Melissa Schweisguth photo credit: TIME
This is third guest post on eco-friendly running from Melissa Schweisguth. (Here’s the first, on clothing and shoes, and the second, about racing, training and tech.) I’m featuring Melissa’s post because running and the environment are two of my passions, and she’s done a beautiful job of marrying the two.
Melissa is a 36-year-old fellow sustainability professional and writer who also enjoys running. She puts me to shame, and not just because she clocked an impressive 3:11:07 in the Eugene (Oregon) Marathon this year. Melissa hasn’t thrown anything into a landfill since 2006, which earned her notice in Time magazine (due to non-consumerism and creative reuse.). She thrives on an organic, whole foods, locally-based and almost exclusively vegan diet, (as does famed ultra runner Scott Jurek). She’s been working on improving her running footprint to avoid trampling people or planet and has written three blogposts on running “au naturel” for her blog, Living Acoustically, which she’s kindly agreed to let me share here. I don’t expect most runners to be as “green” as Melissa, but my hope is that she’ll inspire you, whether you run or not, as she has inspired me to make a change or two in your lives. When she isn’t running, Melissa works a freelance writer and consultant on sustainability issues and media relations, and as director of membership and development for the Food Trade Sustainability Leadership Association.
Here’s my last post about my efforts to maximize and improve running performance while honoring a guiding principle that defines sustainability for me: “live simply so that others may simply live.”
As noted…This is being shared for informational purposes only and not intended to be preachy or judgmental, as neither is my style. We all have different backgrounds and resource demands in our lives, and I’m the first to admit there are many things I can improve!
Food
I grew up eating home-cooked whole food, much of it homegrown organic, and eat exclusively organic whole foods sourced as locally as possible now, and fuel my runs the same way. When I trained for and ran my first race, a marathon, in 2000, so-called energy bars, gels, etc. were emerging and unknown to me. Oatmeal with nuts and raisins worked well enough for me to train for and finish that marathon in 3:39:30.
Clif bars greeted me at the finish line and I had two jobs that routed free samples my way so I started to eat them periodically before long runs and longer races (with the trusty oatmeal) and later added Clif Shots/Bloks/Moons moons for some long runs and races. After deciding to save my trash for a year and realizing the wrappers made up quite a bit of my waste, I made a tote bag from the wrappers, returned to just oatmeal and started making my own energy gels (rice syrup, honey, molasses, cacao powder, salt –provides key electrolytes: sodium, potassium, magnesium, with an initial kick and sustained energy from sweeteners with different glucose/fructose ratios).
All ingredients are from my food co-op’s bulk section, except rice syrup (jar), making for 100% organic shots with no packaging waste for 20 cents each versus $1 or more for packaged ones. I mix with water and put in plastic bottles (#2), not ideal but haven’t found a workable metal one yet. They’re simple to make, flavors can be customized, no need to take water separately and squeeze bottle is easier, faster and cleaner to deal with than packets. For caffeine, add instant coffee or eat coffee beans or chocolate-covered coffee beans.
After running a marathon (3:11:07), a trail 50k (4:53) and some shorter races (10-mi 1:04:30; hilly 6 mi 38:22) fueled by these, generally improving (NB: times listed for context, not self-promotion), I can say they work as well or better than store-bought. People have different needs and preferences. Check sweetener composition (gel recipes, too) and nutritional data to find what works best.
For solid food on runs, there are lots of energy bar recipes online and many long-distance runners eat real food for training/racing and share info online. (Scott Jurek’s a good one to follow: blog, twitter.) Pitted dates stuffed with cacao nibs and nuts are an energizing snack, and a cheaper, no-waste version of a Clif Nectar or Lara bar.
Beyond my anecdotes, there’s plenty of evidence that no-frills sustenance suffices. Before special ‘performance enhancing’ products existed, elite runners performed incredibly well with real food, honey, water, salt tablets and the like. Today, the Tarahumara, made famous in the book ‘Born to Run,’ still stay fueled with cornmeal and water and hold their own against technically-fortified elites. The book birthed a growing barefoot running movement, but didn’t ignite an all-out embrace of what one might call “organic” or “au natural” running. Curious, since the Tarahumara don’t rely on any of today’s must-have synthetic, miracle-laden “food,” drinks and gear.
For those not inclined to make gels, organic products such as GloryBee’s Liquid Gold and Clif Shots and Blocks are good options. Liquid Gold is 100% organic and comes in a #5 plastic reusable bottle that can be recycled in some localities. (Thisgel recipe looks close to Liquid Gold. Regular molasses works, just use more to get the potassium level you want and reduce honey accordingly. I found this too sweet and energy was less sustained than rice syrup.) Clif Shot is 90% organic and Bloks are 95% organic, with packaging that generally isn’t recyclable locally, though they have a recycling program for bar wrappers.
Water + Drink
I never got into bottled water and drink unfiltered tap water since local supplies have good testing reports (free, public info – check them and save the cost and waste of filters). For pre- and post-race water, I bring my own filled, reusable metal bottles since some races have only bottled water. I used to run with a reusable plastic water bottle but switched to stainless steel for my larger sizes to avoid toxins that leach from plastic and eliminate petroleum-based materials. I still use plastic bottles (#2) for smaller sizes and should get metal replacements. No need for a special ‘hydration pack’ – these fit in an old money belt/waist pack, shorts pockets or pockets I sewed on my running top. For those who like handheld bottles, ponytail holders, large produce rubber bands or a loop of elastic work with less weight than a special bottle holder.
During races, I used to keep cups from aid stations and compost them but that was clunky so I started carrying my own collapsible cup. This doesn’t slow me down any more than taking a single-use cup.
I don’t use sports drinks but for those so inclined, organic powdered mixes like Clif Bar’s electrolyte drink mix are a good option, choosing the bulk canister versus packets.
All for now…happy trails!
Note from Marc: Happy trails to you, too, Melissa! Thanks so much for sharing.
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Seems like a high fiber diet is counter-productive to green living — all that toilet flushing.
Same thing for hydration, which leads to excess toileting.
Also, this running thing — does it not create more CO2 from all that excess O2 consumption???
Really great tips, especially for someone like me who at 50 has just started out running seriously for the last 7 months. And Charles, you can always go in the bushes.