Thursday, November 13, 2008

Going green.

It's Thursday and today's Take it and Run Thursday topic at Runners' Lounge is Running Green.

While running is a physically high-impact activity, environmentally, it's probably one of the lower ones. You don't need a lot of equipment to run. No maple bats, titanium drivers, or head-to-toe padding. No stadiums or arenas that must be cooled or heated. No fields that need complex irrigation systems or rinks that need constant freezing.

We runners need a pair of good shoes, a few cold and hot weather outfits and maybe a watch. And we need the great outdoors.

OK, sometimes we need the treadmill. You got me there. And some runners need a track. Oh, and when we run in races, we need many paper cups at our water stops and mountains of refreshments afterward, a lot of which is most likely wasted.

But in general running has a fairly low impact on the environment. We can make it lower.

And we can do things outside of our running lives, like bring our own reusable bags to the grocery store, pack lunches and store leftovers in reusable containers instead of plastic bags or plastic wrap, and buy local and organic foods when possible.

How else can we run green? Feel free to share your ideas. I'd love to read them!

And green can be cool and friendly-like. And green can be big like an ocean, or important like a mountain, or tall like a tree. ~ It's Not Easy Being Green

17 comments:

Marcy said...

Ooooo thanks for those links for shoe recycling! Good idea!

J said...

I have seen places for shoe recycling I might have to try that!

BeachRunner said...

Nice post, links and suggestions.

Julianne said...

I love all those suggestions! I always carry my own water bottle when I race! But the other suggestions are great. I'm going to try to run less on the dreadmill... although, it's so hard now that it gets darker earlier. But, I'm definitely going to recycle my shoes!! :-)

kara said...

Great post!

joyRuN said...

Thanks for the links!

Aron said...

great tips and thanks for all those links!

tfh said...

Great links! I love the usatf site and am always looking for new routes nearby.

Midwest said...

Well said, plus you quoted Kermit!

Diana said...

Water bottles are probably my biggest thing. We have bottled water for cheap here in my department ($.75 for the larger bottles) and it's difficult to remember to take my home water bottle when it's so cheap! (Yes, I could drink tap water, but the water in my "town" of 200k is gross. Just ask anyone here!).

I dont' get more creative than that other than working out to videos and keeping my old ones or passing them along! That way I don't waste gas, I don't wast trash by throwing them out, etc.

Marlene said...

Great ideas - thanks for sharing. :)

Anonymous said...

Thanks for all the suggestions. I have many pairs of shoes that could be recycled. Thanks.

SeaBreeze said...

The Fall Issue of Runner's World does a significant article on the environmental impact of running and its not a virtuous as we'd believe. We drink to workouts, fly to races, throw away hundreds of pounds of cups at said races, and tons of paper pamplets in race packets. They are working to make the shoe industry more environmentally friends, but its got a long way to go yet.

Anonymous said...

Seabreeze is right. The article is very informative. Did you know the average running shoe takes 1,000 years to break down in a landfill? Recycle those shoes!

RunToTheFinish said...

I had no idea about the shoes, I have to find somewhere local to take mine!

Vava said...

I like these ideas a lot, and use all of them in fact! I have never driven to a run, and find it weird that some people feel they have to do this. One of the best things about running is you can do it right out your front door, so why waste time driving somewhere first? The scenery argument is maybe OK, but I don't look around too much when I run no matter where I am since I'd concentrating on running not gazing off into space. I just don't get it...

Anonymous said...

sadly my big concession which I shouldnt have been doing in the first place is FINALLY STOPPING THE PURCHASE OF 100 cal packs.

the almonds :)

I was trying to teach myself to eyeball a serving, I did, and now I buy in bulk.

*cue confetti made of all the wrappers I shall no longer be adding to our environment*

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