Becoming a greener runner
I’ve been meaning to write this blog for a while now and since one of my pledges for the Green Runners this year is to speak out more, I decided that I should write it sooner rather than later.
I’ve been a part of the Green Runners for over a year now, having joined due to my concerns for the environment crossing paths with my love for running. As discussed in some of my previous posts, after running for a couple of years, I started to slowly see myself falling into the trap of consumerism and metrics. This pushed me away from the true reasons as to why I ran, but luckily, I began to question whether all this fancy kit was needed. In an attempt to find a running club that was focused on making running a greener sport, I came across the Green Runners, who’s motto of ‘a community making changes for a fitter planet’ seemed cool! So, having looked into their mission a bit more, I decided to become a member.
When joining the Green Runners, each member is required to put forward at least one pledge that aligns with one of the four pillars pillars, these being:
How you move
How you kit-up
How you fuel
How you speak out
To give people a better idea of what some of these pledges look like, I thought I would elaborate on the pledges that I have made this year in this post.
How you move
This year, I’ve decided to continue with a similar pledge to last year, which is to cycle, walk, run (or any other form of moving my body to get me from A to B), or take public transport wherever possible over taking a car or a plane. Over the past couple of years, I have conciously tried to decrease my use of cars and planes. Despite being able to drive, I have no car and I’m planning to continue this way for as long as possible. Not only does this force me to be more creative with how I travel, but it means that I am soely reliant on trains, buses and human movement to travel. On the topic of flying, I have not been on a plane in over a year and will continue to be very mindful about flying. I’ve intentionally reduced my air travel as I believe that: 1. on an individual level, flying is one of the main contributors to someone’s carbon footprint and 2. I still have a lot of things to explore in my own country or continent, which do not require flying to experience. I do see myself flying at some point in the near future, as I am hoping to go on a longer trip abroad, however, I will continue to be creative with shorter holidays in order to avoid taking a flight to somewhere that I would only be for a couple of days.
Unfortunately, not having a car is not always as plain sailing as I would like. Being heavily reliant on public transport and cycling or running to places does present some challenges, such as trains not running on time or having a puncture on the way to work. Regarding transport infrastructure, the UK still have a lot of work to do to improve the current setup, however, I think that the more people that start using public transport more often, the better it will become. My concern, however, is that unless governments start to subsidise travel using public transport, it will be very hard to sway most people away from their cars any time soon. Despite this, I think that a lot of car journeys are often very short and that as people, we should aim to improve here to start off with by walking or cycling instead of burning more fossil fuels.
For the remainder of this year, I will invest more into ensuring that I myself stay mobile and that I keep on top of maintaining my bike so that I can move around in a greener way. More related to my running, I will do my very best to start my runs from home and, if not, cycle or take the bus or train to the start (or from the end). In the past, I have been a big fan of running a point to point from my doorstep and then hopping on the train or bus back home. This way, I can explore more areas with my running whilst harming the planet a little less. Finally, when it comes to racing, I will aim to race as locally as possible so that I can not only reduce the amount that I have to travel but also explore the place closest to me.
How you kit up
Last year I massively reduced the amount of kit that I bought, only buying two new pairs of trainers the whole year (I think that this is pretty good considering I’ve likely ran 4000+ km in them by now). I’ve been consciously becoming less and less of a consumer over the past few years as I strongly believe that material possessions do not bring happiness. Continuing into this year, I have decided that I will also not buy any new kit this year. Instead, I will contribute to a circular economy and get any essential kit that I need for races or more generally second-hand or borrow from my running friends. Regarding my shoes, I am going to put more effort into making them last longer by cleaning them regularly and properly after running and being proactive by repairing them as an when is needed instead of just letting them fall to pieces.
When you first start getting into running, buying new flashy kit can be a big motivator - I’ve been there! However, I encourage people to be more mindful of their consumption of running kit (and of material items more generally). It may seem like a great deal when a running jacket is on sale for £39.99, however, there is a far deeper story behind how that garment ended up on the hanger in the shop. Too often these days, we are completely disconnected from the people who produced the things that we consume. Often, these clothes that are marketed as essential by these multi-million pound companies are created by workers who have to work in very poor conditions for very low wages. Moreover, to add salt to the wound, this excessive overconsumption that we see in the modern world then leads to massive amounts of excess kit and clothing - far more than any one person needs to live comfortably and to be able to run. Instead of being focused on coordinating your running outfit or on having the newest, ‘fastest’, lightest shoes, invest energy into getting some good miles in and enjoying running for its simplicity. Believe me, whatever you might think, becoming a better runner is about far more than just getting better kit - after all, we are born to run!
How you fuel
Last year, my goal was to reduce the amount of packaged food that I was consuming during my running. I managed to stick to this and found some cool ways of making various different running snacks, usually in the form of balls, and then carrying them in some beaswax wraps in my running vest. This way, there is far less packaging involved compared to, let’s say, using energy gels or other specific running nutrition. By making my own snacks and relying on bananas during races, I managed to hold to my pledge last year.
