One of these things has a tendency to lead to the other, which is something I’m realizing the more I learn. From what I remember, I was first properly introduced to both ultras and vegan (I prefer plant-based) eating through Rich Roll’s book entitled “Finding Ultra“. It is an autobiography of his life, and a book that I listened to as an audiobook while training for one of first marathons. Rich is the narrator of the book, and while I wasn’t a huge fan of how he was reading, the story is pretty amazing and informative.
As a middle-aged overweight lawyer, Rich found himself on the brink of a heart attack, which was jarring for a number of reasons. The main reason being that he was the father of young children, and also because he was a very competitive former division one swimmer who had let himself go pretty dramatically. In his “rebirth” after hitting very close to rock bottom, he became an ultra endurance athlete and vegan and has since inspired thousands (if not millions) with his story and incredible podcast. I would firmly count myself as someone who has been notably impacted by his influence.
I have been vaguely familiar with both ultras and vegan eating for a while, but in the past few years I have gradually grown to be very intrigued by them – almost in equal parts. I have watched countless YouTube videos about ultra races, many by the very talented filmmaker Billy Yang. Additionally I have read a decent amount of articles and books, that talk predominantly about ultra running but also reference plant-based eating often. I have also been drawn to podcasts that interview incredibly talented endurance athletes that include Kilian Jornet and Courtney Dauwalter – to name some of the best to ever do it.
With about the same level of interest, I’ve also read, watched and listened to countless pieces of information about the power and benefits of plant-based eating. My wife and I have changed a lot of what we consume, and even picked up a few cookbooks that feature exclusively plant-based meals. Recently I watched a documentary called The Game Changers that I had heard mentioned a number of times. It was as good as referenced, and incredibly compelling.
This post is going to feel more like a journal entry to myself, and possibly the final push I need to enter both the world of ultras and plant-based eating more deliberately. Time will tell. I have at least one ambitious goal in the next year and a half, and that feels like a solid target.
Sources of Inspiration
There have been a host of data points that continue to drive me towards what feels like an inevitable point of running ultra(s) and eating mostly (if not exclusively) plant-based. I’ve done my best to compile the various buckets that have provided me with compelling information in one or both of these areas.
Books
Ok… so looking back at my book journal (yes I keep track of the books I read) it appears that I actually read “Born to Run” by Chris McDougall well before “Finding Ultra”. If you haven’t read McDougall’s book, I think there is an incredibly high probability that you have heard of it before – especially if you are actually reading this blog. It’s a pretty legendary book in the running world, and one that had a tremendous effect on the running industry. In the book, there are mentions of multiple predominant ultra runners and centers on an entire tribe of indigenous runners in Mexico that have become infamous. At the time, I wasn’t thinking about running long distances, and more compelled with what a great story it was.
The next book that started to open my eyes to running ultras was David Goggins book “Can’t Hurt Me“. Goggins has become a pretty polarizing figure, and people who are familiar with him tend to either roll their eyes or over-quote him (primarily the former). He is a fascinating individual, and someone who has done some absolutely incredible things in his life, but I generally find him too hard to relate to. I have heard others refer to him as a masochist, but in talking with them I realize that they haven’t spent much time actually listening to him for more than a few sound bites (hint: life lesson there). What I have learned is that his primary focus is pushing himself as far as he possibly can and entering the “dark matter” of the psyche, with the goal of figuring out how to navigate it. I find it to be fascinating, and also hard to fully relate to…
More recently I read “Eat & Run” by Scott Jurek and am closing in on the end of “The Rise of the Ultra Runners” by Adharanand Finn. Jurek’s book is similar to Rich Roll’s and one that I enjoyed just as much, if not more. Jurek is a legendary ultra runner, with one of his many feats being a 7 year win streak of the Western States 100 mile trail race. He too became a plant-based athlete and the book ends each chapter with a recipe for you to try – I thought it was a great and interesting addition. Finn’s book details his own personal journey of competing in multiple ultras, in part as he was a writer who wanted to learn more about the ins and outs of the runners themselves. While the majority of the book is about the intrigue of running ultras, he too points out the prevalence of vegan runners.
