Everybody knows that two of my greatest passions are running and Whole Foods Market. You can find me often at Whole Foods in Potrero Hill or at Whole Foods in Oakland.
Today, I am very excited to share that I am getting to combine the two and I am officially registered to run the 2013 Nike Women's Marathon in October, my first half marathon. AND, I am being sponsored by Whole Foods Market.
I am the Flexitarian Runner!
I've been a runner for almost two decades now, and my farthest running distance so far is 12 miles. I have only officially registered to run 5K races. In 2001, I trained to run the Honolulu full marathon, but got sidelined with a knee injury. I run mostly for exercise, meditation, and fun. On average, I run 20-25 miles per week which is already half marathon level. When this opportunity with Whole Foods came up I literally jumped for joy!
Why?
Because, it's a new challenge to train for a race as a mostly plant-based runner. That's new for me, and I thought it would be interesting for other people who are curious and have been thinking about going more plant-based, cutting down on their meat, dairy, and egg consumption, and eating more meats and seafood free of antibiotics, hormones, and that are grass-fed, pasture-raised, wild-caught and humanely raised.
I've tried going 100% vegan several times, and one of the main reasons, I just could not sustain that eating style was because my body couldn't operate with the running at peak levels without some animal protein. I realize there are more and more athletes and sports enthusiasts who can train completely vegan or vegetarian, and I applaud them if it works for their body and lifestyle.
For me, 80% vegan and 20% meat/seafood is what works for my body. I'm also gluten-litte and soy-little, cutting down my gluten and soy consumption by more than half. Being flexitarian, I can eat mostly plants and still have my turkey burger without getting the evil eye. I avoid dairy and eggs because of food allergies, although I can eat sheep cheese.
Between now and October 20, race day, I will be sharing some of the foods I am eating while training all found at a Whole Foods Market, and I will host some Google+ hangouts to share some eating tips like snacking during runs, plant-based protein suggestions, and what to eat during taper week. I'm also open to any ideas any of you may have, so don't be shy, let me know!
On social media, Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, YouTube etc follow the hashtag #flexitarianrunner and if you feel inspired by anything you find on Noshtopia and my training, feel free to share your meals and tips using the #flexitarianrunner hashtag. The more people who are trying to go more plant-based the better. Plus, it's more fun with friends.
Let's run and have fun along the way!