Earth Day for the triathlete
April 22nd, 2008 Categories: San Diego County Triathlon Race Reports, Triathlon Club of San Diego Race Reports
SAN DIEGO– Today after my swim I had a ‘light bulb’ moment. Since today 
is Earth Day, I should write an entry based on things we can do or use to be more earth friendly. Unfortunately, it’s a little too late to research that post, but what caused the light to come on? A swim chamois.
I wish I could say that I thought this through, but see I always forget to bring a towel. Additionally I ride when I can to the pool so I prefer to travel light. These two reasons led me to buy the chamois and it’s been great. I can wring it out, throw it in its container and leave it in my bag. No smell, no forgetting a towel. Today though, the eco benefit presented itself.
According to SDGE, the average household does 400 loads of laundry a year. Another source states that the average washer uses 40 gallon of water. Now without counting the energy used to heat the water used in the washing machine, the energy use of the dryer and the soap, I figure I am saving about 2300 gallons of water and if you read my blog you know water is a big concern of mine. This is based on 1 load a week of towels I would use if not using the chamois. Again there would be additional savings of electricty, natural gas and chemicals which is a cleaner environment and more money in your pocket.
If you have any enviro friendly suggestions that pertain to the active lifestyle please post them in the commment section.
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brian- awesome idea- i need to get me one of those! and it makes all the difference not to have to carry a huge towel on your back…happy earth day!
Comment by beth gerdes — April 22, 2008 #
Good idea for a post; great blog! A woman in SDTC directed me here to read the Boston Marathon story below…where there’s a will, there’s a way.
All that’s leaping to mind are the most obvious - ride your bike rather than drive when you can.
I guess eating locally and healthfully is of some benefit to the earth. Both of those are definitely within the triathlete’s capacity.
What about making your own mid-workout snacks out of whole foods (peanut butter and jelly sandwiches instead of bars; honey instead of commercial gels; OJ and salt instead of sports drinks) to cut down on packaging?
Focusing more on local races would cut down on driving/flying long distances.
Patching your tubes instead of just throwing them away? Crazy talk!
Comment by tasterspoon — April 23, 2008 #