I finished my "30-Day Vegan" Challenge today. My previous knowledge base on Veganism/ eating a plant-based diet was moderate. So I learned quite a bit. It wasn't easy, but I did my best. I made a few slip ups. I expected that to happen.

Here's what I learned:

1. Honey isn't considered Vegan. Oops. Discovered this about half-way through the month. Technically, by Vegan standards, honey is made from bees. Vegans abstain from all animal products, so this one is a no-go. Agave nectar is a great alternative.

2. The American diet is full of meat and animal products. Just try to go out to any American restaurant and order Vegan. You'll discover that often times, your only option is a plain salad with a vinaigrette or oil-based dressing. My lowest of low points were eating a small salad at an Italian Restaurant with my family, and "attempting" to eat Vegan at Disneyland. (Note: the "Veggie Patties" on the burgers at Disneyland are disgusting. You're better off eating nothing.)

3. Marshmallows, gummy candy and such are NOT Vegan. I also learned this the hard way. These items are made using pectin, a stabilizer which is made from boiling animal ligaments and joints. Can you say...disgusting?

4. Unless you eat horribly, you won't lose weight when you transition to a Vegan diet. I actually gained weight. I was eating fruit about 60% of the time, so you can do the math. I didn't balance it enough and was hungry all the time. I was stuffing myself with calories and little amounts of foods that would help me stay full. The result was pigging out on fruits and veggies all day long until I landed myself in a fructose and carb-induced food coma.

5. Getting enough protein should be the cardinal rule of being a Vegan. I did an awful job at this and my body paid the price. Living off only fruits and vegetables is not good for you!

6. I was exhausted. Although I had NO stomach-related issues (other than being stuffed), I generally felt a lack of energy or sustained energy. This really negatively affected my running routine for the month, which was a huge buzz-kill.

7. Saying the word "Vegan" tends to freak people out. I haven't quite figured out why, but I'm thinking it's because people imagine a burger in their minds and then cannot fathom never eating one again.

8. I love Farmer's Markets. Let me repeat that again. I love Farmer's Markets. They turned into my sanctuary during this month, and other than the rare meat or cheese vendors, I learned that almost everything was up for grabs. I discovered so many new recipes, fruits, and vegetables. I forced myself to experiment, entertain my pallat, be adventurous. I consider myself a foodie at heart, and realized that just because I'm not eating meat or animal products does not mean I can't have a delicious meal!

9. I missed fish. I didn't miss anything else, really. The big one was fish. I did a lot of research this past month on the quality of fish we eat and the majority of it is contaminated with chemicals. Farm-raised fish ingest numerous amounts of chemicals during their breeding, and wild fish ingest god knows what while they are in our polluted oceans. I'm still on the fence about this.

10. Overall, I think I'm going to opt for being pescatarian (vegetarian including the consumption of fish) or following a paleo diet (fruits, veggies, meat, nuts, eggs and berries only). I don't crave or eat meat too often, or really want cheese. My diet normally is around 90% Vegan (I love yogurt, honey, and fish). I think the biggest thing I've learned is about moderation and portion control. It's very hard to fill up on only fruits and vegetables. Legumes, grains, and nuts/berries are extremely important. So are dark leafy greens. This next month I'm going to opt for a high protein, low sugar and salt diet. I'm going to take on the best of both worlds-- eat foods that are natural. Hunter-gatherers would rarely eat meat. I don't believe that meat is catastrophic to our health (although the quality and state of the meat we consume is). Avoiding meals because they may contain eggs or traces of milk is exhausting.

I'm glad that I did it. I discovered what works for my body and what doesn't work.

Have any of you experimented with a new diet before? Anyone try out Veganism and love it? Anyone try it out and absolutely hate it?

Scott Jurek lists twenty-five Vegan recipes in his new book, Eat & Run: My Unlikely Journey to Ultramarathon Greatness.The recipes range from pre-workout smoothies, lentil-mushroom burgers, and even to sweeter desserts like chocolate adzuki bars (very much like a brownie). Initially, I was overwhelmed by the amount of ingredients needed for each meal or snack. It seemed like a lot of work, and like it would cost a ton of money.


That was before I decided to do a month-long Vegan diet. At this point, I'm about a week and a half into it and missing chocolate BAD. Maybe it was having to watch my entire family devour home-made brownies (while I watched longingly), but I started to crave something chocolatey and sweet. My friend, Michelle, just finished Eat & Run as well, and wanted to try out some of the recipes in the book, too. We decided to hit up the local health food store and buy some ingredients. An hour later (and having asked the employees several times where to find certain items), we arrived back at home with a couple bags full of new, exotic foods.


