Latino Ultra Nature Adventure

The Americas Latino Eco Festival XIII (ALEF), a flagship program of AFC+A, has teamed up with Colorado’s Human Potential Running Series to offer this unique Latino Ultra Nature Experience. Join us on Sunday, October 22, 2023 and kick off your ALEF experience with a unique adventure in the mountains of Boulder, CO. The experience features distances of 5km, 10km, a Half Marathon (13.1 miles), and 55km (34 miles). On your journey you’ll explore a variety of ecological areas in the mountains above Boulder. We’ll explore the intersection between urban development and population growth with its lasting effects on the surrounding landscape and ecosystems. We’ll share stunning views of Colorado’s Continental Divide and discuss how Colorado gets its water and where the water ultimately goes. We’ll talk about reservoirs and the west’s ever present need to expand them, and the long lasting effects reservoir expansion has on the surrounding ecosystems. We’ll explore wildfire and how climate change and policy has ultimately affected our forests. LUNA is a nonprofit event intent on bridging inclusion gaps in the outdoor recreation and sports workspace. For this reason we are requiring only a $20.00 sign up fee. Youth 18 and under pay no fees but must still register. All participants are encouraged to make a tax deductible DONATION to support the inclusive mandate of our program and the efforts of our staff and volunteers. Donate Additional Here: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=DKNQHA5C428QW If you have any questions about this race, ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FACTS • According to the United Nations Population Division, 75% of the world’s people live in cities. • The average urban dweller in the US spends 93% of the time indoors, and some ten hours a day on social media—more than they spend asleep- resulting in a nature deficit. • Science based studies proof the human costs of alienation from nature negatively impacts our health, • Research has shown that people do better physically and emotionally when they are in green spaces, benefiting from stress reduction and the attention restoration nature engenders • Forest bathing is the practice of immersing yourself in nature in a mindful way, using your senses to derive a whole range of benefits for your physical, mental, emotional and social health. It is also known as Shinrin-yoku. ‘Shinrin’ means forest and ‘Yoku’ stands for bathing. The idea took birth in Japan. • Forest Bathing is proven to positively impact our health through contact with phytoncides which are chemicals emitted by trees and which help reduce stress hormone production, lower heart rate and blood pressure, boost the immune system as well as improve feelings of happiness. • Evergreens—pine, cedar, spruce, and conifers—are the largest producers of phytoncides, so walking in an evergreen forest seems to have the greatest health benefits. • When we breathe in phytocides, our bodies respond by increasing the number and activity of a type of white blood cell called natural killer cells or NK which fight infections, cancers and tumors. • 20 to 30 minutes of relaxed time among trees provides you with multiple health benefits. 3 hours a week of nature exposure allows our body to function at its optimum, sustaining health benefits for up to a week after. Spending a long weekend in a forest, connecting to nature extends health benefits to a month