Running Group Uses Exercise to Make Ankeny, Des Moines Metro a Greener Place (LETTER)

I don’t run because I’m really good at it. I don’t run because I want to be bone thin. Like many runners, I run merely for the way I feel afterwards. The streets and trails of Des Moines have repeatedly proven to be a rewarding release of stress and regulator of my sanity.

But one thing that's always bugged me. Most times on my jogs, I saw a stray McDonald’s bag, a plastic Casey’s glass, or a candy wrapper lying carelessly on the ground. I’ll admit that I ran by it, shaking my head all the while. For years, I jogged right by cups and wrappers and bottles and cans as if to say “it’s not my fault, not my problem.” 

One particular day, I decided to count how many items were on the ground during my four mile jog. After the first mile, I had already lost count. Then instead of counting the items, I began thinking to myself. What if everyone who ran on this street picked up just one of these items? What if people turned their run into a functional environmental clean-up effort? What if everyone turned one of their weekly jogs or walks into a “green run or walk?” 

I started a running group dedicated to doing what I spent many years dodging — cleaning up our beautiful earth. We are called the Green Runners and we have cleaned up several different Des Moines area neighborhoods so far, including Ankeny's Prairie Trail.  This group is an awareness group as much as it is an action group. We pick a different place each week to meet as a group, go for a jog, and pick up any trash we see along the way. But our goal isn’t just to get a good workout and make the world a greener place — we want to empower others to make a difference too. 

Prepare to get a few interesting glances and possibly honked at, but once you put your pride aside, you start to feel something more than just a “runner’s high.” Ask any volunteer why they do it, and they will probably tell you “because it feels good.” If you pair that feeling with the oxygen flow involved with exercise, you’ll begin to understand why we are now addicted to it. Since I have become a Green Runner, it has almost become impossible to run or walk past trash. I have started taking grocery sacks with me on my walks in addition to our weekly Green Runs and I almost always come home with a full sack. 

People of Des Moines and everywhere else, both runners and non-runners, can join us. It is rewarding in every way possible — both in the physical and mental sense, as well as the aesthetic sense. You need not join us for the group run either. A Green Runner can come from any neighborhood, town or state really.  If you choose to pick up just one item on each walk or jog, then you my friend are a Green Runner!

If you haven’t tried it, I encourage you to give it a shot. Take a bag with you on your next jog or walk and see how many things you can find. Join us for a group run sometime or check out our group on Facebook. Turn your next walk or jog into functional fitness and make the world a greener place in the process.

Rachel Kautzky, Ankeny