Plant-Based Diet for Athletes

Sometimes the Goal Just Feels Right

By: Matt Frazier

A few days ago, I stepped outside for my run and looked down to start my watch, just like any other day.

It read 24:32. Twenty-four hours, thirty-two minutes. I must have forgotten to press “stop” after my run the day before.

That’s when it hit me just how long a 100-mile race is. Although simply to finish is the main goal, 24 hours would be the number to gun for. Many runners take longer than that to finish, but some races won’t award you a precious belt buckle if you do. And some ultrarunners say you haven’t really “run” a hundred until you’ve done one in 24 hours.

But why, out of the blue, am I talking about a 100-miler?

In case you weren’t reading 18 months ago, I actually signed up for one back then, but never did it. And in a way, I think that particular goal — one that I really wasn’t ready for, one that overwhelmed me, and one that I now realize was only an attempt to keep my flame of motivation burning — is the thing that actually snuffed that flame out for a while. (more…)

Interview with Scott Jurek, Ultramarathon Legend and Author of Eat & Run

By: Matt Frazier

Only a very few athletes ever dominate their sport to such an extent that they’re considered legends in their own time. Scott Jurek has done exactly that in the ultrarunning world. What’s even more inspiring is that he’s done it as a vegan. And the title of his new book, Eat & Run, should tell […]

How I Got Back My Running Mojo

By: Matt Frazier

It’s been just about a year since I took a break from ultrarunning, and I finally feel like I’m back. In my last 50K, the first eight miles took me two hours, which at the time I thought was a crazy statistic. I mean, it was uphill, but 15 minutes per mile? I had no […]

Book Review: Rich Roll’s Finding Ultra

By: Matt Frazier

Rich Roll may not yet have the name recognition of Brendan Brazier or Scott Jurek in the plant-based endurance world, but his story sure deserves to be heard. What makes Rich’s story so inspiring, as he tells it in his new book, Finding Ultra, is that in reading it you come to realize that this […]

How I’ve Begun Changing My Life, One Habit at a Time

By: Matt Frazier

I’m not a big movie guy, but I liked Limitless. In it, Bradley Cooper’s character discovers a drug called NZT which allows him to access 100% of his brain, giving him incredible powers of focus, perception, and creativity. Under its influence, he plays life at a higher level, excelling in everything from cleaning his apartment […]

Thrive Foods Direct Review

By: Matt Frazier

On the heels of last week’s post about eating vegetarian while traveling, it seems an opportune time to publish a review of a service that makes it easy to do that very thing. During Brendan Brazier’s podcast appearance earlier this year, we talked briefly about Thrive Foods Direct, his new service that delivers healthy vegan […]

25+ Tips for Eating Vegetarian While Traveling (from the People Who Know Best)

By: Matt Frazier

How do you eat vegetarian or vegan while you’re traveling? And how do you do it healthily, especially if you’re an athlete? These are almost as common as the protein question, only they’re usually asked by newish vegetarians and vegans, rather than the veg-curious. And so I set out to write a post to answer […]

3 Steps to Planning the Perfect Running Getaway to Re-energize Your Training

By: Doug Hay

This is a guest post by Doug Hay of Rock Creek Runner. It happens to everyone. No matter how good your intentions are in the beginning, sometimes training becomes a real drag. In any prolonged training cycle, what was once one of the most exciting things you ever started can feel more like that new friend […]

Veg-Curious? Don’t Be Fooled by These 7 Myths About a Vegetarian Diet

By: Matt Frazier

A lot of the emails that I get from readers begin this way: Hi Matt! Love your site. First I should tell you that I’m not a vegetarian… I can’t figure out why people need to get this off their chest right away … in the future, you can skip it! I actually think many, […]

The Boston Marathon, and What It Takes to Get There

By: Matt Frazier

Today, as you probably know, is Boston Marathon day. One year ago, I ran it. It was amazing. Two years ago, I was eligible to run, but I didn’t because my son was born just two days before the race. And just two and a half years ago, I qualified. Qualifying for Boston had been […]