I have been completely vegan now for 6 months, and mostly vegan for an additional 2-3 months before that. Before becoming a vegetarian and subsequently vegan, I discovered my gluten intolerance and more recently a mild to moderate soy intolerance (tempeh is ok…). I have happily and energetically taken on the task of trying to make sure I get enough vital nutrients and felt like I was doing a decent job. But as I blogged about before, I realized that I was not as on top of my protein intake as I should be. If I were not a long distance runner, perhaps in the long run I could continue to be gluten free, soy free and vegan. All I would have to do would quit my job and spend all of my time working on getting enough nutrients (hahaha). But the runner body requires more. I truly believe a vegan diet works for ultrarunners, of that there is no doubt in my mind. It is the other factors that are limiting. You take away whole grains (those with gluten) and soy and you take away the next highest protein sources available.
For the past three weeks I have been battling some weird gut issue and through my research discovered it could be a few things, most of which are not too worrisome. The one that caught me most though was that my symptoms could be related to a protein deficiency. I will not know until the dr comes back with the test but the thought alone made me do some thinking. I am not a moral vegan, I chose to become vegan because of all the benefits to me as a runner. Meat and dairy are not the right fuel for my body as a runner, my body doesn’t want it, it doesn’t thrive on it. So eliminating meat and dairy was not a hard decision or much of a decision at all in fact I just woke up one day and realized I wasn’t eating it, desiring it at all, nor generally okay with it on any level. It would have been harder to continue to make myself eat it. I don’t think that that will change. I always tell people when I discuss the way I eat that if my body ever tells me (and yes, I am in tune enough with my body to know what it wants and needs) that it wants things I don’t currently consume that I would eat them (especially since I have broken all of my food addictions aka coffee, similar a long time ago). And my body has indicated it needs more protein, specifically eggs and fish (very limited amounts). It has been a big back in forth in my mind this week about whether or not this is the right decision for me. But I know it is. And whats more, is it not a sign that I would a carton of farm fresh eggs from my race on Saturday?!?
It has been a thought through decision which was surprisingly difficult to make. But the tipping point had definitely come. My health, my running and the nutrition it takes to do that are what are my focus, always have been. I once had a moral vegan classmate, who when I told him I was trying to go vegan, said that even he would not choose to be vegan if he was gluten intolerant because it is too hard to get the right nutrition. I have given it a try and for the most part felt great and energetic, but that is due to the elimination of dairy and meat….fish and eggs were more of an active choice and honestly, with fish & eggs and without it, my energy is the same. My protein (and therefore health in the long run) is just better with. To me that says, Yes fish and eggs, No dairy and meat. And that mental choice mirrors what my body desires. And so, this morning I made myself some hard boiled eggs and they were delicious. I am not rushing back into eating a huge quantity of fish (especially because of high mercury levels) and no more than the EPA recommended 2x per week of low mercury fish, but I am making it available to myself as an option. Especially when traveling and having to eat out on a regular basis, it is a good protein option. I am going to try it for a while and see how I feel. Hopefully this will take care of managing my protein and help me become even a stronger runner.
Speaking of the body telling me what it wants, I can tell that the end of the current seasonal vegetables is coming, as I have started to desire less and less of my favorites, brussel sprouts and potatoes. And its not because I have consumed them to death but more because it is time for something new! Its interesting that I have felt this way/desire since I also noticed at the grocery that these same items are less available. I am excited to be inspired by new produce and will hopefully have some great new items to explore and obsess about.
I broke in a pair of new shoes today. I always forget how good shoes are suppose to feel after I have been pounding the pavement in the same pair for so many miles. What a comfy ride. I was out running this morning and turning back along Ravenna to come home when I saw an elderly woman standing on the corner where there was a crosswalk waiting to cross. As I ran up, I watched 4 cars (all of which had stop signs), not stop for the woman. I was going to cross any ways, and can easily dash between cars, but I decided instead to use the crosswalk to give her an opportunity to cross. I slowed to a walk and entered the crosswalk and a car literally drove into the intersection and was going to go right on through on my heels, but I stopped in his way, turned back to the woman and said, “did you need to cross?” She smiled, said yes and proceeded into the crosswalk. As she walked by me she said, “I use to be a runner”. She was a lovely woman. It felt good to do that. The brief unexpected human connection moments are what makes life sweet. Yes it was a good deed I guess, but I didn’t do it for that reason or even for a thank you. I did it because it was the right thing to do and that is good for the universe. She got across the street and I ran away with a smile on my face.
When I grow up….
