It was Saturday morning, 6 a.m. I stood at the two-mile water station.

In 15 minutes, 6200 runners would begin their race at the La Jolla Half Marathon and 5k, and I felt nervous.

There was a LOT riding on this. A lot of eyes on this, a lot of potential for this to be an industry changing moment; I genuinely believed that.

The race organizer for the World Athletics Road Running Championships (yes, the one I am Sustainability Director for) was watching, as was the partnership manager, and other races had people there to watch.

We organized as best we could, and then as the fastest runners worked their way through the aid station, I got to see just how fast they moved (yes, I know, I know, I was up there once, I should know, but it's a different perspective when you are looking through the eyes of a a volunteer at a refill station).

A few tried to fill cups, but we failed to get really any water in their cups....

Granted, this was the first few people coming through, so the volunteers hadn't gotten into a rhythm yet, and for all of us, this was a first. Maui Marathon having reusable cups for 500 people was one thing, multiple thousands was another.

It became clear in that moment that we have to figure out something for the fastest people. Elite athletes will continue to have their bottles handed to them, but what about the sub elites? What about those running between 2:20 and 3:00 marathon pace (or in this case, 1:10-1:30 pace)? For those runners, refilling a cup on the run was simply not going to work, nor would they be prepared to slow down enough to get a refill.

That problem will wait; that is something I intend to focus on in the years to come, to ask about in the years to come, and if you have suggestions, I am all ears.

I personally believe that group is primed for carrying one simple 350ml bottle and filling it with their hydration/fuel of choice. These SkyFlasks have come a hell of a long way from what most of us think of as a handheld....and most runners train carrying water anyway, but beyond that, suggest away.

Excluding that group of runners, the hydration station was a big success.

Was it perfect? Absolutely not, but this video shows how quickly runners could go through the water station. A few seconds lost in slowing down, maybe, but that's where I think that if time is a concern, sipping water from a handheld throughout is going to give runners seconds back over choking down a cup of water and having to catch their breath for a few minutes every few miles.

90% of the feedback we received afterwards was, "That wasn't that bad!" A backhanded compliment, yes, but we are also asking them to adjust to a BIG change in the way things are done.

We have some feedback on how to change the logistics and layout, but I genuinely believe that once people get used to the idea, this will be the way forward.

Does this make a huge difference to carbon emissions? No, but I do think this could be a real turning point in the minds of runners that when we all come together to make a small change and begin our environmental journey, we can do something powerful together.

And I, for one, am excited.

Let's go!

This week on the Running For Real podcast...

Here's the official description:

Tina ran her first ultra, the Bryce Canyon 50 Miler, a year ago. She finished first female and third overall, and felt good afterwards, except for one thing - her heel. She learned that she had a Haglund’s Deformity which impacted her Achilles tendon. After exhausting every other option, she had surgery last month. In this episode, she shares about the operation and her plans for the future, especially her role as an environmentalist.

Here's the real deal:

I have a lot to fill you in on (although it was recorded before this race, so you know the ending of that part, but kinda makes it more fun). I had a lot to share physically, mentally, and emotionally.

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I mentioned in the podcast about coming with me to Costa Rica at the end of November; you can get 10% off with code TINAMUIR if you are thinking about it.

Speaking of Aire Libre, I wrote a sustainable traveler guide for them, and you may be surprised by what I had to say...

On that note, if it has been a while since you checked out our options of sustainable packing guides and city guides, check them out below:

I am adding articles weekly to my Medium account, related to environmental curiosity, if you want to follow along. Another article is coming on Wednesday.

We have all known the long loneliness and we have learned that the only solution is love and that love comes with community. -Dorothy Day

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

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