Videos
I lost count of the number of YouTube videos I’ve seen of various runners and various races, but there have been many. By Billy Yang, Rich Roll and others, I have watched ones (all linked) about Kilian, Anton Krupicka, Courtney Dauwalter, Zach Miller, Francois D’Haene, Jim Walmsley and many others. One of the best films I’ve seen is about the 2010 Western States called Unbreakable. If you are even remotely interested in the sport of ultra running or like great stories, I recommend watching any of the videos I’ve linked here. I’d be remiss not to mention one of my favorites: Beau Miles – you can read my entire post about him here.
Podcasts
The vast majority of podcast episodes that I’ve listened to on one or both of these topics have been through the Rich Roll Podcast. Being a plant-based endurance athlete himself, Rich attracts (primarily) similarly-minded guests and conducts long-form interviews on various aspects of wellness. One notable episode that blends both of these is with Harvey Lewis. One reason this sticks out to me is that Harvey is not a professional athlete, but instead a high school teacher in Ohio. In addition to teaching, he regularly runs (and often wins) ultras, some of which are more than 300 miles long. Instead of spending his “work day” training, he utilizes time outside of his teaching career to get his miles in. He often utilizes a “run-mute” to and from work instead of biking or driving. Harvey has also been plant-based for many years.
I’ve consumed many other episodes, some of which are interviews with incredible athletes, and others are with well known plant-based guests. Due to the long-form nature of the conversations, the depth and knowledge is outstanding, and so packed with information that I have often listened to the same episodes multiple times.
Why the intrigue?
If you’re still here reading, you are probably wondering what the point of this all might be… I’m not really entirely sure either, but I’ve been very intrigued by the prospects of both ultra running and plant-based eating for a little while now. For starters, every thing I’ve ever read, listened to or watched has incredibly compelling evidence about the physical and health benefits of following a plant-based diet. Contrary to a lot of what is out there, they point to evidence that proves that humans were designed to predominantly eat plants. Much of what I have learned points to the clear harm that eating meat has on our internal systems, in particular the heart.
I’ve heard time and again about people who had significant medical diagnoses (cancer, auto-immune diseases, eczema, etc.) that were cured in relatively short order after switching to a plant-based diet. It’s hard not to be fully compelled to make the shift, but for some reason I’ve waffled. Part of it may be that I don’t (currently and thankfully) have any medical conditions that compel me to action, and also the concern about completely cutting out all meat and dairy is daunting. We’ve made many small switches (i.e. oatmilk, adding smoothies, etc.) but haven’t fully pulled the trigger.
What I’ve recently been reading, in particular with Scott Jurek’s story, is the incredible recovery of plant-based athletes from hard runs and injuries, especially with inflammation. That is definitely a strong appeal, because I want to be able to continue to push my body hard and not be hampered by inadequate recovery. This becomes increasingly more important as I think about running a 100 mile ultra next fall (did I just write that?). It’s no wonder there are so many plant-based endurance athletes popping up.
On the ultra side, the appeal seems more obvious to me, with the predominant driver to see how I will respond when I’m pushed beyond my perceived breaking point(s). I’m very drawn to the notion of planned discomfort and how that prepares us for unplanned discomfort. If I’m able to manage my mind and my body when I’m the one pushing it well past my comfort zone, then in theory I’ll be that much more prepared if and when I’m ever brought there against my will. I’ve been able to complete marathons (7 and counting) but I’m very intrigued by how I would handle 50k, 50 miles and 100 miles. A big challenge for me is going to be the time it takes to train (I just need to get more disciplined) and training smart to stay injury-free. I know it’s possible, and I think I know what I need to do. I pray to God that I something external doesn’t motivate me more than I can motivate myself…
