Veganism Archives - Wandering Dawn

Native Foods Rockin’ Moroccan Bowl

I had been hearing a lot of buzz about veganism in the endurance community and was very curious if it would work for me as an endurance athlete too. (Scott Jurek’s book “Eat and Run” is a great read if you’re interested.) I was a vegetarian and pescatarian for 15 years before I decided to give it a try. In doing so, I decided I would not go 100% vegan, at least not right away, because I wanted the flexibility to eat something vegetarian when I would go to a dinner party or work outing, or be able to eat the occasional buttery baked good, etc. This has been going on since July, and it has gone really well!

The reasons I decided to try it:

1. I wanted to see if it would make me feel better. (Less tummy aches, increased energy, enhanced endurance performance to name a few.)

2. I knew it could lead to a healthier lifestyle. (Does less cheese mean lower cholesterol and less cancer?)

3. I had been thinking about trying it for a few years; it was time. (The movie “Forks Over Knives” pushed me over the edge.)

The results:

1. Fewer tummy aches, more energy, and an Ironman finisher! (Ok, that last part also took a lot of training, but I did it on a vegan diet!)

2. Less cheese and more veggies! (Did you know you can eat “cheese” made from cashews, and all sorts of other crazy tricks? Thank you, Pinterest!)

3. More cooking at home! (This was one of my goals for 2013.)

Homemade spring rolls

I’ve been eating approx 90% vegan since July and have been very happy with the change. Even Jeremy decided to join the ride with me! Survey says he’s about 75% vegan. I am so proud of him. My family and friends have been incredibly supportive as well. I’ve given them new recipes to try when they have me over for dinner (pad Thai, pasta, chili), and I”ve cooked for them as well. My BFF Nicole and her beau are mostly vegan too, so that has helped tremendously. New vegan restaurant? It’s a date!

Whenever I’m in a bind or am seriously craving a slice of cheese pizza, I know I can still eat vegetarian and be OK with it. There is no going back to fish or meat, but sometimes I’ll eat something that was made with eggs or real milk. I’m not perfect, and I’m also not trying to be too high maintenance…Yet. I might just decide to go all the way with this vegan thing one day because it has impressed me so far.

I’ve really been enjoying my vegan journey and can’t wait to continue down this path! I’ve found tons of new recipes on Pinterest and started following vegans on Twitter and bloggers that share great vegan recipes. I plan to share a few of mine with you too. Overall, I feel amazing and am proud to be a part of this community. If I can encourage 1 person to eat vegan or vegetarian with me once a week, I know I am spreading some hearty healthy love! <3 (Can you say cheesy?)

Vegan feast. No, I don’t eat like this every day!

I can’t stop thinking about Ironman Cozumel. It’s officially on the brain. I’m both happy and relieved to say that I’m excited to train for my second Ironman this year…I thought I might not be. About one month before Ironman Coeur d’Alene, I was just ready for training to be over and for my race to be here. I took a two week training hiatus after Coeur d’Alene so I wouldn’t feel burned out, and now I am literally craving a structured workout plan again. No more of this sleeping in until 6:30am and not knowing what to do with my free time after work business. Just give me some workouts, please!

I’m going to be doing things a bit differently this time around, and I’m excited to see how this fresh approach to training goes.

Here are two major changes in how I will train for Ironman Cozumel:

1. Pay for a triathlon coach to tell me exactly what to do instead of following a DIY approach to training
2. Eat more vegan and gluten-free instead of following a vegetarian and pescatarian diet

The training
I don’t yet know all the ways that Coach Trevor’s training plan will differ from my previous training plan, but I have a feeling that it will be pretty different. We both agree that my key workouts each week need to be on the bike, and I need to do my long rides with people who are closer to my pace. My second priority is the swim, specifically my long one. These are my weakest links in triathlon because I am still so new to both of them (about 1 year experience to date). I know I’m going to miss running because I used to do two long runs per week, but that is the last priority right now, and I can focus on qualifying for Boston after I earn the title of Ironman. I’m 28 years old (…ok almost 29). I still have time!

The eating
I’ve been a vegetarian/pescatarian for almost 15 years. So where does eating vegan and gluten-free come in? The past 1-2 years I’ve drastically reduced my dairy and seafood intake, and I would eat completely vegan at least 1 day per week. Dairy usually makes my tummy hurt, and I’ve read more and more about the benefits of dropping dairy from my diet. I recently officially dropped seafood from my diet too, even though I was eating pescatarian for a while. I just stopped liking it. I’ve toyed with the idea of going vegan for a couple of years, but never wanted to fully commit because I didn’t know how it’d affect my training (P90X, Insanity, marathons, triathlons), and I loved eggs and cheese. My training buddies Nicole and Mike recently watched the movie “Forks Over Knives” and read Scott Jurek’s book “Eat & Run” and have made the decision to follow a more plant-based lifestyle, so I figured now was as good of a time as ever to give it a try to see how my body responds to it. Professional triathlete Beth Walsh eats gluten and dairy free two weeks before a race. I’m finding more and more endurance athletes that are giving this lifestyle a try, so they might be on to something!

My vegan 4th of July! So yummy.

I don’t know if I have intolerance to gluten, but it was actually my boyfriend Jeremy who suggested that I try eating less of it because I always complain about my stomach hurting or being nauseous after a meal, no matter how healthy it is. This is going to be harder for me to sort out than going vegan will be, so I am going to phase it in to see if it makes sense for my body. I had brown rice pasta for the first time the other week…It’s very sticky! I’m lucky because there are a host of vegan and gluten-free restaurants and shopping options in the greater San Diego area.

What about dessert? I think butter and eggs in my desserts are still ok for now! I love Sprinkles Cupcakes too much to say goodbye.

Do you ever eat vegan or gluten-free while training? Please share your recipes and tips!