I have been musing about what I want to with my career and time a lot lately and I have come to the realization that what I would like most would be to combine my interests in a creative and active way. The more involved I get in blogging and cooking, the more I want to turn those things into my work instead of my hobby. I would love to write to a food or running magazine, write cookbooks for runners or vegans, or both! Host a cooking show, be a nutritional consultant to athletes, open a cafe where athletes can congregate post workout to have a nutritious and delicious meal. The possibilities are endless, but I am hoping that in time my career will move in that direction. I would love to Run, Eat, Write, Sleep, rinse repeat. I am all about working hard for the money, but I think that in those things (ok, not the sleep part….) there is definite career potential. Who knows exactly, but the it is in the forefront of my mind right now.
Mondays with Mom
On Mondays, whenever I can, I have dinner with my mom. I take it as an opportunity not only to enjoy her great company, but also to branch out and try new things. I usually try to incorporate ingredients and techniques that she isn’t using on a regular basis or something new completely. Last night was the evening of the interesting root vegetable.
Sunchokes, Fresh Horseradish and Parsnips
Plantain and Pinto Stew with Parsnip Chips (adapted from Veganomicon)
Sunchoke Salad with Alfalfa, Carrots and Tarragon (adapted from Farmer John’s Cookbook)
Salad:
Ingredients:
1 cup thinly peeled and sliced sunchoke (about 3 medium)
juice of 1 lemon
2 cups organic mixed greens
1/2 cup grated carrots
1/2 cup alfalfa sprouts
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
3 tbsp finely chopped scallions
2 tbsp finely chopped fresh tarragon
1 tbsp freshly ground horseradish root
1 clove garlic, minced
salt & pepper to taste
Directions:
Place the sunchokes in a bowl; add the lemon juice and enough water to cover.
Toss the greens, carrots and sprouts in a large bowl and set aside.
Whisk the remaining ingredients in a small bowl, adding salt and pepper to taste.
Drain the sunchokes and add them to the other vegetables; toss. Pour the dressing over the top and toss until everything is well combined.
Enjoy this delicious and refreshing salad!
Stew & Chips:
Ingredients:
1 recipe parsnip chips (1 pound parsnips, sliced thin (like chips or fries, your call), tossed with 2 teaspoons or so of peanut oil and baked in a single layer at 400 degrees for 15 minutes, flipped and cooked for another 15 minutes until desired crispness is achieved)
1 tbsp peanut oil
1 large red onion, chopped finely
1 yellow pepper, chopped finely
2 large jalapenos, seeded and chopped finely (less if you prefer a more sissy, I mean gentle version)
3 cloves garlic, minced
8 plum tomatoes, diced
2 cups or so mushroom broth
salt
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 (15 oz can) pinto beans, drained and rinsed
2 ripe plantains, peeled, sliced in half lengthwise and sliced into 1/2 inch pieces
1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
In a soup pot or large saute pan over medium heat, saute the onions, peppers, jalapenos and garlic in the oil for 5-7 minutes, until the vegetables are softened. Add the tomatoes, 1/2 cup broth, salt and cumin. Cover and bring to a simmer; let simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally until the tomatoes are cooked and broken down. Add broth as needed to prevent scorching.
Add the pinto beans and plantains. Cover and simmer with remaining broth for 20-25 minutes until the plantains are soft and sweet. Add the cilantro and mix in so that it wilts.
Ladle into bowls and top with parsnips chips and sprig of cilantro.
Sweet Treats
Alison came to the house last night to stay over while she works in the city. I had previously made her some delicious Pamela’s Chocolate Chunk with Almond Butter cookies and so last night I decided to have some mix on hand so we could make some together. We whipped up a batch in no time. Since it is a mix it is easy, delicious and barely any work. I make the vegan version of the Peanut Butter option, using Almond butter as a substitute. Within 20 minutes we had delicious warm, gooey cookies to enjoy with our cups of tea. Perfect for an evening with an impending storm.
When the storm doesn’t come
Thankfully for Alison and I, the storm that was suppose to roll in last night never came. Instead we woke to a relatively dry morning and headed out at 6:30am to get in our planned run on Cougar Mtn. We arrived before 7am and the trails were perfectly blanketed in snow that glowed in the darkness to show us the way. We ran 10 miles in the “reverse direction” and enjoyed the beauty of the snow covered forest, the fun trail and a great run.
Pigtails 50k Race Report
Saturday morning I awoke early, 5am, to make sure that I had plenty of time to eat and digest before running the Pigtails 50k at Lake Young in Renton at 7:30. I didn’t want a repeat of last week and since my abdomen had been bothering me for about 2 weeks, I wasn’t trying to ask to much of it. Especially since running this 50k was a leap in mileage for this season. The longest I have gone since being back from the off season was 17 miles and that was the previous week. Nonetheless, I wasn’t worried about it particularly.
