All Veg*n Marathoners!

[dizzymisslizzy]

I'm a high school marathoner and a lacto-ovo (minimally). Other runners are usually shocked when I tell them I don't eat meat, and before I started racing my coach didn't think I'd be able to. In reality, I eat a much better diet than most of the runners I know, and I'm one of the best (and youngest) distance runners in my area. It's really frustrating as an athlete to get so much flak about my diet.

If you have run, or want to run, marathon(s), and are a veg*n, post here!!!!

Also, anyone planning on running the Chicago marathon this year????

[Fyvel]

I'm a high school marathoner and a lacto-ovo (minimally). Other runners are usually shocked when I tell them I don't eat meat, and before I started racing my coach didn't think I'd be able to. In reality, I eat a much better diet than most of the runners I know, and I'm one of the best (and youngest) distance runners in my area. It's really frustrating as an athlete to get so much flak about my diet.

If you have run, or want to run, marathon(s), and are a veg*n, post here!!!!

Also, anyone planning on running the Chicago marathon this year????


I just recently started some non-serious training for a 1/2 marathon next year (or perhaps full - we'll see what next year brings). My diet is vegan.

As for people who make statements about your diet, perhaps you should ask them "Does it seem like it is holding me back?" (with a big grin on your face) Maybe that will make them stop and think about how inane their comments are.

[dizzymisslizzy]

haha, thanks. Keep up with your training!!!! 1/2 marathons are great practice, and after you run a full one you will not be the same.

[eggplant]

I'm vegan and have run a few half-marathons. Why did your coach think you couldn't run marathons? Maybe you should educate him about veg diets for athletes...

[Cassiel]

I'm about to do my 3rd marathon on the 4th of July, and my 4th in October. I run 60+ mpw on average. I am vegan. I maintain a healthy weight without much effort and I feel as good in my workouts now as I ever did before going vegan. I think this is just another case of people being suspicious of things they aren't familiar with. And athletes, particularly, can be somewhat superstitious - if eating meat works for those who win, then it might make ME win, too (to which I answer with a reference to Carl Lewis). Anyway, maybe you could do a little research into pro athletes (or ultrarunners - there are a couple ultrarunners out there who are vegan too) and present your coach with your findings. If Ruth Heidegger or Carl Lewis can have as much success as they have, and eat a vegan diet, then your coach might encourage ALL his runners to be vegan too! :)

[Trivegelete]

I'm a vegan and have done 13 Ironman triathlons. I've never found it hard to get in enough calories. I agree that our diets are much healthier than most of the meat-eating endurance athletes out there.

[CaptainSwab]

I'm a vegan and have done 13 Ironman triathlons. I've never found it hard to get in enough calories. I agree that our diets are much healthier than most of the meat-eating endurance athletes out there.


:wayne:



I've ran 6 marathons and many shorter distance runs. All of them were done on a lacto-ovo diet. I didn't actually start running until a few years after I became vegetarian.

I find that as long as I'm training I have no problems keeping weight off. Usually after the LA marathon in March my marathoning club does much less miles until we start training for something else (usually in December) and that is when I notice the weight creeping back on. I find that I also naturally eat healthier when I add miles.

[evelinadatta]

Hi all,

I am training for my first marathon and am also relatively new to veganism, although I've been a vegetarian for many years. Here is one problem I'm having - I was told that ideally right after the run, especially if it's a long run, I should try to eat both carbs and protein. For me this meal is breakfast, and while I have no problem with the carbs, I am running out of protein breakfast ideas. Help! I've overeaten on hummus and tofu scramble, and I dislike peanut butter. Any ideas?

Thanks a lot.

[Fyvel]

Hi all,

I am training for my first marathon and am also relatively new to veganism, although I've been a vegetarian for many years. Here is one problem I'm having - I was told that ideally right after the run, especially if it's a long run, I should try to eat both carbs and protein. For me this meal is breakfast, and while I have no problem with the carbs, I am running out of protein breakfast ideas. Help! I've overeaten on hummus and tofu scramble, and I dislike peanut butter. Any ideas?

Thanks a lot.


Have you tried other nut butters? There are lots! Almond, cashew, etc. You could have a handful of nuts - or throw some into a smoothie with fruit. Soymilk is also a decent source of protein - Silk (if I recall correctly) has 7g per cup.

[Morrigann]

Hi Everyone!

I have made the commitment to train for my first half marathon, scheduled for early January in San Diego-- I'm stoked!! I am going to try a 5K in about 6 weeks to get the juices moving-- no intewntion of outright racing, but more of getting the experience. I'm an okay runner already, and have only felt more energighez since going veg. Good luck to all Veg*n marathoners in accomplishing their goals!

BTW, nut butters are an awesome way to add protein to a morning meal. Stick with high-protein breads if you can, too-- whole wheat. I really like Ezekiel breads (www.foodforlife.com).

[Trivegelete]

Smoothies are a great way to get carbs and protein right after a workout. Just throw some fruit and your preferred protein powder (soy, rice, hemp, etc) into the blender and enjoy. I've found this really helps for quick recovery after tough workouts.

[countMeVeggie]

Congrats on your goal to run a marathon. I am training for Chicago and for Dallas this year.

I agree with the previous post. Smoothies are a great way to get some protein (soy) and carbs following a run.

