Guided Trail Runs | Mindful Running Workshops | Restorative Yoga | Desert Beauty | Natural Running Form Clinics
Book October 24 - 27, 2019Book March 26 - 29, 2020During the Moab Mindful Running Retreat, situated in a stunning desert landscape of red rock, soaring cliffs and delicate natural arches, you’ll tune in to what drives you—in running and in life—and make sure that your energy is going into the activities that most feed your soul.
Through our practical clinics, informative discussions, mindful movement and free time for quiet contemplation, you’ll stop the energy drains and divert your energy back into your running.
Become a durable, strong, motivated runner using these tools and techniques that will keep you healthy and injury free. Immerse yourself in the powerful healing energy of this vibrant desert landscape as you run scenic, challenging trails at a pace that is playful, relaxed and social.
Day 1 | Powerful Posture
Our program begins at 2:00 pm at Red Cliffs Lodge. After checking in and settling into your room, we’ll have an official welcome orientation meeting, during which your retreat leader will review what’s in store for the upcoming days and answer your questions. After the meeting, we’ll hop on a nearby trail for our first group run. After a short warm up, we’ll pause and practice the key elements of the Power Posture, after which we’ll put these tips into practice during our relaxed shake out run of about four or five miles. After freshening up back at the lodge, we’ll enjoy a fresh-prepared meal at the Red Cliffs Lodge’s Cowboy Grill.
Time on trail (including stops and clinic): 90 minutes to 2 hours
Day 2 | Mindful Form at Navajo Rocks
After breakfast at the lodge, we’ll have our second Natural Running Form clinic that will give you the tools and tips that will make trail running fun and easy, after which our guides will drive us to a local trailhead at the Navajo Rocks Trails. You may choose between a shorter or longer option. Once we return to Red Cliffs Lodge, we’ll have lunch on the River Deck, followed by free time to freshen up.
Late afternoon is our first of three Mindful Running Workshops, during which you’ll uncover the truth about what’s holding you back from running and feeling your best. The workshop is followed by a restorative yoga class, then dinner downtown.
Time on trail (including stops): 2.5 – 3.5 hours
Day 3 | A Run Through Time
We begin the day with breakfast at the lodge, then drive to the trailhead of today’s run along the Colorado River. Part three of the Natural Running Form Clinic will give you the secret to using breath to regulate pace and efficiency while running uphill. Discover the ease of managing your effort level with this simple technique during today’s scenic and rewarding trail run that takes us past ancient petroglyphs carved into the rock by the Anasazi people. After a picnic lunch, you’ll have some free time to relax at Red Cliffs Lodge before another Mindful Running Workshop then a special dinner at neighboring Sorrell River Lodge.
Time on trail (including stops): 3 – 4 hours
Day 4 | Feeling Fine at Fisher Towers
Over a light continental breakfast, we’ll dive right into our final Mindful Running Workshop, which is all about cultivating confidence and breaking through the mental blocks that keep us stuck in familiar yet not always healthy routines. Shortly afterwards, it’s a short drive to our final trail run (about 5 miles out-and-back), that is truly a celebration in the simple joy and adventure of running for our own health and happiness. During this run, we take our time to soak up the views and see the soaring Fisher Towers. Upon our return to the lodge, we enjoy a luxurious brunch buffet before our final wrap-up and farewells.
Time on trail: 2 – 2.5 hours
This program operates under a special recreation permit with the Bureau of Land Management Moab Field Office.
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The total run distance for this retreat will be between approximately 22 and 28 miles. Each day’s run in this itinerary is represented by time spent on the trail rather than miles run because the mileage covered will depend largely on your run pace. Faster runners will cover more mileage than slower runners in some cases. These run times include breaks to enjoy the views, take photos, eat and drink. The precise route and trails run may change due to changes to trail routes, weather conditions, guide recommendations and other safety considerations.
Wellness Workshops
How mindful running helps you stress less and run morePart I: Stress and Runners
Where does your energy go? Do you ever feel too tired to run? Do you ever feel so overwhelmed at the prospect of starting a training plan that you give up before you’ve begun? Do your long runs or hard workouts so wiped out that you’re pretty much useless the rest of the day? Discover what feeds your energy and what depletes your energy and how to stop the energy leaks.
Part II: Mitigating the Effects of Stress
How do you know if you're doing enough to build your fitness and reach your goals, but not so much that you're becoming depleted and at risk of over extending yourself? You’ll design your own mindful running practice that will allow you to fulfill your goals and run with confidence. Discover how mindful breathing improves your running efficiency and dial down the stress response in any situation.
Part III: Values Inform Intentions
Running is an important part of your personal self-care routine, and yet, it can be so hard to prioritize sometimes. Fulfilling your potential is about living in alignment with your values. These mindful intention-setting exercises allows you to align your approach to running with you values around wellness, self care and fitness. Come away with a clear approach to balancing health with life's demands.
