At 18, 1 competed in my first marathon in Dublin, Ireland. At that time, I was an excellent 400-meter runner at high school, but got it into my head that I should try the longer distance to prove that I was really good at running-and what better than the marathon.

Back then, the running craze hadn't quite heated up to the point it has today and running a marathon was unknown to most people. Besides, I never knew anyone who had actually run a marathon.

On the way from England to Dublin, I was wondering what I was getting myself in two days later when the race would begin. I tried to get some sleep to ease my nerves, but I found it hard.

The race day was somewhat cloudy, but the warmth of the people forced away the clouds. My limited memories from that first race remain: the feeling of running through a tunnel (隧道) of people as the crowds lined beside the streets; the cheers from the crowds as the news came that an Irishman had won the race; what's important, the unbelievable kindness of the crowds cheering me on as I hit the wall and tried to struggle through. Eventually, I didn't get the prize, but I never gave up and regarded it as a success because I challenged myself

After my first marathon, I started a website based on my love for running. Whether you're an experienced marathoner or just an interested passer-by, I invite you to participate in the website and make it your home. Runners and particularly marathoners seem to share common ideals. They're part of a global team and a global community.

A self-described "girly girl", nine-year-old Zandra Cunningham was constantly begging her parents for the latest beauty products. One day her dad simply told her "no", which inspired her to make her own.

Zandra has been recognized by Entrepreneur magazine as one of the youngest millionaires in America. When asked about her experience as a child entrepreneur（企业家）, Zandra says, "It wasn't frightening. When you're young, you don't have that fear mentality. ‘Maybe it's not going to work' never really crossed my mind." For Zandra, it became a challenge to separate her personal interest from what her customers actually wanted. "There were a lot of things that I felt were good ideas, but they wouldn't fit into the market," she says. Being part of the market herself, Zandra felt she had a unique perspective that allowed her to truly listen and respond to her customers.

It started as a hobby for Zandra and her mom. They'd play around with different ingredients until they found formulas they liked "through trial and error". Slowly, they started transforming the pastime into a brand. Zandra began selling her products at local markets, and a few years later—when Zandra was 12 years old—the family started a shop for Zandra Beauty. At the time, Zandra Beauty was one of the first brands to offer plant-based and organic beauty products at an affordable price. The 21-year-old has essentially grown up alongside her brand—but her goals have remained the same: "Our main focus is to push out amazing products that are safe for everyone and the earth."

"There're so many brands doing similar things, but there's still so much room to grow," says Zandra. "Your customers are out there, and you just have to find something that's going to set you apart."

City parks have long been a place for urban residents to get a small amount of green. As cities increasingly feel the impacts of rising seas and temperatures, people are rethinking the roles of urban parks.

All of the dark-gray asphalt (沥青) in cities collect heat. Dallas is one of the country's fastest-warming cities thanks in part to its extensive impervious (不透水的) surfaces, but with a new $312 million bond package, the city is hoping to change that. Using satellite data, the city is able to see what neighborhoods most need the cooling effect of green spaces.

Cities are increasingly flooding and city planners think parks can help with this issue too. A report published in February by The Nature Conservancy looked at the best ways to deal with flooding in Houston, a city with many neighborhoods built on floodplains and regularly flooded by rising waters. Offering affected homeowners buyouts and transforming homes into green spaces would save more money than installing infrastructure (基础设施) like pipes, they found.

Brendan Shane, a climate program director, says parks can create opportunities for people to exercise and play, in addition to cooling neighborhoods and absorbing floodwater. "The stronger the bonds are from neighbor to neighbor, the better they are able to react to a shock," he says.

"Not a single solution by itself will avoid the climate crisis. We see parks as an important part of it, but there isn't a silver bullet," says Diane Regas, CEO of The Trust for Public Land. "Parks are an example of what we in the environmental community need to do to reach solutions that address climate change at the same time and make people's lives better."