Take it and Run Thursday this week is about "running green." Excuse to post a picture of Kermit the Frog? Done and done!
There are quite a lot of things that I do in my everyday life in an attempt to think green - CFL's, driving a fuel-efficient car, recycling, and waging a war against plastic grocery bags, to name a few. But I want to focus on what I, as a runner, do to be green.
If we want to save the Earth, we have to love it first, and I feel that runners especially love our planet. We spend as much time as possible outside, experiencing the elements, and enjoying the physical beauty of our surroundings. I feel a responsibility as a person to take care of the planet, but even more as a runner.
That was a lot of preamble, wasn't it? Let's throw in another Muppet quick before I continue.
That's Kermit's little nephew, Robin. Isn't he cute?
Okay, right. Running green. Here are my tips:
- Whenever possible, I register for races online. Saves the paper for the printed application, plus the envelope, plus the transportation costs to get it from one place to the other. Besides that, it's faster!
- I never buy bottled water. I have a reusable water bottle that I keep in the fridge so it's nice and cold. No waste, no needless use of plastic.
- I also don't buy bottles of Gatorade. I buy the powder and mix it in my reusable bottles. As a bonus, that's cheaper.
- I almost never drive to go running. My running routes pretty much all start and finish at my house. I am lucky to live a mile and a half away from two tracks, so on speedwork days, it's a perfect warm-up and cool-down.
- I try to race local, too. There are lots of great races in my area, and I rarely have to drive more than 5 miles to go to a race.
- I donate used running shoes, t-shirts, and other gear to charity. What no longer works for me can be a great benefit to someone else.
- When I run on trails, I keep my eyes peeled for trash. I'm not running my fastest on a trail anyway, so I definitely have time to go pick up that discarded beer can and throw it away.
Plus there's always riding your bike - cross training AND green (and an excuse for more Muppets)
6 comments:
I hadn't thought about the registering for races online bit, but that's a good point!
And Robin is cute and that picture definitely makes me want to save the planet.
I register online, too. Most races send you home with a bag full of brochures. I dump them right into the recycle bin, and then use the bag to pick up after the dog! TMI?
Loved your suggestions, and the fact that everyone is thinking about how the little things we do make a big impact.
Great tips! And I suppose bending during running to pick up garbage is a work out all on it's own!
So not only are you saving the planet, you also train your body in new ways.
I love win-win situations.
I love your Muppet fascination! I'm also a Kermit fan, and I even sometimes call my car Kermit, because it's green (I have a green apple Kermit air freshener that hangs from my rearview mirror, even though it no longer has the scent!)
Anyway, this is a great post. I do a lot of things that I didn't even realize are green, and there are more things that I can do to combat where I didn't even realize that I'm not being green.
Great points about registering online (which I usually do for convenience), and buying Gatorade bottles (which I also do, but not very much). I'll definitely look into the powder now, so thank you!
Robin is my favorite Muppet!!!
And I've never registered for a race other than online. Though I'm not sure how TNT registers us.
HAHAHA! I loved the muppets Betsy...and the green advice.
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