I chose to make the Chocolate Adzuki Bars, Michelle made the hummus, and Bobby made the Rice Balls. I also ended up making the Xocolatl Bars (mini chocolate energy balls with coconut). My kitchen turned into a distaster area for about four hours straight. It was amazing.
1/2 teaspoon coconut oil 1 15-ounce can adzuki beans, drained
1 medium overripe banana
1/2 cup almond or rice milk
1/2 cup light coconut milk
1/2 cup barley flour
1/4 cup rice flour
6 tablespoons cocoa powder
3 tablespoons maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/3 cup goji berries, currants, or raisins
1/2 cup vegan chocolate chips 
DIRECTIONS:
1.  Preheat oven to 400° F.
2.  Grease a 9-inch square pan (with coconut oil).
3.  Blend beans and banana with almond and coconut milk until smooth and creamy.
4.  Add the flours, cocoa, maple syrup, vanilla, and sea salt. Blend again until smooth.
5.  Carefully stir in goji berries or currants.
6.  Pour mixture into 9x9 inch pan.
7.  Sprinkle the vegan chocolate chips on top.
8.  Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, until a toothpick comes out generally clean. (It took 45 minutes for mine to get just right).
9.  When cool, cut into 4 x 4 squares.

CALORIES PER BAR: 121 
CARBS: 23 G 
FIBER: 1 G 
PROTEIN: 2G  FAT: 2G

I recently took minimalist running to an entirely new level. I've started running in sandals. What has compelled me to do such a thing?

For as long as I can remember, I've always had a sweet tooth. In fact, I not only have a sweet tooth, but I also have a salt tooth, cheese tooth, and bread tooth. When I was a kid, I remember stock-piling candy bars, chocolate, cereals, and other novelties in a little cabinet in our kitchen. I didn't want anyone to sneak into my "stash" and had little interest in anything growing in my Grandmother's garden.

In high school, during my Track & Field practices, I'd pound RedBulls, eat McDonalds, and joke about my body being invincible. I had my grandparents buy me Costo-sized 30-pack of Craft Mac & Cheese (I'd finish the 30 boxes in less than a month). Sourdough toast with raspberry jelly was a staple in my diet. I figured since I was still standing and able to keep up with everyone else on my team, I was immune to whatever "bad stuff" was in the food I was eating. I was wrong.

As I've gotten older, I've watched my body become more and more sensitive to the food I eat. Dairy products? Forget about it. It seems like a cruel world, considering my favorite foods are burgers and macaroni and cheese. But after countless nights spent clutching my stomach, wishing to be put out of my own misery, I finally decided to kick cheese to the curb. That helped a little bit. Then, to my horror, bread started to make my stomach hurt, too. Sugar started making my body feel weird, and salt started giving me migraines. What was going on?

I'd spent my entire life eating whatever I wanted. Reality seemed to kick me on my ass, hard. 

Burgers, macaroni and cheese, toast, cereal, and candy are not real foods. They are empty calories, and our bodies are incredible for being able to do something with them in the first place. I am done torturing my body.

My first step was educating myself.

Scott Jurek cooking up his favorite vegetable stir fry!

Scott Jurek's book, Eat & Run, chronicles his transformation into an ultrarunner and how turning vegan helped him become the seven-time winner of the Western States 100. His book impacted me in many ways. He describes growing up in a small town in Minnesota, where his dad taught him how to hunt, skin and prepare the animals he killed. He loved meat, salt, and had no desire to eat fruits and vegetables. He transitioned, however, when he discovered that eating whole foods gave his body an incredible amount of fuel compared to the other foods he was used to eating. He talked about his struggles to maintain being a vegan, the countless criticisms he received, and the moments when he was forced to eat animal products for survival purposes.

Jurek is not the only athlete who has turned vegan and saw incredible results. In Rich Roll's new book, Finding Ultra, he describes a similar experience of turning vegan and seeing an incredible shift in his bodies capabilities. You can go here to see an extensive list of vegan athletes and their numerous achievements. It's not dumb luck that these athletes became even greater athletes because of their diet.

If I went on a vegan diet, would I become stronger and faster, too?

There is only one way to find out.

I'm not becoming a vegan to lose weight. I'm not becoming a vegan because I feel sorry for animals (although I do think that the treatment of animals raised for their flesh to be cruel). I'm doing a 30-Day Vegan Challenge to see how it effects my running. I want to fuel my body with the cleanest, most nutritious properties possible. I want to see if my muscles heal faster. I want to see if I have more sustained energy. I want to see if I can go an entire month without a stomach ache. 

