Last week I was punched in the gut pretty hard by the most blatant and harmful greenwashing I have personally come across. Something that made thousands, if not tens or hundreds of thousands, think that they were doing the right thing, when it was in fact, all a lie.

I know I am being vague, and I have to be, because my goal is to make the buck stop with me. I will push this to change, especially as it is such a HUGE operation (and huge opportunity for the individuals involved to do the right thing), but that is my priority, not to publicly shame them; that is not how I work. I genuinely believe that in most cases, shaming does the opposite of what we want it to do. It also makes me look like I am someone who is doing the work for the wrong reasons (fear, my own shame, unresolved personal conflicts), rather than the reasons I strive to be doing it for (love of our planet and the living beings on it).

So behind the scenes I push, but I'll be honest, it left me feeling pretty deflated. When I spend my life, my work, my heart showing you that your voice matters, your choices matter, to see a textbook example of where that is just not enough, it hurts.

That said, these things happen. Last year at Chicago Marathon I had a meltdown moment where I felt I just couldn't go on. It wasn't anything to do with the sustainability team there who were working so damn hard to make the race as environmentally conscious as they absolutely could. I knew the work they had put in, but sometimes that's what makes it even harder; so much time, energy, heart, love goes into something and it feels like it is not enough.

And yet....that is what makes this work so rewarding, that a lot of the time it does feel like the world is against you, that time is not on our side, that we are fighting a losing battle.

Still, we keep going, because what choice do we have? Give up and just accept that the world is a lost cause?

Even if I wanted to do that, and felt that humans were past the point of being able to change, I would fight on for the rest of the planet, for all the other biodiversity and living organisms that certainly do not deserve to lose their homes, their lives. We are all interconnected, I believe that to my core, so one of us hurting means all of us are still hurting. One living being's pain/extinction affects all of us.

I know I can't change everyone, but what I can do is continue to try, continue to do my best, even in an imperfect world where our best isn't enough.

This week on the Running For Real podcast...

Here's the official description:

In the documentary 26.2 TO LIFE, Rahsaan “New York” Thomas inspired audiences as he trained to run a marathon behind the walls of San Quentin Prison. He wasn’t only preparing for a race; he was working to become the best person that he could be, even though he knew that he might never go home. He became an acclaimed journalist; producer of the Pulitzer Prize-nominated podcast, Ear Hustle; and Executive Director of Empowerment Avenue, a nonprofit established to normalize the inclusion of incarcerated writers and artists in mainstream venues.

Here's the real deal:

You will hear me mention it in the episode, but I cannot tell you the last time I was so emotionally invested in someone's future (that I didn't know), as I was with Rahsaan's. I was so amazed by the journey he took to come to accept some of the choices he made in his past, and use his time to give back to make the world better in his own way. The documentary was really hard-hitting; this episode will show you why.

My two Climate Week NYC events in New York are just a week away!

Come join me for a mindfulness/connection run/walk (and yes, you can walk, I will be walking a big chunk of it!) with Imagine 5 at 7:30 a.m. on September 24th. New York can be chaotic, and this will be very grounding.

I will be at NYRR Run Center that evening for a Sustainability in Sports conversation with some amazing guests: Fiona Morgan, SailGP's Chief Purpose Officer; Annie Horn, Director, Social Responsibility & Sustainability at the National Basketball Association (NBA); Jessica R. Murfree, PhD, sport ecologist, researcher, and professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

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Running Chicago?

Remember, you can carry your own handheld or belt, and there will be water refill stations at miles 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17, 19, signposted and with jugs/pitchers (and a volunteer). Help me spread the word, if you or a friend are running!

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In, but not running Chicago? Would love to have you join the Green Team as a volunteer. While I said I had a meltdown last year, that was unrelated to my exprience with the sustainability team; in fact, they give me life and hope in so many ways. It was just one of those days. If you could give up one day of your time, you could feel empowered, inspired, and joyful, as you are doing something to lift that fear of the future off your heart and do your part.

Reply to this email if you are interested (or forward it to someone who might be).

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I teared up watching part 2 of my friend Dan Churchill's documentary about the Leadville 100 Mile. I mentioned in a previous newsletter that I was more inspired by his race than by my best friend, Ryan (Montgomery) finishing 3rd, because there is something about those people who barely made it before the cutoff that make me believe that I can too.

This documentary was beautifully put together, and is well worth the time to watch. Part 1 is here and part 2 is here, and you may just see a familiar face as Dan comes up the finishing straight with 30 minutes to spare before the cutoff.

“How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.”

Anne Frank

Thanks to our partner, Precision Fuel & Hydration

I cannot begin to tell you how much joy it brought me to see Precision and California International Marathon announce their partnership last week. I have known this was coming for a while, and I cannot think of a better combination than those two. Now tens of thousands of runners will get to use their products (maybe some of you!!) and see how well they work, what I have been raving about!

My favorite items?

The original gel, mint and lemon chews (those make a welcome taste change, and they can be broken down easier than other chews on the market, so don't require a ton of energy), and I use the PH 1000 electrolytes. Remember, if you aren't sure how much to use, they have a free fuel and hydration planner.​

Even if you aren't racing CIM, this might be the nudge you need to try Precision; I fueled my 50 miler off pure Precision, and it went well. I fully intend to use it for my races back (hopefully!) in the next 6 months!

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

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