Right next to the front door of my house is a sign that says, “Life begins at the end of your comfort zone." I intentionally put it there to keep this in mind every time I leave the house, a reminder to always be seeking ways to challenge myself and grow.

But as with everything that we see multiple times a day, every day, I no longer look at it; my brain has adjusted to it being there and it is now background information.

In my head, I am constantly pushing myself out of my comfort zone, but last week, I realized how truly safe I have been playing it lately.

No, not physically; well, yes, physically, and I needed to. My body needed to be kept in the safe zone during this healing period, and I have been proud of the way I have given it the respect to heal.

*Quick side story*

A few days ago, I was walking along the street after dinner with some friends, not watching every single step like I have been, and my left foot, my surgery foot, went down a hole in a grate; my foot jarred.

After a few seconds of trying to walk it off, you know how we do, the embarrassment of not being a perfect human driving us to make everyone else look away, my sustainability sister, Aly, said to me, “Tina, let’s just stop for a second.” Everyone in the group was staring at me with concern and fear in their eyes. They all know this was my surgery foot.

Tears filled my eyes as I began to panic. After two months of being so careful with every step, I had let my guard down for a moment, and I risked everything. Of course I was not mad at myself for that, but I was scared.

My friends did an amazing job of helping me calm my system as we finished the walk back to the hotel. My foot hurt significantly more than it had before, but I could tell I had not done any damage. The next morning my foot looked…. well, better than it had in a while actually, so I knew I was okay.

*Back to comfort zones*

The comfort zone I realized last week I had been keeping myself in was my work, especially when it comes to opportunities within the sustainability and running intersection.

Over the past year, when attending conferences and events, I felt like I knew a big percentage of the people there. I could walk into any room and quickly find people I know. I had become the go-to person in the running space to learn about sustainability, and that is amazing; it has given me so many opportunities.

I had become maybe not the most knowledgeable person in the room, but certainly the person who most people knew had knowledge in that area.

Last week though, when I walked into the Green Sports Alliance Conference, I only knew a handful of people. I had that familiar awkward sensation we all know, when it feels as though everyone else knows one another.

Over the course of the next few days, I met so many amazing people doing work that I deeply admire in the climate x sports space; I soaked up so many nuggets of wisdom from other humans whom I can learn and grow from.

But I also realized something else. I can play in the arena (to use a sports analogy) of sports and environmentalism too. I don’t have to simply confine myself to running and stay there. I can grow my work to larger than that; I can work with organizations, companies, and brands that are bigger and broader.

I got to present the Innovation in Social and Community Impact Award to the World Surf League at the awards celebration, and learned that while running is very niche, it is respected within the sport space, and has the potential to be a leader in the sports x environmentalism movement.

Sport has the power to impact and influence behaviors in a way that almost no other area can, and I look forward to seeing what I can do there.

So I ask you, is there a way that you have settled lately? A way that you have leaned on what you know and what feels safe where you can push out and go bigger?

Give it a go.

This week on the Running For Real podcast...

Here's the official description:
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When Alex Hermanson, a.k.a. “Herm Runs,” started following other runners on social media, “I didn't really see anyone that I personally related with wholeheartedly,” he recalls. “So I was like, ‘I'm just going to go make that myself.’” That was in late 2022, and now the self-described “big dude who runs a lot” has an online community of almost 100K and an in-person running group, the Not Yet Named Run Club.

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Here's the real deal:

I asked my friend Sid Baptista who I should have on the podcast, Alex/Herm was one of the first names he said. As soon as I checked out his page, I absolutely fell in love with his content on Instagram. He is "real" in the most "running for real" way possible, and he is a breath of fresh air in this highlight reel world we live in. I strongly encourage you to listen to this (we had a very humble and refreshing conve

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So much of what you see publicly from me comes from what my amazing team is able to support me with behind the scenes, and my content and operations manager, Sally, has created a place for you to read back through past newsletters. Thank you to those of you who suggested this over the last few months, here it is:

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I am at my final checkup with my surgeon today after a few extra days in LA; hopefully he says all is well. If you want to see how the past few weeks have been with regards to my recovery, you can check out this IG reel I made below:

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I did a sound bath (meditation) last week to recenter myself after an intense conference in Downtown LA (Downtown LA is definitely not my kinda place!), and it was wonderful. I suspect it may only be a NYC/California thing right now, but if you are feeling overwhelmed and have the opportunity to do it near you, I loved it.

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Come join me in Costa Rica in November

I have always wanted to visit this beautiful place, and I am excited that with Aire Libre, now I can. I am not someone who wants to celebrate Thanksgiving (for many reasons!), so this is perfect timing for me, and if this is you, maybe this is the sign you have been looking for.

You can get 10% off with code TINAMUIR

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Did you order a copy of Middletide yet? It was picked as one of Amazon's top books of 2024; so excited for my dear friend, Sarah Crouch!

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“My comfort zone is like a little bubble around me, and I’ve pushed it in different directions and made it bigger and bigger until these objectives that seemed totally crazy eventually fall within the realm of the possible.”
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​- Alex Honnold

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Thanks to our partner, HydraPak

The video I made at La Jolla about reusable cups is still very much viral, and I would say 70% of comments are positive and supportive of the idea of transitioning away from disposables in races. While there is a lot of work to do and a long way to go to adapt this concept to bigger races and to those trying to squeeze every ounce of potential out of themselves, it shows that in general, the running community is ready.

If you have been thinking of giving it a try, my favorite item of all is the HydraPak 350ml Skyflask, I have used it it multiple races and loved it, especially with the flip-top refill. I also love the UltraFlask with the longer nozzle for putting in my hydration vest.

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Be kind to one another, yourself, and this beautiful planet of ours.

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Enjoying these? Why not forward to a friend who may enjoy. Encourage them to sign up and get these emails on a Monday too.

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