On my other podcast, Strong Girl Talk, we had Tina Muir, runner, author of Becoming a Sustainable Runner, and co-founder of Racing for Sustainability, on to talk all things Earth Month and sustainability. I loved what she had to say about being imperfect but doing what we can, and the small shifts she recommends for athletes to make their racing and training more sustainable are great food for thought. (You can also read a ton more in Becoming a Sustainable Runner.)
Ride vs. Drive
Sounds obvious to cyclists, but then again, most of us are cycling for our training, not for our everyday life. Are there trips that you could make by bike or foot instead of driving? This also provides some bonus mileage, and you know we love walking more whenever possible!
Go for a Plog
Basically, if you see trash on a ride or run, pick it up. (Probably an idea to carry a compostable dog poo bag with you in your pack to stash the stuff, since a gel wrapper in your pocket is kinda gross.)
Do Your Bucket List Race… But Race Local Too
I loved Tina because she’s quick to say that it’s okay to be imperfect in your eco-friendly efforts. Don’t cancel your bucket list race because you know flying has a hefty carbon footprint. But whenever possible, do the rest of your training and racing as locally as you can! When you are traveling, look at the options that will have the lowest carbon footprint while still making sense for your life.
Support Local Businesses
Support your local bike shop rather than ordering online—not only are you avoiding the huge carbon footprint of shipping small items, you’re supporting your local community, which is sustainability in its own way!
Take Care of Your Gear + Use Stuff Up
Clothing, sports nutrition, shoes—whatever the product, get the maximum use out of it possible. That means taking care of it so it lasts longer (looking at you, clean and lubed bike chains!). But it also means using a product fully before buying another. I was doing a piece on sneaker foam for Canadian Running Magazine (fascinating, seriously) and one thing Nick Martire from Norda told me was that when it comes to looking for the most eco-friendly shoe, don’t just look for ones with recycled material, look for the ones that fit well and will last a long time. (I admit to being a huge Norda fan because longevity is one of their core values—and the shoes themselves are great!) But where I really see this is with cycling and running kit. Use your gear for as long as it’s good for vs. buying new every single season. Get what you need, but unless you can pass the old stuff along to someone else who can use it, try to wear yours out before you buy new.
Skip Single Serve When Possible
This is my tip, though Tina would agree! I shifted to using sports drink versus gels a while ago in part to get more calories easier but also because I’d need less single-serve gels. I also got a reusable gel flask that I fill with maple syrup. This isn’t to say we never use gels—we definitely do—but we’ve tried our best to cut back on them when possible. As Tina says, it’s about imperfect progress rather than beating ourselves up constantly.
