Do you want to be able to run for your entire life? Then the number one most important thing for you to consider today is the world we live in. Politics aside, we want to be able to keep running on this beautiful planet. If we continue to treat it the way we have been the last several decades, that won’t happen.

This is important to us as runners, and it makes sense. We are out there breathing in the air and taking in the scenery. Of all people, we recognize the differences in temperature and air quality on a daily basis. It effects how far we can run, how fast we can run, and if we can run at all.

We get it. So what are we doing about it?

Back on the show with us today was Clare Gallagher. Since she was last with us on the podcast, she won Western States, the world’s oldest 100-mile race. Just before that, she was doing the thing she is just as passionate about, working to save the planet.

Just two weeks before the incredibly difficult 100-miler, Clare was attending a Climate Conference in Alaska and traveling with her sponsor company Patagonia, well known for their social position and activism. She returned home just 20 hours before race time.

But Clare gives credit to her trip as part of the reason for her victory. Yes, she is a great competitor and likely in the best shape of her life, but her passion for the planet is what gives her her greatest motivation and strength.

A Challenge Greater Than 100 Miles

Listening to Clare gives you an understanding of how great a challenge we have in front of us. The momentum is still headed in a negative direction. These forces are such that by the time we see the effects of climate change, we are well behind in fixing them. 

However, Clare doesn’t give up. The only thing she or any of us can do is wake up and put in the work to make positive changes. Just like running 100 miles, changes in our actions as a global community start with a single foot forward. Every step adds up, and if we focus on the thing directly in front of us, we will indubitably make progress.

What Can We Do?

The next step is learning what we can do to help and then doing it. Continuing to search, read, and learn is Clare’s advice. A great first step is to simply become aware of the things you are purchasing and the activities you are doing that have an effect. How often do you use single-use plastic products? Are you eating meat more than you need to? How much energy are you using? Can you reduce it?

By this point, you have probably heard several things you can do to make a positive change. It’s not easy or realistic to change everything you are doing, but there are certainly small things you can try. Maybe try having a “Meatless Monday,” or if you are already doing that you can try having a “Meat Monday,” where it is the only day of the week you eat meat. 

It could be as simple as asking a co-worker if they can carpool with you once a week, or actually seeing if your city has public transportation that could work for you. You will be surprised at what you will find when you begin to search.

Of course, people with all political views can participate positively. Enjoying the earth is one thing we can all have in common. But that doesn’t mean you can sit back quietly. Being an active voice in whatever party you belong to is beneficial, and letting your local representation know that you care is a powerful thing.

Act Now

Whatever it is you can do, do it now. We truly can’t wait without further consequences. Use your voice, your actions, your vote, and your wallet to make these changes. We runners love this planet, let’s make it known.

Resources:

Clare on Instagram

The Game Changers Movie

Before the Flood

Inside Bill’s Brain

Protect Our Winters

Sunrise Movement

Joe Rogan and David Wallace-Wells

(Book) The Uninhabitable Earth   

(Book) The Water Will Come 

Additional Links to Causes Clare Supports

POW Trail Volunteer Toolkit

Thank you to my wonderful sponsor Recoup Fitness for sponsoring this episode of the Running for Real Podcast.