WAY late this week. Hi, Thursday! That is what happens when you are nonstop at a board meeting followed by a conference, then zip home a little early to surprise your kids, only to realize a few hours later that they don't just have a cold, but the flu.

Yep, been a tough few days in our household, and of course, Steve and I are yet to find out if we have it or will somehow dodge it, to be continued...

On Tuesday evening, I returned from the Running USA Conference in Louisville, Kentucky. I loved that it was close enough that I could drive the four hours to get there. On the way there, I had my close friend (and previous podcast guest), J, which made the time fly.

On the way back, I processed the experience with a few friends and had the most amazing, awe-inspiring moment of seeing hundreds of thousands of birds dancing in the air, others resting on the land on both sides of the highway. With the backdrop of the sunset and silhouetted trees, it was one of those "whoa!" moments that truly grounds you in the present.

For the record, I was in Indiana, with nothing around me but fields and scattered trees; I was not driving through mountains or lush forests. To some, that was probably a boring drive, but for me, it was awe inspiring in the best way, a reminder that Mother Earth knows what she is doing; we just need to let her heal.

Okay, I'll back off the woo woo train, and come back to the conference.

You may be wondering:

What is Running USA?

Well, as someone who has been on the Board for the last 18 months, I intimately know this nonprofit, and while it is best known for this conference it puts on every year, the team of four staff, along with those of us on the Board, are putting in work year-round to help make the running industry the place we believe it can be.

Still, what is it? Let me set some context; I'm getting to the point ;)

We have an "Emerging Leaders" program, where we bring eight people to the conference who are doing incredible work in their own communities (not really "emerging," they are already fierce, strong leaders). We give them the opportunity to connect with the decision makers in the industry and present on topics important to them.

One of the emerging leaders this year, James Dowell, founder of Prolyfyck Run Crew, said that he felt Running USA was the "pulse" of running, which I feel helps to describe what Running USA is, not only during the conference, but also the rest of the year. We see it as a place to push forward innovation, new voices and faces, and help the sport become a welcoming and inclusive place for all to join the running world. It is the central hub where the running industry comes together.

I hosted a few events, with my primary focus being a panel on the main stage on sustainability for small to medium races.

While most of the time the eyeballs are on the biggest races in the world, I wanted to show smaller races that they may have cost-saving methods they can take advantage of by prioritizing sustainability, and that those efforts don't require much time or energy at all.

We talked about the La Jolla Half Marathon, which boldly moved away from disposables and instead gave every runner a HydraPak reusable cup. You may remember my Instragm video about that race last year.​

I did my best to show that, like our individual actions, it's not about a small number of races (or people) trying (and failing) to do everything, it's about everyone doing a small amount (something).

It's hard to know with a topic like sustainability how much it truly landed; it's not exactly the subject most people were excited for on the schedule; but I do feel proud of the engagement and connection I felt with the audience. I could see inspiration on their faces.

And yes, with a lot of the changes being pushed through the past few weeks, it is easy to feel defeated, and wonder what the point is of doing this at all.

Once again though, I am focusing on what I, Tina, have the unique ability to change, and I encourage you to do the same. There are movements building; there are people who will step up as leaders to resist (maybe you are one of them); but the most important thing is that we look inwards to find what we are best at, where we can use our time as individuals to support our community and the things we care about most.

Trying to do everything, we will burn out and accomplish less (or nothing), but by looking at our greatest strengths and unique skills to see where we shine, we can use those strengths to find our place in what is to come.

As with last week, if you need to rest or grieve, listen to that. This is going to be a long road; we need you healthy.

For me, the word "connector" comes up over and over again, and so I will focus on that, connecting my community, connecting to runners, connecting to race directors.

Is it going to change the world? No, probably not, but I am gonna try anyway, and you will feel better if you try too.

If you aren't sure where your strengths lie, Jeremy from our Running For Real team helped really hone in on that for me, and maybe he can do a consult with you too.

One final thing about the Running USA, next year's conference was announced to be.... St. Louis, Missouri. You better believe I am excited!

This week on the Running For Real podcast...

Here's the official description:

Olivia Baker is a serious runner - her achievements at the high school, collegiate, and professional levels attest to that. She never loses sight of the fact that there’s much more to running than the results on paper though; there’s sportsmanship, camaraderie, inspiration, and most of all, fun.

Here's the real deal:

I was on Olivia's podcast with Atlanta Track Club, Runners Who Read, and I just loved her energy and excitement for life. I knew Olivia had struggled with some disappointing performances, but also many many moments where she was unstoppable. I wanted to get behind all of it and know what she was thinking, and how she stayed on track when it got really tough. Come join us if you are in a setback; reframing your thinking can go a long way.

Come join me at the Boston Run Show (combined with the Boston Outdoor Expo ) on March 1-2 at the BCEC, in the Seaport!

Whether you’re planning your next race, running goals, or camping trip, hiking, biking, or mountain adventure, this event is packed with inspiration and activities for the whole family. It’s the ultimate day out with incredible value and fun for everyone!

• Get to know over 200 brands.
• Hear Boston running legends Des Linden, Meb Keflezighi, trail running heroes, Lazarus Lake, Dylan Bowman and more! Meet outdoor legends like Alpinist Conrad Anker, ALONE’s Jessie Krebs, bushcraft expert Tim Swanson, and Mardi Fuller.
• Test your skills on the new climbing wall, pump track, and trail running zone.
• Book races in the Race Village, get your gait analysis and shoes fitted, donate pre-loved running shoes to Soles4Souls.
• Chill out with zen yoga or dive into adventure with ice baths and bushcraft workshops.

​Tickets are FREE until mid-February (worth $20) – grab them fast, use promo code:TMUIR​

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Running the United Airlines NYC Half in March? I will be (yay!) and would love to have you come join me for a plog from the NYRR Run Center on Saturday March 15. Sign up here.​

My friend, Chris Burroughs, was on a recent episode of PBS' Fresh Glass, well worth a watch if you need a dose of inspriration.​

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Once I learned to like me more than others did, then I didn't have to worry about being the funniest or the most popular or the prettiest. I was the best me and I only ever tried to be that.

-Issa Rae

Thanks to our partner, HydraPak

HydraPak joined me on stage for my sustainability talk, and it was really cool to hear the feedback afterwards that race organizers were excited by the possibilities of how to shift their runners away from disposable cups and towards the innovative products HydraPak makes.

You know by now, my favorite item is the Skyflask 350ml....

but if you are looking for speed, they nailed the Tempo Pro. It is easy to drink from, lightweight, and maybe best of all, REALLY easy to clean!

As a friend of mine, you can get 10% off with code TINAMUIR10

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

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