I packed up my stuff and headed out. My car registered the temperature at 26 at my house and dropped as I drove south. By the time I arrived at the start line, it was registering between 22-23. I sat in my car and considered if it had been well advised to wear only 3/4 tights and a long sleeve shirt, hat and gloves. I sat in the nice warm car for a while and then deciding one swing past the bathroom would be good, I braced myself and opened the door. It was cold, yes, but not as bad as I expected. I guess my time running in Madison last year stuck with me, so all other cold is judged by how cold I was then.
I saw Alison and we made a quick drop of her coat in my coat and I grabbed my Clif Shot Bloks and a Larabar, and put them into Alison drop container, as the race is 3 loops of 9.6 miles and then a 2.2 out and back at the end. There were apparently over 100 runners for the day, and we all gathered around to get instructions from marathon maniac and race director, Van Phan. And we were off. I had decided not to race it, in the sense that I had no sense that I wanted to or was ready to go out and push the pace. Alison and I decided to run together and after hitting the course, I was even more happy to have the company since the loops are incredibly uninteresting. You basically run along a rolling dirt trail along the outside of the fence that surrounds the lake. I am definitely a looper, that is, I do like loops because you get to carry less and the looping helps to pull you along. That said a 9.6 mile loop is a lot tougher. It is just a bit to long to feel like you are nearly there no matter where you are.
Alison set a good pace out of the gate and we settled in, watching James and some others disappear in front of us. We chatted up a storm and the first lap passed with relative ease. In the back of my mind I had been thinking about the problem with my abdomen and worrying what it could possibly be. I put it out of my mind and kept going. It wasn’t something that was impeding my running, but more just worrying me a bit. I resolved to talk to a dr later in the day and carried on. One of my favorite things about being in Seattle is being around the ultra community. There is a lot of madness in doing ultra’s and trying to do it on your own is a path wrought with potential pitfalls, from nutrition to training mileage, to blister prevention and hydration. Being in Seattle has meant that for the first time since I started running ultras, that I get to spend a lot time around ultrarunners and see how they live, eat and run. It is amazingly influential and positive for me, since it gives me a standard of “normal” (at least ultrarunning normal) for me instead of only having marathoners and nonrunners as my guidelines. Ultrarunning is different and talking to Alison while running, once again gave me perspective and insight that is hugely valuable to me.
One of the things that I have realized is that running with others really works for me. Yes there is a time and place to go out and run your own race, etc but when it is not an “A” priority race getting together with others who can run a pace that works is great. Alison had told me that at anytime I could feel free to take off and while I left the door open to that if I felt good on the final lap, it wasn’t really in my plan. The thing about running with others is that you can push and pull each other along, especially when there is an unspoken commitment to staying together. Alison and I maintained a good pace and the first two laps passed pretty easily. We ran a 1:14 for the first lap and a 1:17 for the second lap. I ate some Clif Shot Bloks at the aid station each time which would remind me of my ab worries as they sat weird in my stomach. I drank plenty of Nuun each lap which kept me hydrated and moving. At some point, I gave Alison an S!Cap I was carrying because she needed the salt. The Nuun was keeping me balanced so I was happy to share with her.
I had left it open in my head to just doing two laps, but as we came into the start/finish area after lap 2, I decided, eh why not. Once begun, better finish. Plus, Alison told me at one point on the second loop that if we kept up our pace she was have a significant PR for the day and so I took that on as my objective for the final loop and out and back, get Alison her PR! As I said earlier, running with someone else can help drag you along when you feel that you can’t go on. I am pretty positive Alison would have PR’d just fine without me, but putting it in my own head the externalized goal helped me to think, I can go on not for me, but for her. So in a way taking on the idea of helping her to a goal is a way of getting my own self across the finish line. We lapsed into silence for the last lap. Reduced to the long stretches along the fence and counting right had turns as we worked our way back to the start/finish. Our pace was still incredibly strong and despite the lap feeling hard and long, it also was moved through the knowledge that we didn’t have to do it again. We finally came to the stretch where we were almost back to the start/finish and there was a patch of ice in one of the corners which I eyed carefully as I went into the turn. Obviously not carefully enough and I slammed into the ground at full force, landing on my forearm and hand. It really really hurt, but I jumped up and shook it off. I ran with my arm tucked on my side for the rest of the loop which was less than 1/4. We zoomed into the start/finish and dropped our waterbottles on the tarp and I grabbed another Clif Shot Bloks and headed out. James (Varner, Orcas 50k RD & Alison BF) was at the start/finish in his cozy downjacket and hat and we thought he was done, but he stood up and started running with us saying he had bonked on the 3rd lap and run nearly 30 minutes slower than the previous two laps. He ran along behind us for maybe an 1/8th of a mile, but Alison and I were feeling good and we kept pushing the pace. He mentioned to her that Alexa would be very happy, as we pulled away and Alison explained that her friend Alexa wanted Alison to beat James in a race. Looked like today would be Alison’s day to achieve two goals in one shot! We pushed out to the turn around point and excitedly turned around and headed for home. There was a giant hill just before the end which up until this point we only had to run down, so Alison and I power walked up the hill, turned towards the finish and pushed it in, speeding across the finish line in 4:18. This was Alison PR by over 30 minutes I believe and it was great to share the win with her.
