Time to Work on that Plog Bod

By: Justine Knight

Earth Day is today and as runners, there’s a very easy way for us to do our part: go plogging. Plogging is the art of picking up trash while running. It makes a great warm up or cool down, and will give you a sense of pride every time you run the route you cleaned up.

After a Sunday morning run, we went plogging and wrote down some pro tips for you. So what do you say?

 Tip 1: Plog with friends. You’ll look less crazy, you’ll cover more ground, and you’ll share some laughs.

Tip 2: Choose a time when the streets are quiet. After a few minutes, you’re going to feel compelled to follow trash as it blows through the wind. It’s best to do this without too much traffic to avoid the risk of accidents.

Tip 3: Use protection. Use a trash bag and plastic gloves. And remember not to touch your face, your watch or anything other than trash once you start.Tip 4: Pick up trash safely. Avoid broken glass or anything that could puncture your bag. Don’t empty bottles that are sealed shut, because that might not be apple juice inside. Do pour out cans that just might leak in your bag anyways.

Tip 5: Tie the trash bag, then remove your gloves using the old science class trick. Pull the gloves off by turning them inside out as you go, then right over the handle of the trash bag so you have a clean way to carry it while running to the nearest trash can or dumpster.

Once your bag is full, dispose of it responsibly. Now the next time you run that route, you’ll feel a little better knowing you did your part to clean it up.

Happy Earth Day, ploggers.