest question of all, but after that it got easier. 🤣

01/12/2024

Tomorrow is the final day of our Black Friday sale. 20% The Balanced Runner System Online Camp, and bonus gifts for the purchase of any course. PLUS I'm raffling off a free video analysis with me, no purchase required. Link to enter is in bio!

29/11/2024

"I've just reached the end of the course. It's taken me 15 weeks to get there due to all kinds of non-running related issues, but even with that slow completion, it has had an amazing effect. Joining the course is definitely the best decision I have ever made for my running. It's like magic.

"I can only speak from my own experience, but at some point in the course, out of nowhere, my running just improved without my conscious mind even really knowing how." -Ray P.

The magic is 20% off with special bonuses! Link in bio.

05/11/2024

Running smoothly, Abdi Nageeye beat Evans Chebet to win the 2024 NYC Marathon. Here’s the unusual thing about his form, why he’s so smooth and fast, and what you can learn from him. (video link in the comments)

27/10/2024

I'm betting you could use some stress relief.

Even if running is your main way of dealing with stress, it might not be enough or you might even risk injury if you run in a stressed-out state.

Try this unusual technique I call Heart of the Palm. Once you learn it, you can do it anywhere and feel completely different in about 5 minutes.

Link to the audio track is in the comments below.

One of the most common things runners tell me is that running is their form of stress relief. That’s great, but it can become problematic when you’re injured and can’t run, or when you don’t have time, or sometimes even when running isn’t quite enough. Stress can also overwhelm your runnin...

14/10/2024

Ruth Chepngetich changed her movement in specific ways to set a new world record in the Chicago Marathon yesterday. By analyzing slow motion video and comparing her form to slow motion footage from her last two marathons, we can see how she did it. (link is in the comments below)

Ruth Chepngetich changed her movement in specific ways to set a new world record in the 2024 Chicago Marathon. By analyzing slow motion video and comparing C...

02/10/2024

Did you see the “tell” in Kotut’s form in the last few km of the Berlin Marathon that showed he wouldn’t win? It’s in my analysis of the top 4 elite men–Mengesha, Kotut, Alew, and Kiprop–using slow motion video from 39k plus broadcast footage.

Over the final kilometers of the 2024 Berlin Marathon, a sign appeared in Cybrian Kotut’s running form that showed he would not beat Milkesa Mengesha to the ...

29/08/2024

I'm thrilled to be a presenter in the FGNA 2024 Conference Series! Join me on Friday 9/6, 9-1pm Pacific, for a transformative experience, tailored for all levels.

Use code 'Sense24' to save on registration (registration link is in comments below).

See you there!

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