A few days ago, I got an email from a woman named Lynita. It’s what today’s post is about.

Here’s what Lynita wrote to me:

I’m four weeks into the Marathon Roadmap training!! I felt the need to tell someone…but preferably someone who has no vested interest in my life in case it turns out to be an epic bust!!

I ran my first and only half marathon August of last year. I’ve been running regularly since but haven’t had anything to train for until now and my running, even though enjoyable, had been stagnant. So, I decided I needed a goal, and if you’re going to set one, set one BIG, right??

I thought [the half marathon] would suffice! But, apparently I was mistaken. Something inside me desired to do so much more. I’ve set my sights on running a full 26.2 miles. I haven’t had meat in four weeks and am continually trying to clean up my diet. I feel the foods I eat affect me possibly even more than the typical person.

So, we’ll keep this on the down low for now – you know, in case of that epic failure thing. However if these crazy joints carry me 26.2 miles across a marathon finish line, you’ll be one of the first to know.

Thanks for the inspiration! Keep it up…please

Lynita

On the surface, these look like the words of someone destined for success. But if Lynita doesn’t change something, I’d bet against her.

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One of the things I fear most when I hit “Publish” on a new No Meat Athlete post is that what I’m writing will come off as preaching.

I don’t think this is a bad thing to fear. Some will argue that I could have a much bigger impact and convince a lot more people to try being vegetarian or vegan if I weren’t so afraid to tout the benefits of a plant-based diet, but I don’t believe that’s true.

Instead, I think the choice not to write that stuff — to resist the temptation to write about animal cruelty or even the health benefits of a plant-based diet over a traditional one — and instead provide readers with tools (and hopefully some inspiration) to make the transition, is what has made No Meat Athlete popular with a pretty decent-sized and growing audience. And more important, it’s what has helped No Meat Athlete help a lot of people go vegetarian or vegan.

It works well. People who already on board get something they like reading and sharing (thank you, btw!), and people who aren’t yet convinced often stick around and continue to pay attention over time until they’re ready to give it a try. Without being turned off by preaching, or equating going vegan with joining a cult.

But …

It turns out there is a way to argue for a plant-based diet in a manner that’s tasteful, non-preachy and appealing to a wide audience, not just the proverbial choir.

Here it is. It’s a post from my friend Leo at Zen Habits, called A Guide to Eating a Plant-Based Diet.

Leo’s post is long, which is why this one short. I hope you’ll check out Leo’s post, and more than that, I hope you’ll share it, so that the message travels far and wide.

If it’s not a post I could have written, the next best thing is to help it spread, right?

PS — Leo’s post has tons of links to studies and supporting evidence, which is a testament to the amount of time he spends researching what he writes. I’ve learned a lot from following links on Zen Habits. His post on soy is another great example, and one of my favorites.