If I can spend my entire life up until this point eating anything and everything, I can handle one month of guaranteed clean, healthy eating. One thing I know, for sure, is that I will not regret it.

Wish me luck :)

It took seven long hours for my friends Bobby, Michelle and I to reach San Francisco from Ventura. I spent the better part of the journey squished in the back of the car reading Scott Jurek's book Eat & Run (there really is no good and comfortable way to travel long distances). I also managed to crochet Michelle a miniature owl to hang from her rear-view mirror (Bobby said it kept staring at him during the drive!). Michelle even recreated the Battle of the Bulge, right on the car's dashboard!


But if I'm being totally honest here, I was completely exhausted. I was going off two days of sleeping less than 4 hours each night. I knew this would be a recipe for disaster for my race, but there are just some things in life that we cannot help. Still gotta keep your head up!

We arrived at our awesome hostel, the Amsterdam, in the early afternoon. San Francisco really has the best hostels. After putting our stuff down in our room and checking out the place, we went off to explore the city a little and get our bearings (and a few local beers).

Before we knew it, we were climbing into our bunk beds to get ready for Bobby and I's race the next morning. Michelle's knee was still plotting against her, so she had the luxury of going to the event without the added anxiety of racing. I would have traded places with her in a heartbeat. But, on the other hand, who else would take awesome pictures? Yay for her and her zoom lens! And for being able to hold my stuff for me during my race ;-)

I set my alarm for around 5:30 AM to wake up (the race start was scheduled for 8 AM...yay more sleep time!) Of course...I slept in a little too much. My lack of sleep was really starting to affect me. We left the hostel around 7 AM, and since a bus ride from our hostel to the Golden Gate Bridge was suppose to take only 30 minutes, we figured we'd have perfect timing. Packet pick-up was scheduled for 6-7:45 AM so if everything planned out accordingly, we should arrive at 7:30 with plenty of time to pick up our bibs, stand in line at the port-a-potties and get to the race start.

Some people have boyfriends. Some people have girlfriends. Some people are married. I, on the other hand, am in a committed relationship with....Running.

Here are five signs that you’re also in a committed relationship with running:

1) You turn to Running when you’re upset. You turn to it when you’re happy, too. It always gives you back in equal amounts what you put into it. It’s the one thing at the end of the day that you know will never let you down. You can go to it when you want to escape the chaos of your life, your overwhelming workload, and the problems that plague your mind. When you’re with Running, nothing else matters. 

 2) Sometimes you honestly just hate Running. You get frustrated when things don’t always go your way (even when you may have been the one to slip up...a missed training here, a bad split there). The busted knees, the wonky IT-bands, the upset stomaches...sometimes you find yourself asking, Why am I in a relationship with Running, anyway? Sometimes you get so upset with Running that you have fantasies of having an affair with Swimming. Even Cycling seems appealing at times. Some people try to have it all, and end up in a threesome. (I just don’t get it. I’m a one-sport kinda girl).

 3) If you’re not gentle with Running, you will get hurt. That being said, if it’s always easy, you’re not doing it right. When you’re in a committed relationship with Running, you push through the difficult times. Working through the negative moments is the key to successful relationship-- you can’t abandon it when things get difficult. You also can’t push it beyond it’s means. Learning to balance your relationship with Running is the biggest challenge you will face.

4) You know you’re in a committed relationship with Running when you become literally obsessed with it. You forget that you have a life outside of Running. Running will take away time that you’d usually be spending with your friends. You’ll become more social with other people who are also in committed relationships with Running (although, your Running is the very best, of course). You’re non-committed friends will try to persuade you to not be with Running, but you’ll shoo them away and say, You just don’t understand... 

5) You may fear burning out with Running. You may fear that this might be the too fast, too soon sort of deal, and once you get what you want from it you’ll become bored and leave it high and dry. Remind yourself that you’re in it for the long run. Be patient with it, and it will be patient with you. These sort of relationships take time to develop. You don’t want the hot and heavy or the slow and boring. If you want to be in it for the long haul, give it space when you need to and give it love when it asks. I guarantee you won't be disappointed.

It's almost been two weeks since I finished my first Half-Marathon. I got a really cool picture from my race, too. I almost feel like an official runner now. (Thanks, Michelle).



The week after was weird. I forced myself to not run for three days in a row (I caved on the last day and ended up going on a long walk). It was in those three days that I realized the importance of daily exercise for my own well-being, and how much I missed it. And how sluggish not running for three days in a row made me feel on that fourth day when I ran again (I could swear that six months of intense training went right out the window). One thing I did do a lot of though is think about my next goals for running. I completed my first major goal this year-- running 13.1 miles by my 24th birthday. And I did it. So now what?