Me and Alison after the race with our winnings, farm fresh eggs.
Post Run Meal & Why I like Potatoes (and brussel sprouts)
I really wanted something Italian for dinner and decided to make a gluten free vegan calzone that had become a fan favorite. However plans quickly changed when I realized that I didn’t want to wait for the dough to rise and there is no alternative I can shortcut with since I was already using the only shortcut I know for quick gluten free vegan crust which is Pamela’s Wheat Free Bread mix. I decided that what I really wanted was the veggie goodness and sauce and so I instead opted to make Inside Out Calzones, and put the contents over potatoes.
Ingredients (serves 1-2, ok…1 after a 50k!):
1/2 portobello mushroom, cleaned and medium dice
1/2 red bell pepper, seeded, medium dice
1 head broccoli, cut into florets
1/2 onion, small dice
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
8-10 cherry tomatoes, whole
1-2 cup fresh spinach
3-4 artichoke hearts, packed in water
1/4-1/2 cup medium ripe black olives, packed in water
olive oil
italian herbs and spices, to taste
salt and pepper, to taste
red pepper flakes
1 cup vegan marinara, warmed
5-6 small red potatoes, boiled, drained and mashed with favorite oil/vegan butter alternative
Directions:
Heat 1-2 tablespoons olive oil in a large saute pan over medium high heat. Add the onions and sautee until translucent, 3-4 minutes. Add garlic, sautee for another 1-2 minutes, add spices. Add red bell pepper and broccoli, cook for 7-8 minutes. Add mushrooms, cook 2-3 minutes. Add tomatoes and spinach, cook until spinach is wilted.
Plating: On the bottom of the plate, scoop the desired amount of mashed potatoes and spread across. Spoon desired amount of marinara over the top of the potatoes, then scoop vegetable sautee over the top, sprinkle salt, pepper and red pepper flakes over top. Enjoy!
I definitely am not being exact in these recipes, especially when it comes to spices because at least for me, when I cook (especially something like a sautee) that often I take the ingredients and the general idea and build on my own from there. So I recommend balancing the spicing and amounts for yourself. Someday when I write a cookbook, I will be more exact 
Potatoes and brussel sprouts are making the rounds on in my recipes a lot and there are two great reasons why. Yes I do love my potatoes and brussel sprouts, but right now they are locally in season. So therefore, not only is it what is right for eating locally, organically, it is also what my body wants. The bodies desire for certain foods changes with the seasons and I am just listening to what my body wants. A lot of people don’t listen to their bodies or are so out of tune they don’t get the right signals, but I have learned over the past year with the changing of my nutrition and diet to be able to hear loud and clear what my body wants. Thus, when brussel sprouts go out of season, like persimmons have, I will no longer have them at every meal. The second reason I eat a lot of potatoes in particular is tied to being gluten intolerant and vegan. If you think about it most meals for the non gluten intolerant or non vegan have some bulkier item on the plate, a piece of meat or some heavier grain dish. Thus, for me, potatoes are the grounding of my dish alot of times, that or an alternative grain such as quinoa, rice or millet. And since potatoes & sweet potatoes are around right now in huge variety I go with them. They help fill me up and power me up for my training and racing!
The day after, a runner’s power salad
I made a delicious salad yesterday for lunch, to feed the monster which is a hungry tummy the day after a race. My abdominal problem figured out and starting resolve meant even more appetite. I incorporated the left over uncooked ingredients from sat nights post race meal. This hearty salad is a filling meal that won’t disappoint!
Ingredients:
1 1/2-2 cup organic mixed greens
6-7 cherry tomatoes, washed and halved
1/4 portobello mushroom
1/4 red bell pepper
2-3 artichoke hearts, quartered
1/4 cup medium ripe black olives, halved
2 small green onions, diced
3-4 tablespoons hummus
1 1/2 tbsp nice olive oil (like a fine wine, we are not talking about the store brand here….)
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
salt, pepper and red pepper flakes to taste
Directions:
Toss greens through onions in a bowl, incorporating together. Drizzle olive oil and balsamic over top and spice according to taste. Plate and then spoon hummus on the top of the salad. Enjoy.
Thats a wrap
In the end, this was a great, great weekend which capped off a good (running) week. I ran a total of 85 miles, sneaking in a 5 mile run late last night under the stars in the crisp air. I woke to snow this morning but it has all melted already. Today might be a rest day, though the jury is still out…..
