April 22 is Earth Day and a good reminder for us outdoor athletes to deeply appreciate our diverse local environments, not to mention National Parks and other protected natural spaces where we recreate. Most of us aren’t able to get involved on a global or national political level, nor able to offer large donations to environmental interest groups we identify with, but there are an infinite number of small ways to show our love for the planet. From simply picking up trash or carpooling, to choosing repurposed or thoughtfully crafted gear, here are some ideas and a few races around the west to help celebrate our amazing planet Earth this weekend.
April 19 - Seattle Earth Day Run: 5k, 10k, kids dash, Half Marathon
April 19 - Phoenix Earth Day: Run Green 5K, 10K, 13.1
April 19 - San Francisco Earth Day: Run Green 5K, 10K, 13.1
April 19 - Tucson TMC Earth Day 5k at the Biosphere 2
One way we can minimize our impact on the environment is to simply buy less stuff. A newer entry into the running space is Nnormal, a company started by the infamous Killian Jornet, with the mission of producing shoes and other gear built to last, "The longer your gear lasts, the lower its environmental impact. Fewer replacements means less consumption, fewer emissions." Besides using more durable materials for products, they offer simple advice for taking proper care of all your equipment to make it last for the long haul.
Durability - NNormal
When should you retire that favorite pair of running shoes? When shoes or clothing have finally met the end of the road for you, consider donating to Soles4Souls who can extend the life of your gear and “turns shoes and clothing into opportunities for education and employment.” Find a drop off location.
Last week another world record fell when Puma athlete, Taylor Roe, ran 49:53 at the Cherry Blossom 10 mile on April 6. She’s the first American woman to run sub-50:00 at the distance.
Roe's record-setting 10 miler earns her USATF Athlete of the Week honors
It’s no secret that strength training is now an important piece in every endurance athlete’s program, but what if you can’t easily get to a gym, or feel intimidated by all that equipment? Body weight training at home can be productive and help build balance and mobility. Any strength work is better than none, and benefits include, “increasing blood flow to muscles, improving recovery, and stimulating the movement of joint capsule fluid; other reasons are more mentally abstract, like just feeling better.”
How to structure moving your body for your running goals
The Fastest Way to Get Faster? Start Caring About Lactate Threshold
New runners will benefit greatly from training at this effort. Here are four ways to test your lactate threshold and how to improve it.
The 40+ Runner’s Blueprint: Training, Strategy, & Mindset for Master’s Runners
Running gets harder as we get older. Being a master’s runner makes it harder to focus on health, speed, and improvement.
Germany’s Paulina Zäck Resets Women’s FKT on New Zealand’s Te Araroa Trail
It took Paulina Zäck 54 days, 9 hours, and 48 minutes to travel the Te Araroa (TA) trail, New Zealand’s premier long trail, a time that set both a new women’s self-supported and women’s overall fastest known time (FKT).
