Active Lifestyle

If you’ve ever participated in a marathon, triathlon or other serious athletic competition, you may have noticed a lot of waste that goes along with it.  Whether it’s disposable cups, synthetic clothing or corn syrupy beverages, there’s a lot is going on that isn’t in the eco-friendly realm.  I sought to challenge myself to see if running a marathon could be something I could do in a greener way.  So now, after weeks of training with a green foot forward, here’s what I’ve come up with: My inspiration to you green athletes out there.

1) I’ve Completely Trained Outdoors: I’m fortunate to live very close to some of the great hikes of Los Angeles.  So rather than spend hours indoors using treadmills and other machines (aka massive amounts of electricity), I’ve been generating my own and enjoying the beautiful scenery and weather all around me.  Plus, with all of the recent rains, the sky is clearer and the hills are greener than I have seen in a long while.

2) I’ve  Used Clothing and Shoes Made From Sustainable Materials: I ran in Brooks Green Silence Shoes.  We’ve covered their eco-cred in a previous article, but one of my favorite things about them is that parts of the soles are biodegradable.   It’s great to know the shoes won’t be sticking around for a bazillion years after I stop using them.  I also treated myself to an outfit from Lululemon .  Lululemon is possibly the best athletic company when it comes to using sustainable resources and being mindful of its environmental impact.  I opted to buy something new because a majority of my workout clothes are made of cotton and cotton can chafe after a while.  Realizing that I was going to be sweating it out for over five hours, I decided it was a worthy investment, and something I will continually reuse.

3) I’ve Hydrated with H20 and Coconut Water: I’ve steered clear of the Gatorade, Powerade, Sugarades etc and have been using healthier sources of hydration from filtered water (my own filter and reusable bottle) and Naked Coconut Water which is chock full of electrolytes. During the run I  enjoyed Clif Bar Blok Chews, which are also a healthy source of electrolytes.  I also munched on the Clif Bar Protein Roks to keep my energy high.   I did end up having a few cups of Powerade along the way, but not that many.

4) I’ve Minimized Waste: I always use my own water bottle, but for a 26-mile race running with one in hand will be too much.  The race staff are generous to offer water and hydration stations along the route, but I noticed from my last race (a half marathon) how much trash was created by paper cups being guzzled and quickly chucked to the ground by exhausted runners (even in a race, I can’t stop thinking about this stuff).   For this one, I’ve invested in a water belt so I can carry some of my own water (and coconut water) and I won’t have to be so dependent on the stations.  I did end up having to visit a few of the stations, but I reused the same cup over 10 times.

5) We  Carpooled: 25,000 people will be running this race, so hopefully 25,000 cars won’t be driving to the starting line.  My fellow We Run Green teammate Lauren Selman and I will carpool to and from the race and to pick up our materials a few days before.  The marathon is also offering a shuttle service for runners to take advantage of.

The Verdict? I don’t think these massive races can really be super green; they’re by definition big productions that create a lot of waste.  However, I do think individuals can make their own experiences less wasteful and these big races could partner with more eco-friendly companies like Naked Coconut or Lululemon.

Training however, can definitely be done greener and truthfully I’ve enjoyed doing it outdoors and using healthier food and beverages more.  Plus I love knowing I’m not running in materials laden with chemicals.

So what do you think?  Did you run the marathon?  What did you think about the eco-friendly nature of the race?  Do you run green or train green?  Tell us how in the comments below.

Images via Fishbowl2009 Flickr, Brooks Running and Interbike