Becoming a Sustainable Runner: A Guide to Running for Life, Community, and Planet

The advice given in this chapter alerts us to the ways our body tries to warn us, but we have to be ready to accept the message, and that requires slowing down long enough to hear it. The next time we compare ourselves to someone and get a sinking feeling in our stomach or a tightness in our chest as envy rises up, we must catch ourselves. How is i

It’s important to differentiate between your why and your goals. Your why may help inform your goals, and your goals may be a way to express your why, but they aren’t the same thing. Goals should not be your primary focus, and ideally your why should help you engage with your long-term goals more meaningfully and sustainably.

The hedonic treadmill is the idea that our happiness is calibrated to a baseline, no matter what we do or what happens to us. When we finally win that race, get that promotion, or land that book deal, our happiness will temporarily spike, but will quickly return to a set point. We then readjust our expectations to match the status quo of our experi

An out-of-town friend and lifelong runner cajoles us into it or a spontaneous cousin suggests lacing up together during a visit. The first few minutes of the run feel strange. We can hear one another breathing. We are too close. What pace are we going to run at? Then, suddenly, it clicks, even if only for a few minutes. We get into a rhythm, our br

I’m still running but have found a deeper purpose. I was finding my why. Over time, my advocacy (in climate justice; for equality, equity, diversity, inclusion, accessibility, safety, and affordability in the running industry; and for missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls, and relatives) has challenged others around me about what it means to

Arnold likes to meditate before her runs as a way of opening her mind. Peoples likes to meditate just about everywhere, sitting, or even walking outside.

It is easy to say “give compassion” but a lot harder to do in practice. As Tina was asked by a sports psychologist years ago, how we would talk to our 17-year-old daughter can be an easy reframe. If a 17-year-old were talking to herself the way we were, what would our response be? Imagine the insecure, fearful 17-year-old is still in us (because th

If you are frequently injured, overtrained, or sick, it is time to remove stressors and take time to rest and recover. If more sleep is not an option, how can you limit additional calories spent on other activities? Recovery runs should be completed at a pace comfortable enough to talk to others. Do not select a specific pace beforehand, but run wh

Investigate the why behind your purchases. What do you really need? Practice slowing down before you buy. Wait a week and see if you still want or need that item. Words like green, sustainable, and natural have lost their meaning through giant corporations using them for minimal changes. Be aware. Have the hard conversation with loved ones about th