I do have another half-marathon this upcoming weekend in San Francisco (it came a lot quicker than I expected), called the ZombieRunner San Francisco Half-Marathon . Unfortunately, this race has nothing to do with zombies (THIS ONE does, though). But it will have lots of hippies and hopefully lots of delicious Vegan foods (I'm still not fully admitting to starting a Vegan diet...afraid of jinxing myself). It will be different from the O2O Half because it will be on a trail. I'm interested to see how I do on this race. I most surely won't do it quicker than the nice, flat, downhill one I just did. But I'll probably enjoy the scenery a bit more, and it ends at Golden Gate Bridge park. Sweet!

After this race, however, I will start training for longer distances again. Increasingly my weekly mileage by 10%. Yadda yadda. This time, I'm going to add in those tempo and track workouts which I have conveniently been ignoring. I've gotten pretty far without them, but I figure now that I'm moving towards the bigger digits, all those running plans probably know what they're talking about. Or maybe it was just Scott Jurek mentioning in his new book, Eat and Run, that he gained a considerable amount of speed and endurance by adding in quick runs at the local track. Why do they always have to have a point and back it up? :)

I've obviously been very obsessed with running in the past few months (to the point where I decided I needed to take my ramblings off Facebook and onto a blog). Obsession isn't everything, though. Dedication, yes. Time-management, yes. Serious planning, yes. Eating a clean diet, hell to the yes. Financial support, maybe. Mild insanity, bingo.

So here it is, ladies and gentlemen, my three Big Goals for my next year of running.


First, I want the Red Rock Marathon to be my first marathon. It's scheduled for the weekend of November 25th, which is roughly five months from now. One month more than a standard marathon training time. It's not going to be easy. In fact, it's so difficult that even the race director, Luis Escobar, states:

" This run is extremely difficult and is best suited for the expert  trail runner or experienced ultra marathon runner.  "



Second, and this one is a doozy, but one of my biggest dreams (ever) is to run in the Copper Canyon Ultramarathon.I could go into lengthy detail about how I read tons of books about the Rarámuri, obsessed over the beautiful terrain, and wanted to learn more about people who lived simply and happy. I'll just say that this is the top five of my Bucket List. It's kind of a big deal. And it's also a big deal to lot's of other people, too. Undeniably, it's one of the most coveted, middle-of-nowhere races that is more like a great adventure and life-changer than fifty-mile footrace. It's scheduled for next March, and who knows if I will be physically prepared by then to run a full 50 miles. I've talked to a few people about my worries, and I've received surprisingly a lot of positive words of encouragement and support. I still don't know how realistic my goal of actually getting into the race is. I do know, though, that putting all of my positive energy and thoughts towards it is one of the best ways to make it happen. I don't believe in books like The Secret, but for the sake of everything good in the world, I'm going to pretend it works for this situation. I am going to will it to happen. I'll visualize it. Dream about it. Somehow, I will make this happen. 


One of the most important things someone told me was Carolyn Howard, the women I paced during the last 10 miles of her 100 Miler. I told her the date of the race next year, and asked her if she thought I could be ready for it by then.

"If you have the chance to go, do it," She told me. "You don't know where you're life will be in another year. You don't know if you'll have the same opportunities."

She told me how for the past few years she has been putting her name in the lottery for the Western States 100. "If I got in last year, I wouldn't have been ready, but I would have done it," she said. "Lot's of people do that with the New York City Marathon and for Boston, too. It can take years to get accepted."

I took a mental note to start throwing my name into all of the lotteries for those races. With my luck, though, I'd get selected for each and every one of them on my first go. Then I'd really be up a tree.

Lastly, my third Big Goal for the next year is running the Born To Run Ultramarathon 50K. I already signed up for this one. About eleven months before the race, to be exact. I had such an incredible experience this last May, I couldn't hesitate to sign up for next year's.


What I am incredible bitter and not happy about, however, is the fact my graduation for my Master's degree is on Friday the 17th of May. Any normal person would probably just shrug, and say, Oh well, guess I'm not going. But I'm stubborn. And I am going.The race is scheduled for Saturday, May 18th at 6:00 AM. This past May, I drove up to Los Olivos around 2:00PM to begin the festivities. Given my schedule for this upcoming year, I am going to be driving directly from my graduation to the ranch. My plan is to have some of my friends run the race this time, and set up my tent for me. Where there is a will, there is a way! Maybe I'll even run in my cap and gown, for shits and giggles ;-)

I have a few other races I plan on running sprinkled in between those major ones (an actual Zombie run, "The Color Run", and a cool 30K trail run, to name a few).


This is going to be an exciting year :)