An Environmentalist’s Marathon
For the last four months, I have been training for the big day: preparing my body to run 26.2 miles in the ING NYC Marathon. On many of my weekly long runs, I wondered whether I could use the marathon training analogy to inspire budding environmentalists. Becoming an environmentalist, like a marathoner, doesn’t happen overnight. Like all personal achievements, these take time. One needs to decide that they are willing to put the physical and mental energy into the effort. Sometimes, one even needs to commit a bit of money into the cause, like new shoes and wind-sourced electricity.
One of the most frequent comments I get to my marathoning is “wow, I could never do that.” I always respond in the same way: you start with one mile, then work your way up to three. Soon enough, you’re comfortable doing 5, try for 6 – and you realize you have it. It’s a gradual process, but anyone can do it. So goes with environmentalism. Start with a simple action – one that you could imagine getting used to doing on a regular basis. Once you have that down, add another, then another. It takes time, but soon enough you’ll start living in more eco-friendly ways.
Surprisingly for some, marathoning can be a bit easier than becoming an environmentalist. After all, I have spent only 4 months training and, after Sunday, I’ll be done. A commitment to environmentalism is a commitment for life. Hopefully, it will play a role in everyday actions and decisions.
And then there are the fans – on Sunday, thousands of New Yorkers (and my friends and family whom I appreciate enormously) line the streets of the five boroughs to encourage us runners on. Their cheers and support ease the challenge of the marathon. Personal challenges are rarely so encouraged by our friends, let alone strangers.
This week, my “challenge” is to not overwork my body, carb-load, and wish for good weather (not so hard). Sunday I put in my all for a few hours and then I rest, a satisfied person.
