Look And Feel Green: Triathlete’s Eco Friendly Gear
You’re just coming up on mile 10. You’ve had an amazing race so far. The weather is on the mild side; the sun is out but not in an overly strong manner.
The field is a perfect size; it’s big enough to be thrilling yet not so congested with limbs. You swam excellently and were able to transition from the water to your bike with ease.
Your running has been robust up to this point and you’re feeling terrific. When approaching the water station, the runners all fight for a good spot — being near the edge of the group will allow you to get through the water station quickly.
It is essential to keep at a steady pace for two primary motivations: maintaining progress and avoiding falling on any of the many cups that athletes had left scattered on the ground.
However, there are usually more than just cups that are thrown away at numerous triathlons. The amount of trash remaining after today’s competitions was unimaginable in 1974, the year the Mission Bay Triathlon made the multi-sport event well-known.
There were only 46 contestants and a small number of witnesses, so not much was required to put on the race.
The triathlon has experienced a surge in popularity over a short period. Beginning as an insignificant celebration on America’s West Coast, the event has mutated into an internationally renowned sport, with hundreds of annual tournaments and tens of thousands of participants.
Green Triathlon Events
A triathlon that follows traditional protocol entails a competition with three distinct components — swimming, cycling, and running — all fused into one race. Triathlons are becoming more popular, leading to an increase in the garbage produced at each race.
Paper cups scattered along the roads and race T-shirts produced in foreign countries are indicative of the fact that triathlons have a larger effect on the environment than what may be expected.
Additionally, race participants are leaving behind plastic bottles and food packages along the path, in addition to the pre-race packages made of plastic and paper materials used for advertising. Gasoline is also being deposited into the environment, due to its usage in boats, cars, motorcycles and buses which bring athletes to the event.
Race organizers and triathletes have not failed to take note of this issue. Realization of how one ethnic group affects its surroundings – and all of the trash produced – is shifting the attitude when it comes to consuming in triathlons.
The Freshwater Trust Portland Triathlon Directors established the Council for Responsible Sport to bolster ‘green’ performance at sporting events in the areas of waste disposal, climate, equipment, materials, community involvement, health promotion and innovation.
A ranking system is used to sort triathlons based on how many green points each one earns; the more points, the higher it is placed as a sustainable sporting event. To be certified as “green” by the Council for Responsible Sport, triathlons must satisfy a list of criteria including:
- Recycling of cardboard, paper, metal, plastic and glass
- Food waste composted or donated to local charities
- Reduction of how much waste one participant creates
- Use of alternative fuels to power race vehicles and transport athletes
- Consumption of local foods
Tri Sustainability organized three triathlons in Boulder, Colorado that made impressive progress towards creating more “green” sporting events. The triathlon organizers teamed up with local parties all in the pursuit of their goal of “zero waste, carbon neutral and local” to make up for the event’s influence on the local area’s atmosphere.
The results speak for themselves. Tri Sustainability recycled 3,350 gallons of combined materials such as plastic, paper, and metal, saved 38 trees by collecting more than 4,000 pounds of cardboard, and gathered up 19,649 pounds of compostable material.
Tri Sustainability is determined to boost its greening activities and continually enhance its method for designing ecologically friendly triathlons.
Athletes put in exhaustive hours of work to give their utmost during competition. Organizers of “environmentally friendly” triathlons are now establishing objectives to reduce their ecological footprint while boosting knowledge of ecology. In the upcoming part, we will get an insight into the newest fashions in sports equipment.
Green Triathlon Gear
When you’re finished with them, bikes, running shoes, swim caps, and any clothing used for racing have to be thrown away. Every year, tons of gear wind up in landfills.
It has been suggested by many experts that running shoes should be changed every 300 to 500 miles (483 to 800 kilometres) to illustrate the issue.
When you take a newly purchased pair out of the box, you most likely will discard your old ones at a landfill. If you run for the equivalent of 1,500 miles (2,400 kilometres) in the course of a year, you should plan to get at least three brand-new pairs of running shoes. After two decades of running, you’ll have disposed of sixty pairs of jogging shoes in the trash.
If you include the millions of runners around the globe who replace at least three pairs of shoes annually, this statistic is even more impressive. That’s quite a few shoes going into a landfill.
Environmentally friendly equipment has been released on the market in recent times. An illustration is that Brooks has created a running shoe that is eco-friendly and will naturally decompose.
Instead of employing ethylene vinyl acetate, which decomposes in a thousand years, the sole is fashioned with BioMoGo, which biodegrades in two decades.
The achievable outcome could prevent the accumulation of 30 million pounds of waste. Brooks is making this technology available to the public, which increases the chance that fewer running shoes will be discarded in the trash.
Taking note of the apparel worn for running activities is another key factor in creating eco-friendly equipment. Many companies produce goods with organic colourants (like those derived from minerals) or fabrics that have been reused. Looking to recycle your worn-out swim caps? EcoAthlete, based in Seattle, Washington, is delighted to transform discarded materials into flip-flops.
Racing bike technology has changed considerably over the years. Nevertheless, the act of producing bicycles hurts the environment. Bicycles with frames made from metal alloys have supplanted those with heavier aluminium frames, resulting in a lighter ride.