Good luck in your training.

[Marsh]

Wow, congrats to you marathoners; I envy you all! I'm just training for the measly 5k at the end of this month. :)

[Fyvel]

Well there goes my training.. I was going to do the 5km race this weekend just for fun.. and my knee started hurting yesterday. I refuse to run on it when it hurts, because I am terrified of a knee injury. I am out until this thing heals completely.

[YxSyk]

Hey, I'm not a marathon runner but I run distance :) Lately I've been feeling more energetic + better endurance on the veggie diet (i was a veg for a yr, then switched back, now back to veg again). I believe if you plan your meals well you should be fine. at first i didn't, so it affected my running and i thought it was because of my veg diet so i changed it, and now im veg again and my diet is much better. I'm lacto-veg by the way. I mean, even Vegans can run better than us! :P i think that's amazing

[evelinadatta]

Well there goes my training.. I was going to do the 5km race this weekend just for fun.. and my knee started hurting yesterday. I refuse to run on it when it hurts, because I am terrified of a knee injury. I am out until this thing heals completely.
I used to have the same problem with my knee hurting when I first started running couple of years ago. After reading some on the issue, I've changed a couple of things and have been pain-free since then.

1) I try to run at least half of my mileage on softer surfaces such as running on trails, gravel and grass.
2) I stretch a lot more! I stretch for a couple of minutes after my warm up, and then stretch again for a longer time (15 minutes) after my run.
3) I changed my shoes. I went to see an orthopedician who told me that I have a tendency to overpronate so I bought the right kind of shoes for that.

Hope some of this helps you!

[Fyvel]

I used to have the same problem with my knee hurting when I first started running couple of years ago. After reading some on the issue, I've changed a couple of things and have been pain-free since then.

1) I try to run at least half of my mileage on softer surfaces such as running on trails, gravel and grass.
2) I stretch a lot more! I stretch for a couple of minutes after my warm up, and then stretch again for a longer time (15 minutes) after my run.
3) I changed my shoes. I went to see an orthopedician who told me that I have a tendency to overpronate so I bought the right kind of shoes for that.

Hope some of this helps you!


Thanks for the tips! Since I posted that, the knee has gotten progressively worse, despite not running, taking the elevator instead of the stairs, and walking as little as possible on it. I had an xray of it this morning. I'm grudgingly taking more ibuprofen in a day than I usually take in a year (for swelling; the pain is bearable), and luckily it seems to be helping a bit. I won't find out what's going on with it until August 2. Until then, no running for me. But after it heals I will certainly take your advice :)

[Volleyballchick]

well i am not vegan but i used to be vegetarian a year ago for about a year. I am thinking about going back to being a vegetarian lol. but I have never ran a marathon before I only ran 2 half marathons and I wanted to do my first marathon this october (about 2.5 months from now) however I do not plan on starting training until the end of next week cuz im doing a different race.

So is about 2 and a half months about enough time to train? Also does anyone here run with friends or by yourself? I find it more fun with friends though none of my friends usually run more than 4 miles with me.

[countMeVeggie]

So is about 2 and a half months about enough time to train? Also does anyone here run with friends or by yourself? I find it more fun with friends though none of my friends usually run more than 4 miles with me.

Good luck with your decisionto run a marathon. What is the distance of your current weekly long runs? If you are not able to comfortably run 12 miles right now then an October marathon might be too much for you. Check out a few training programs online(Runners World, MarathonTraining.com, etc). You want to hit 20-22 miles then begin tapering sometime in mid-September to run an October marathon.

To answer your other question: I train with friends until the long runs get to 14 miles. Then I have to train by myself.

[CaptainSwab]

Usually people train for longer than 2 and a half months. That is how people end up hurting themselves. Training schedules are usually 16 weeks. Go to runners world or cool running and look up one of their schedules. But, if you have enough of a base it is possible. There are a few people in my running club who are running marathons October 1st and they aready ran the first 20 miler for it last weekend.

[CaptainSwab]

I just saw that countmeveggie already posted basiclly the same thing I did. :) Should have read it a bit closer.

About training, I run with a club for long runs (10-22 miles) and I run by myself during the week. I dont' think I'd be able to do long runs by myself. Running with a club makes it so much easier.

[Volleyballchick]

ok thanks. i wanted to reduce my risk of injury but because I am training for a triathlon july 29 which only requires 4 miles running I didnt want to train for 2 races at once. But I was looking at a plan from runnersworld that was running 3 times per week and cross training (id pick swimming) 2 times per week. And the runs were 1 long run 1 tempo run and 1 intervals run. So I was thinking if I picked a plan with less running and more cross training i could reduce my risk of injury more. :) but i am no pro at this so i wanted to ask someone more experienced.

[CaptainSwab]

What is your current long run? I'd be able to give you a better idea if you could provide that.

[Volleyballchick]

well i havent run more than 7 miles at a time in about 2 months. The most I have ever ran in one day was 15 miles (6 miles and then 9 miles later in the day) And I can run 10 miles at once before I start to feel uncomfortable.

[CaptainSwab]

I would wait for a later marathon then. They have marathons all the time around here. So many that I can't choose in fact. :) Why not wait for a later one? You'll probably enjoy yourself a lot more if you had some more time to train.