Courtesy of Holter Graham
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Perambulation is arguably the greenest form of transport. And walking is not only planet-healthy, it is person-healthy. People on their feet tend to have higher fitness levels and weigh less, and that helps the world all the way back up the transportation ladder--the lighter you are, the less fuel you use when in a vehicle. See, everything's interconnected.
As an ongoing part of my desire to stay healthy and use less carbon--as well as whatever personal issues I have with masochism--I ran the NY Half Marathon last weekend, finishing in 1:37:32. Not a personal best, but pretty good for me when the intense humidity is taken into consideration: there were people literally dropping to the ground and convulsing in the gutter around me the last few miles, so I am happy with my performance.
But back to the green aspects of all this. I woke up at 4:40am, when the day is coolest, so I did not use any AC in getting ready.
I ate a bowl of Grape Nuts. I find Grape Nuts are a good pre-run food in warm weather, and Oatmeal is good in cold weather. They are healthy foods that have the ability to sit calmly in the stomach and give you a good foundation for the day's efforts, lasting longer than some high-energy sugary foods that will leave you tired sooner. Just give yourself an hour or two to let them settle.
Then I took the efficient NY City Subway to New York's lungs, Central Park. Not only does the subway use less fuel per person traveling than most other options for transportation, but the NY Subway is also helping to revive fish populations in the Atlantic
Then I ran 13.1 miles, traveling most of Manhattan in less than two hours. I saw some sights, heard some great music (the race was supported by local bands along the route), visited with lots of cheerful and supportive strangers, and burned in the neighborhood of 1700 calories (where you can plot your workouts and find out how much energy you use)----which is approximately a day of free eating for someone my size.
I also raised money and awareness for TFK, the Charity group with whom I run--we get physical and health education to children in underprivileged areas around the country and the world. To Donate to my NY Marathon Run, click here (my # is: 240367, and my team is Team For Kids.)
At the beginning and end of the race I was handed as recyclable a bottle of water as you can get in mass-production http://www.polandspring.com/DoingOurPart/EcoShapeBottle.aspx, and during the race I am sure there was a little less driving in the city because 6 miles of the West Side Highway were closed.
I have not found a reliable food-to-effort calculator, but I can safely say that I had a wonderful day, saw NY's sights, got some exercise, kept my weight down, kept my heart and body in good shape, and, if my math is correct, averaged about 13 MPG--Miles Per GrapeNuts.
