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I see my path.

I know my role.

The signs have been there all along, and now I see it.

The reactions to the videos I shared last week about the reusable cups and refill stations were, as you can imagine with a viral video, varied (trolls love to criticize!). But the vast majority were not only positive, but excited. Hundreds of people have shared those videos, asking their communities to get on board, questioning how we can bring this to more races, and tagging races that they care about in the comments, asking them to do this too.

I may not be the smartest person out there in the sustainability world. I don't have the degrees, the certifications, the formal education on what the science says about what is best.

What I do have is the ability to bring people into the conversation.

Although I believe that we can live in a world that is not so focused on consumerism and capitalism, we are not there yet. Most people are not ready yet, and if we try to force people there through methods that are (considered) extreme, i.e., scary because they are so far removed from what people know, we will never get anywhere.

I have the ability to plant the seeds to get them started.

While I care so deeply about this topic that it fills my thoughts all day, every day, and I want people to be shocked into seeing what I am seeing so that they change their behavior, I have learned that shocking people with facts, figures, and how precarious our situation is only paralyzes them, so they feel helpless and don't act at all.

I have the ability to provide hope.

As I look back on the first 35 years of my life, I see some common themes that are shaping this journey and allowing me to build upon my strengths.

I have always been able to give people the permission to not be perfect that they so badly want through my own vulnerable and imperfect actions.

I have always been a bridge between groups that struggle to understand one another, finding common ground and helping them to see the other's perspective.

And my favorite thing in the world to do is connect people, especially when it comes to bringing people I care about together.

Clearly, I don't have life figured out. I know there will be twists and turns that are unexpected and harder than I could ever imagine, but I do know that I will work through those as best I can when they come to me, just as I have with my Achilles surgery.

My role is to bring this climate movement within the running community, to gather us together to work as one. To find ways to unite (most of) us into taking action, whatever action means to each individual.

Will those initial actions affect global emissions? Absolutely not, but they are a stepping stone to more and more involvement, to talking about it more, to speaking up, and when we organize and mobilize together, the running community is unstoppable. That is where we will force the systems to change, which is where the real impact happens.

If you are struggling with your place in the world, I hope that in this email, I showed you that the signs have been there all along. Think about what your strengths are; if you are unsure, ask a friend or family member who can reveal them to you; think about the compliments that loved ones have given you over the years about what you do well.

Then think about what passion lights your heart up, what is something you have always been conscious of or bothered by or wanted to change. I have often shared that I loved the movie FernGully as a child. That was a sign that environmental action was important to me. It is also why when people ask me if I am a dog or a cat person, I say "I am a tree person."

If you feel lost, the signs are there for you.

Only when we all come into our strengths, organize with others who care too, and break free of the habits that keep us held down, will we truly be able to figure out solutions to these giant problems.

I believe in us; I believe in you.

This week on the Running For Real podcast...

Here's the official description:

Chef Dan Churchill uses food as a way to inspire people to live the best life possible. He has a Masters in Exercise Science and was a strength and conditioning coach before switching his focus to nutrition. His recipe for success, whether he’s training for an ultramarathon or developing an actual recipe for his new cookbook, Eat Like a Legend or his Brooklyn restaurant, The Osprey, is simple: “Get the reps in.”

Here's the real deal:

In the day before my surgery, Dan checked in to see how I was. I asked him if he wanted the real answer, and I gave it. That I was freaking out, and that for some unknown reason, the only thing that soothed me was Backstreet Boys. Dan sent me a voice memo singing Backstreet Boys as he bopped along the road and asked me to join in. That's just how he is.

I have been there for his toughest moments too, especially at Leadville when his race crumbled before his eyes. Brian Reynolds and I arrived a little while later and I was able to be there for him during his heartbreak.

Dan might seem like he has everything together, but in this episode we talk about vulnerability (and you also see it on his YouTube tv show when Dan and I talked about his goal setting as we walked around Boston), about how to handle things going wrong, and how to take care of your body (yes, even if you are not an athlete). I have seen the rewards of doing that in the 5 weeks since my surgery, and you will be amazed if you give it a chance.

Always dreamed of visiting Costa Rica? Me too! Let's go together this November.

You can get 10% off with code TINAMUIR

I also had a great conversation with Aire Libre for their podcast; the episode came out this week. I have never thought about many of the topics Mau and I covered, be sure to take a listen.

Dan's book, Eat Like a Legend, is packed full of delicious recipes. Steve and I have made four of them already and loved them all. If you want to eat more nourishing foods to take care of your body that actually taste amazing, check it out.

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Something to think (and laugh... and maybe cry) about...
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Thanks to our partner, Tracksmith

There is rarely a day that goes by when I am not in Tracksmith. Yes, I have run many miles in their clothes; the original items they have sent have been soaked in sweat hundreds of times and maintained their quality, but what I also love about these items is that they work for day-to-day too. I can put together multiple Tracksmith items for two to three days of use before I put them on to run...or in my current state, bike on the stationary trainer, for a few more days.

Buying high quality, durable clothing items that can handle almost a week of wear before needing a wash is something that we need to do to counter the fast fashion industry that tells us to purchase new items every week. I'm wearing my Session Speed Shorts as I type this, which have been my pajama bottoms for the past three days and will become my workout shorts later this morning.

If you have not yet tried Tracksmith clothing, you will see what the fuss is about once you do. I asbolutely love when people say they wanted to hate it...but they couldn't once they tried it on. Their clothes are that good!

Not sure where to start? Session Speed Shorts, Horizon or Harrier tank, and my all time fave, Brighton Base layer.

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

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