The Do Gooders List

It's the first Friday of the month, so I have a couple companies to share with you that are doing good things for our environment.

1. Patagonia - You probably know it as the sportswear and gear company, but it turns out that's not all they do. They also care deeply about the environment and preserving natural habitats for wildlife. They "believe in using business to inspire solutions to the environmental crisis." They sponsor grants to support environmental organizations, they use innovative business practices to create their products, they research the best technologies and raw materials, they follow green building processes for their facilities, and much more. They definitely seem to be a company that is not just concerned about the bottom line of their financial statements but also about the bottom line of our environment. They are showing the business world that it is possible to have a strong business and produce quality products while caring about the environment.

2. TapIt Water - Woody and I learned about this site when we went to the West Side County Fair in September. It's a genius idea that has not had enough promotion behind it (I haven't seen anything else about it). The concept is simple: encourage people to use refillable water bottles (like Sigg or Klean Kanteen) rather than buying bottled water, by providing them with a list of TapIt partner cafes where they can fill up their bottles for free. They started the project in 2008 in NYC hoping to expand across the country. You can find partner cafes in other cities as well now, including Minneapolis, Ann Arbor, several cities in California, Florida, Washington, and others. If you have a favorite local cafe or restaurant, let them know about this site. Look for a sticker in the window and ask them to refill your bottle! It's a great and easy way to save a little money (less bottles of water purchased) and help the environment.

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Thanks for all of your congratulations, good wishes and notes of encouragement! My foot is feeling much better and the boot is definitely the reason, but it is a bit annoying. I'll deal with it though. I need to make sure it heals right. I actually just realized last night that this is going to be my first weekend in a very long time that won't include running. Even the weekend before the marathon I ran the Poland Spring Marathon Kick-Off race with NYRR. What do I do with all this extra time? I'll go to the gym, but it won't be the same, especially since the only cardio I can do is the recumbent bike. The weather is supposed to be nice on Saturday, so Woody and I are planning to go to the Union Square Farmer's Market, but I'm not sure how long I'll be able to walk around. I think I'll spend time reading, blogging, who knows. What do you do when you need to fill running time? Suggestions welcome!