The Green Ostrich

I joined The Green Runners last August and have been an active volunteer for almost as long. I’ve written more about The Green Runners in previous posts, including why it’s such an amazing group, and why any runner who cares about the planet should join. Today, though, I want to reflect on my pledges from the last year and make some new pledges to take me through the next 12 months. 

Pledges are a core tenant of The Green Runners. All members make action based pledges centered on any of our 4 pillars: How we move, how we kit up, how we eat, and how we speak out. 

Last year, I pledged to: 

1. Buy no new running (or other) clothes for at least one year
2. Only run local races for at least one year
3. Speak up and encourage RDs to include a no t-shirt or swag option at races ideally through Trees Not Tees

So how did I do? 

1. I was pretty good on this one. I did buy some new socks and underwear and I did take one race t-shirt (I know, I know I’m a total hypocrite, but the quality and fit was so good and I plan to wear it all the time… but it’s hopefully my last race shirt!). Otherwise, I made do with what I already own or I sourced clothing second hand. 
2. All but one race this year was local. I did race one race in Iceland, but I was in Europe anyway for a family vacation and, as we always do returning from Sweden, we had to fly home via Iceland so we took advantage of IcelandAir’s multi-day layover policy and so the race did not add any flights that I would not have been taking otherwise. And interestingly, this race, which blew my mind with its beauty, did more than any other race I’ve done in terms of renewing my commitment to do what I can to preserve the planet as we know it
3. This one went really well. I reached out to every race. Some replied and some didn’t. Some are willing to make a change and some aren’t. But I really started to find my voice on this specific piece of advocacy, and I’ve started to use that voice in different ways and around different but related topics (like writing these weekly articles). 

So what’s on tap for Year 2 as a Green Runner…. 

My Year 2 pledges and some thoughts:

How I Move

• Just a slight variation on last year’s pledge. If I find myself somewhere beautiful that isn’t home, I won’t say no to running a race there. 

How I Eat

• I haven’t been a big meat eater for many many years, but I’m ready to cut out all meat. I do still eat fish but I will be reducing the amount I eat, and I’ll be working on limiting dairy products more and more

How I Kit Up

• It went very well for me this year to source clothing second-hand or to just use what I already own. I plan to keep that up, but if/when I do buy new (or even when I source things secondhand), I pledge to pay more attention to how the product was made and who made it. I think speaking with our wallets is a very powerful things, and I’m confident that that’s something I can do in the clothing space

How I Speak Out

There’s a lot to unpack here and I think it’s the area where I’ve grown the most over the last year and where the most potential lies. I’ve broken down my Year 2 pledge into a few different themes. 

• Learn and Educate – There are so many people out there doing incredible work and speaking out in ways that I never can or never will be through writing, art, lobbying, or otherwise. I want to learn from all of them and I want to keep using my voice to perhaps educate others, especially those who may not live in my echo chamber. 
• Celebrate and also call out constructively – There are brands and organizations that are operating in broken industries to change the current systems. I want to make sure to celebrate those brands/people/organizations while at the same time calling out in a constructive manner (maybe “calling in”) those who could be doing better. Pointing fingers and yelling may work sometimes, but often, offering solutions and meeting someone where they are can be more effective. 
• Connect and take risks – I’ve met some amazing individuals this past year and many of them have helped me brainstorm some interesting projects in the clothing and running spaces. This year, I plan to use and grow that network and take some risks with a few projects I have planned. More on those projects to come I’m sure! 

I’m writing about my pledges in part because when I say something out loud, it becomes more real. I also want to help grow The Green Runners and show that pledges don’t have to be perfect. These pledges are what work for me today. For some, I’m sure I’m not going far enough (after all, I’m not vegan (yet) and I’m not saying I’ll never fly). For others, perhaps the idea of speaking out is terrifying so making small gestures closer to home feels better. It’s all ok. I just encourage anyone out there who is a runner to join our growing group of people who really care!