Natural Running Form Clinics
Use mindful running to run more efficiently and prevent injuryPart I: Power Posture
Use proper alignment to make gravity do more of the work. This reduces the muscular force involved with running so it feels easier and less strenuous on muscles and joints.
Part II: Focus on Efficiency
Use natural running techniques to drastically improve efficiency. You'll practice changing stride length, cadence and tempo on various types of terrain.
Part III: Find Flow
Put the pieces together to achieve the ultimate trail running experience. Learn to cultivate the circumstances for flow to occur by being relaxed and mindful.
About Your Retreat Leader, Charlotte Roennau
Charlotte Roennau is a former professional sprinter who has evolved into a mindful long-distance runner whose priority now is to run for fun. Once known as Denmark’s fastest woman, Charlotte’s competitive mindset was wired for goal setting, performance and achievement. But as career stakes rose—along with them, the pressure to perform—she discovered the drawbacks to gold medals. Failing to qualify for the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona in the 400 meter hurdles led Charlotte to period of depression.
Putting her track career behind her, Charlotte forged a new career path that combined her sports-science degree with a new interest in mindfulness and yoga.
Charlotte spent a decade using sports as a tool to create peaceful co-existence, social cohesion and reconciliation in the former Yugoslavia and Afghanistan. Her work with Cross Cultures Project Association (CCPA) and Global Education through Sports (GES) brought the core values of sports to bring kids, families, communities and cities together in conflict areas with respect for diversity, religion, culture and gender.
Charlotte, along with her husband and two sons, now lives in Aspen, Colorado, where she teaches skiing, yoga for athletes, leads mindful running retreats for Run Wild Retreats and organizes an annual yoga festival in her home country of Denmark.
Participant Photos + Testimonials
Details About Your Four-Day, Three-Night Package
Moab Mindful Running Retreat| Retreat Group Size: | Running Level | Price Per Person (Shared double occupancy suite): | Price Per Person (Private suite bedroom): | Deposit: | Duration: |
| 18 | II | $1,995 USD | $2,395 USD | $600 USD | 4 Days |
- What's Included
- Exclusions
- Getting to Moab
- Other Important Things to Know
- Is This Retreat Right for You?
• Three nights’ accommodation at the Red Cliffs Lodge
• Meals from dinner on Thursday through lunch on Sunday
• Daily guided runs
• Mindful Running workshops
• One restorative yoga class for runners
• Natural Running Form clinics
• Trail snacks/energy food and drinks
• Private group within the Healthy Runners’ Community
• Run Wild Retreats gift bag
• Introduction to Mindful Running online program
- Flights
- Transportation to/from the airport
- Alcoholic drinks
- Other incidentals
- Guide gratuity
- Some ground transportation
- Travel/cancellation insurance
- Anything else not listed under “What’s Included”
We recommend the Grand Junction Regional airport, which is a 90-minute drive northeast of The Red Cliffs Lodge, located 17 miles from Moab.
Another good choice is the Salt Lake City International Airport (a 4.5-hour drive from Moab).
We are usually able to coordinate retreat participants who fly into these airports so they can share rental cars for the drive to Moab. Otherwise, shuttle services are available.
The Moab Airport (called Canyonlands Field) is located just 10 miles from Moab, and currently has flights from Salt Lake City and Denver. Taxi service is available from the Moab Airport to the Red Cliffs Lodge through these providers:
If you book your retreat with a deposit, the balance payment will be due approximately 3 months before the retreat begins. After that time, full payment is needed at time of booking to secure your spot. Click here for the booking and cancellation policy.
About the Accommodations
We will be staying in suites at Moab’s Red Cliffs Lodge. Every room at Red Cliffs Lodge has a soothing view of either the Colorado River (just 100 feet away) or Castle Creek, which runs through the property. Every luxury room is a mini suite featuring:
• Separate kitchenette • Coffee pot • Refrigerator • Microwave • Toaster • Air-conditioner • Separate dining area • Fully tiled bathrooms with bathtub/showers • Carpet/Mexican Satillo Tile On-site facilities also include outdoor pool, hot tub and exercise room.
Special Dietary Needs
We can accommodate those with special diets, including vegetarians, gluten-free and vegan, though meal options may be limited for some meals. When you register for the retreat, you can indicate your special dietary needs in your Retreat Participants Intake Form.
- This retreat is rated Level II, which means we recommend you have a base fitness level that allows you to run up to 8 miles at a time on roads. It doesn’t matter how fast or slow you run–really!
- Daily runs at this retreat range from 5 miles to 9 miles on singletrack trails.
- Two guides accompany the group to support the different pace groups, so there’s no pressure to run faster than you’re comfortable.
- Trail running experience isn’t necessary. Your retreat leader provides trail-running tips for running in this terrain.
- You’ll encounter trails with loose rocks, and some exposure to heights. You can walk/hike trail sections as you need.
- Trail running shoes are required.
October 24 - 27, 2019
Hurry! Registration closes Sept. 23
March 26 - 29, 2020
Save your spot with a deposit of $600.