The issue is that ore that contains alloys needs to be extracted, resulting in an immense amount of waste. A growing trend is using bicycles that are partly made of bamboo.
Raising bamboo is more environmentally friendly than utilizing metals that require a considerable amount of manufacturing. These bikes are garnering positive reviews.
Other ways to reduce the impact of your bike include:
- Using soy-based lubricants on your bike chains
- Recycling inner tubes — many eco-friendly products are made from the rubber
- Recycling bike components
- Selling your old bike or donating it to a charity
Options for Triathlon Clothing
In the last 10 years, triathlon attire has become increasingly specialized. As more people become avid fans of racing, clothing needs to be available that caters to all types of body shapes, sizes, and tastes. There is now a variety of different possibilities from which to select.
Certain athletes opt to change their attire at each transition stage of the race, beginning with a swimsuit under a wetsuit, then switching to cycling shorts and finally settling on running shorts.
It comes down to personal preference, yet upgrading your speed in races is achievable by procuring one device that meets your requirements for every pursuit.
You could also opt to buy a two-piece suit that consists of a top and shorts. It may be because of one’s individual inclination or due to a size factor. For instance, if the fitting requirements for your upper body and lower body are divergent.
The third choice is to get a tri-suit that is suited to triathlon and fits perfectly for every phase of the competition, thereby eliminating the requirement for a transition.
This item, which usually features a full-length zip, is the go-to option for professional athletes because of its sleek design and ability to improve aerodynamics.
What do you need for the swim?
The type of fabric used for triathlon apparel should be carefully chosen to ensure the best outcome for the competition.
The material used to make swimsuits must be breathable and able to draw moisture away quickly. These characteristics result in a decrease in the resistance of the water during competitions that don’t involve wearing wetsuits and ensuring appropriate opposition to it.
Getting the right size is important, which is why a tri-suit is a sensible choice for your race. It fits snugly and ensures a comfortable fit.
A tri-suit must be snug enough to apply pressure on the central parts of the body to allow for ideal core stability and to promote proper technique while swimming. Using a single item is the most effective means of guaranteeing this.
What do you need for the cycle?
Aerodynamics is the top priority during the cycle. You should have the greatest opportunity for the quickness with a tri-suit that is incredibly lightweight. Fabric that dries rapidly ensures that you don’t bring any extra moisture with you from swimming.
At the mid-point of the event, you should focus on wearing apparel that will give you the most comfort. The use of gender-specific padding and a personalized fit can be very beneficial.
What do you need for the run?
As you get close to the end of the competition, comfort is of the utmost importance. You will still take advantage of light, streamlined, and breathable fabric here.
Zippers and UV resistance allow for the regulation of body temperature based on the climate, making it easy to maintain the ideal warmth.
What makes triathlon clothing sustainable
In addition to the qualities related to each sport, the tri-suit must also be designed to be eco-friendly and respect the environment.
Sustainability is an all-encompassing concept, employed to characterize a multifaceted system of attempts that lower the ill consequences of something on the natural world and mankind. All aspects of the environment are taken into account, such as the carbon impact, discarding of items, reuse of resources, and the rights of employees.
Fabrics
No one answer can be given for a more eco-friendly fabric option, however, understanding how a Brand assesses the alternatives can give you an indication of the effects that their production has on the planet.
Gaining resilient artificial fibres utilized in sportswear from recycled materials is highly beneficial. The combination of these with fibres derived from nature creates a durable fabric and clothing that is beneficial for the environment.
Presca clothing is crafted from upcycled polyester and nylon from utilized beverage containers, ghost ocean fishing equipment, and discarded rugs. We acknowledge and take into consideration our items’ effect on the environment by utilizing organic cotton and Ecovero, which are both natural fibres.
End of LifeĀ
High-quality triathlon clothing should last you many, many years. After multiple triathlon seasons should be when the end of life should be considered. A tri-suit can be more environmentally friendly if it’s used for a longer amount of time because it reduces the need for the production of additional garments.
When a kit needs to be replaced, there should be a way to make it more environmentally friendly as it reaches the end of its life. Presca attempts to repair all their items. We urge you to return the item to us if it cannot be used so that we can recycle and repurpose it as another item of sportswear.
Supply Chains
A manufacturer needs to make sure that its suppliers adhere to their code of ethics and environmental regulations to be sustainable. Establishing clear rules of behaviour and maintaining strong connections is fundamental to accomplishing this.
Presca organisation work with their Presca Code of Conduct.
We make our selection of collaborators based on their proficiency and expertise, in addition to their commitment to the same goals we are working towards. Whenever possible, try to limit our carbon dioxide output by shopping and obtaining items close to home.
Packaging
Bypassing the application of plastic only used once in athletic apparel packaging is a major part of making sportswear sustainable. One can opt for multiple more harmless choices, such as recyclable cards or plastics that can be used more than once instead of poly-bags, which can ultimately end up in the ocean.
Side notes
You ask a lot from your triathlon clothing. You need to be able to do well in three different sports, each with its own particular requirements. You need the best equipment that meets all of your requirements, providing both superior performance and quality.
In addition, sustainability might be fundamental to you. As an environmentally aware athlete, you aim to ensure that the sports apparel you acquire has a beneficial effect on the environment. You want to demonstrate your gratitude for the outdoors you work out and take part in by wearing clothing that is respectful of it.