This year, my pledge is to reduce my meat consumption. I know, it is easy enough to say that I am going to ‘reduce’ my meat consumption instead of setting a more specific goal. However, my approach to doing this will be as follows - when I am cooking for myself, I will not buy meat. Given that I like cooking and cook the vast majority of my meals myself, this will directly reduce my meat consumption. Over the past few months, I have stuck well to this pledge, even avoiding meat products when eating out too. For me, the more I learn about how meat goes from the ‘farms’ (if that’s what you want to call industrialised slaughtering of animals) to the supermarket shelves, the more I feel obliged to reduce my meat intake. This stems from two main things: the corruptness of industrial agriculture and the resource (carbon and water mainly) intensity of feeding animals to then kill them such that we can eat them. I’m still unsure as to whether eating no meat is optimal for human performance and longevity, however, I know one thing: the meat that I buy from the supermarket is so far removed from being connected to nature. Over the years, I have felt more and more of a disconnect between what I’m eating and where that food comes from. When buying factory farmed meat, I choose to ignore the cruel processes used to farm these animals that allow me to buy cheap meat from the shops. Ultimately, we are all beautiful creatures living on this planet, which raises the moral and ethical question: why should we treat other animals any differently to the way we wish to be treated?
Until there is more transparency regarding the agricultural processes involved with bringing meat to my plate, I will proceed to reduce my meat consumption. I used to hold the view that eating the right sort of meats will make me healthier, however, from personal experience, I have decided that, so long as I follow the guiding principle of eating a whole, unprocessed diet, the benefits of eating cheap meat are next to none. With this in mind, taking into account what’s best for the planet and the other animals that inhabit it, this is the least I can do.
As I grow older, I hope to learn more about how my food goes from farm to plate.
How we speak out
I must admit, last year I did not speak out as much as I would have liked about issues related to climate change, consumerism, and greener running. However, by starting this blog, I set up a space that allowed me to share some of my ideas and thoughts regarding topics related to becoming a greener runner. Moreover, I tried to be better at speaking to the people closest to me about simple things that we can do to help the planet and often ourselves at the same time!
This year, I pledge to increase my work with the Green Runners and wear my badge more often! People are often very busy and find excuses to push various things to the side and ignore them - myself included. However, as other Green Runners keep saying, we are running out of time. Not to get dramatic, but it is genuinely frightening the extent to which we are altering the climate and the planet. If a load of figures and illustrations detailing what would happen if the planet warms by X degrees celsius aren’t enough to make you concerned, then try to picture the next generation (potentially your children) not being able to experience a life. The facts are scary, and they are right, however, we should also not let this stop us from acting. Instead of viewing everything from a doom and gloom lens, we, as people, must mobilise and share the message regarding climate change and the human effects that it will have. And you may say that it is OK as where we live will be OK as extreme weather events will not be that extreme here, however, we must not forget about people living elsewhere. The truth is, the countries and areas that will be affected by climate change the most are the ones that have contributed the least to the problem. I don’t know about you, but it doesn’t seem fair that the richest of the rich can keep living their flamboyant, polluting lifestyles as the expense of poorer nations.
I digress. What I’m really trying to say is that now, more than ever, it is vital that we communicate and vocalise our opinions and spread the message about climate change and help to change the narrative. Otherwise, we will be in a whole load of trouble. This is why I’m going to try my very best to work more with the Green Runners and other organisations helping to change the way that we live our lives in a way that respects nature.
These are the pledges that I have personally made this year as a member of the Green Runners. Some may hold the view that making pledges puts too much of a burden on individuals, and will lead to inaction on a larger, more impactful scale. However, I hold the view that by starting with addressing aspects of our own lives that we can change to make the world a better place, over time, you start to feel more empowered to drive for change on a larger scale. Often, all that is needed is increased exposure to issues that we currently face. By joining the Green Runners, not only do you make personal pledges, but it is an inclusive space that will allow you to be part of a broader community making changes for a fitter planet.
Before I end this blog post, I wanted to touch on something that came to my mind after writing about the above pledges.
Connection
I couldn’t help but realise that all of the pledges that I’ve made are strongly linked to the word ‘connection’. With how I move, using my body instead of a car allows me to be more connected to nature. With how I kit up, I am hoping to be more connected to the gear that I use, appreciating the true origin of any piece of kit. With how I eat, I wish to be more connected to the food that I buy. And finally, with speaking out, I wish to form a connection with others with a similar drive to create a fitter, greener, and more just world.
That’s it from me for now. Thank you for taking the time to read this blog - I would love to hear your thoughts. And for anyone who wants to join the Green Runners and hear more about their work, visit: https://thegreenrunners.com/.