by Hemani Kamarshi MV2025
As distance runners, we’re pretty lucky to have some awesome trails right in our backyard! From
the reservoir at Matadors with its sparkling blue water to the view at Matt’s Hill, the natural areas
around us are truly stunning!
Unfortunately, though, they are also under threat. Microplastics and heavy metals pollute the
soil, fertilizers from nearby farms leach into the watershed and cause algae blooms, invasive
plant species replace the native plants that make these areas so beautiful… the list goes on. If
we want to keep enjoying the beautiful areas we run through, we need to protect them.
With that in mind, here are some suggestions of ways to make running more rewarding for both
us and the environment!
Clothing:
–
Wear more biodegradable fabrics, such as cotton, or clothing made from recycled
post-consumer waste. Yes, cotton is a lot less comfy to run in than polyester, but we can
still make sure that we buy our polyester running shirts/shorts from brands that use
recycled polyester to make their fabric– Patagonia and Adidas are two notable
examples.
–
If you bought shoes that end up not fitting well, don’t dispose of them– donate them to a
shoe donation program like One World Running, Soles4Souls, or ShareYourSoles. For
worn-out shoes, give them to shoe recycling programs at companies such as Nike or
Terracycle.
Nutrition:
–
Try to consume less red meat, but hit your daily iron needs by replacing it with
legumes. Meat and other animal products use up a lot more space and water to produce
than plant-based foods, which can be just as nutritionally dense.
–
Try to eat locally. Food grown locally, in certified-organic farms, is less likely to use
pesticides or fertilizers that end up causing disease and death to wild animals in the
surrounding ecosystems.-
Eat fewer packaged foods. Not only does this help you reduce consumption of
processed foods with low nutritional value, it also reduces the amount of single-use
packaging you need to dispose of! And the same thing goes for electrolyte drinks or
powders— try not to buy the ones in single-use packets.
Training:
–
Carpool to races or practices. Not only does this save gas and reduce your greenhouse
gas emissions, it also helps keep you accountable for coming to practice, as you have a
friend who expects you to come with them 🙂
–
If you see litter on the street while running, pick it up. This reduces the amount of litter
that ends up in waterways or in natural spaces.
–
Sunscreens/chafing sticks:
–
Try to use reusable or plastic-free packaging. As stated above, this reduces
the amount of waste you end up generating.
–
Buy vegan/cruelty free products with naturally derived ingredients. These
products often take less energy and land to generate than sunscreens containing
more heavily processed ingredients, resulting in a smaller amount of greenhouse
gases generated.
–
Switch from sunscreen spray to lotion. Sprays contain aerosols, little drops of
the sunscreen that pollute the air with the chemicals in the sunscreen and have
been known to cause irritation and disease to several animal species.
Hopefully you find a few of these tips easy to implement. Even if they can only make a small
change, if everyone who reads this can try to live in a slightly more environmentally-friendly way,
we’ll make great strides towards protecting the wild spaces where we get to run!
