prevention

I originally wanted to call this section "GREEN" but as I thought about it more, I realized how off-putting this word can be. There is a recent backlash to self-identifying yourself as being "green", as if it's some badge of honor. I just think there are too many political ramifications to this word and though in practice, it's a great thing, I just want to choose a more neutral word. Why not go spanish then (after all, I spent 7 years learning the language) and call the section "VERDE" (phonetic pronunciation: VAIR-day), which means green. I wasn't exactly sure what I would be doing in 2008 but a recent visit to the Monterey Bay Aquarium gave me the idea of going VERDE for 2008. I stumbled upon an aquarium billboard that explained what happens to all the cigarettes that get tossed in the streets (probably my biggest pet peeve) and after my brief education, it was pretty clear to me that I would "race" awareness about Mother Earth in 2008. Pretty simple stuff. I'll most likely try to give tips on being verde as it pertains to living an active, exercise conscientious lifestyle. Should you feel a need to be a bit more verde at some point in your life, here's a place you can start. I post tips and stories as I learn about them so if you have something to contribute, send it my way (kiet[at]racingawareness[dot]org).


Why VERDE?
I originally wanted to call this section "GREEN" but as I thought about it more, I realized how off-putting this word can be. There is a recent backlash to self-identifying yourself as being "green", as if it's some badge of honor. I just think there are too many political ramifications to this word and though in practice, it's a great thing, I just want to choose a more neutral word. Why not go spanish then (after all, I spent 7 years learning the language) and call the section "VERDE" (phonetic pronunciation: VAIR-day), which means green. I wasn't exactly sure what I would be doing in 2008 but a recent visit to the Monterey Bay Aquarium gave me the idea of going VERDE for 2008. I stumbled upon an aquarium billboard that explained what happens to all the cigarettes that get tossed in the streets (probably my biggest pet peeve) and after my brief education, it was pretty clear to me that I would "race" awareness about Mother Earth in 2008. Pretty simple stuff. I'll most likely try to give tips on being verde as it pertains to living an active, exercise conscientious lifestyle. Should you feel a need to be a bit more verde at some point in your life, here's a place you can start. I post tips and stories as I learn about them so if you have something to contribute, send it my way (kiet[at]racingawareness[dot]org).
Simple (not so obvious) Things You Can Do To Help Mother Earth:	More Info/Reading:
1. Check out greendimes.com; makes a good gift 2. Don't buy bottled water; we have the best drinking water in the world and it's FREE. No need for all those plastic bottles. 3 . Dilute as many products as you can with water to prolong use (e.g. shampoo, gatorade, juices, etc...) 4. Purchase a Cool Tag from Clifbar (or some other carbon off-set program) 5. Buy bamboo products (flooring, sheets, even underwear) which are more eco-friendly to produce 6. Growing one cotton t-shirt requires 256 gallons of water, buy used clothing every now and then 7. Never leave the water running whether it is to shave, wash dishes, clean vegetables, and limit using the garbage disposal 8. Check out http://afitplanet.com/	• Being green is definitely invading the triathlon community, whether it's Chris Lieto at the greenathlete or this article recently penned at XTRI.com...read more. • I was driving home the other night and realized that not only does my Prius get good gas mileage, it also teaches me to drive more efficiently and greener...read more. • Updated April 8: I guess I didn't do enough research as I recently was turned on to a better carbon offset company, Carbonfund.org. Unlike Terrapass, Carbonfund.org is a non-profit and being the socialist that I am, for profit just doesn't sit well with me. Like Terrapass, Carbonfund invests in renewable energy and energy efficiency programs but unlike Terrapass, Carbonfund also invests in reforestation AND you get to choose which of the three you want your carbon offset money to go to. So, reduce what you can and offset what you can't. I will offset my carbon footprint incurred from traveling for racing/training this year. Click here here to go to Carbonfund's carbon calculator and see what you need to offset. • Jeff Henderson over at Inside Triathlon recently penned a great article on consumption and the sport of triathlon. I don't think the article is trying to point the finger at anyone but it simply serves as a reality check to us all. Jeff and his wife swam with my masters team during their brief stint of living in the bay area and I've really come to enjoy all of his articles. I like his writing style and I like his perspectives even more. Click here to read the article (be warned, it's really long, it was a three part article that I condensed into one).