Racing Vegan

My quest to complete my first Ironman seems to have morphed into something beyond simply trying to do it on the cheap. With inspiration from friend and fellow endurance athlete Kyndra, I've been experimenting with eating vegan for the last 4 months.

I first became interested in vegan eating a few years ago while at a talk put on by The Fools discussing their experiences running 100 milers. Someone from the audience was asked to speak briefly and I was surprised to learn that he was an elite and accomplished ultrarunner who was entirely vegan. What surprise me most of all was that he didn't have that stereotypical scrawny hippie physique that I expected. Rather, he looked like a very lean, muscular, strong athlete. A little research opened my eyes to the array of different top level athletes that are vegan: Bredan Brazier - Professional Ironman athlete, Mac Danzig - UFC fighter, Scott Jurek - Ultrarunner and winner of Badwater, Georges Laraque - NHL player/fighter, Fiona Oakes - Olympic cyclist and marathon runner, and the list goes on.

In the past during my tapers I've always cut out caffeine, alcohol, wheat, fried food, red meat, sweets and dairy. The initial 3-4 days are always torture as my body adjusts. I find myself pulling my hair out and have been told I'm less than pleasant to be around. But by day 4 or 5, I always emerge feeling "clean" and strong and at the top of my game. My sleep patterns improve drastically and I always drop a few pounds despite my reduced training load - the time when athletes often put on a pound or two. The result is I feel unstoppable come race day.

Friends and acquaintances have asked me why I've gone vegan and I don't have a simple answer. First of all I haven't become vegan. I still have my Italian leather shoes and a great Buffalo leather belt. I'm not really in it "for the animals" per se, although I would be lying if I didn't admit that a slaughterhouse video on the PITA website didn't help make the transition easier.

Of particular interest to me is how eating vegan might improve my training/racing. Now there are quite a few variations on the theme when it comes to eating vegan. There are the die-hard raw vegans, the crazy fruitarians, the traditional tofu-ists and the list goes on. They all have differing views on what fat:carb ratio is appropriate and how much protein the human body really needs. But all the different vegan athletes that I read up on all claimed the same thing: becoming vegan reduced their recovery times allowing them to train more and be less susceptible to injury. This is what intrigues me the most.

I tried the raw thing for a few weeks and really enjoyed some of the recipes and going to some of the local raw restaurants (Organic Lives, Gorilla Foods, Cafe Bliss). Sadly my guts didn't enjoy the raw diet as much as my palate did. I don't think I've ever experience that much gas in my entire life. I apologize retroactively to all who may have come into contact with me during that phase. And for my non athletic friends, you should be aware that we endurance athletes talk about bodily functions ad nauseum (no pun intended).

I'm still in the off season and simply playing around with my diet to see what does and doesn't agree with my digestive system. As my training ramps up I'll be looking more closely at stuff like protein levels, effectiveness of alternative sports nutrition (eg. dates instead of gels) and how these things affect my energy levels, recovery rates and sleep patterns.

As I make my way through this athletic culinary journey I also plan to post many of my recipes. One of my favourites and one that I received many requests when I made it a my BFF's party this weekend is called Zughetti. This is a common dish served in raw restaurants, for which I have come up with my on version. Without further ado, the recipe is:

Sean's Imprecise Zughetti Recipe

• Several Zucchini's (smaller ones have less seeds)

• Garlic (one clove)

• Green Onion

• Pitted Olives

• Sundried Tomatoes in oil (drained)

• Fresh Parsley (chopped)

• Fresh Tomato (chopped)

In a food processor combine garlic, a small amount of green onion, olives, sundried tomatoes, 3/4 of the parsley and 1/2 of the fresh tomato. Blend into a taponade consistency.
With a spiral slicer (http://organiclives.org/_product_95793/SPIROOLI), prepare the zucchini noodles. You can make the strands as long as you like, but I find it easier to eat if I cut them every 10 inches or so.
In a large bowl, thoroughly mix the sauca/taponade and the zucchini strands.
Plate the zughetti and top with the remaining fresh tomato and parsley.

This recipe is fun to play around with. You can modify the proportions, add things like carrot and red peppers, substitute the parsley for fresh basil.

To maintain the spirit of the recipe, only raw ingredients should be used. Remember, since this is a raw recipe, a small amount of things like garlic and onion go a long way.

I love how simple and quick this recipe is. Feel free to post any variations/improvements you might have.

Bon Appétit.