Now, you're probably thinking—Doesn't being vegetarian put you at a disadvantage when you run that far?
The simple answer is no. Plant-based nutrition offers energy and digestive efficiency that meat can't match, and it's for this reason that some of the world's top ultrarunners and Ironman triathletes are vegans.
Can giving up meat really help you run faster?
Just like me, many athletes notice an immediate improvement in their speed and endurance when they go vegetarian. For me, it was the final push I needed to qualify for the Boston Marathon, when I took over 10 minutes off my personal-best marathon time with a 3:09:59, six months after going vegetarian.
And it's not just marathons. Eating such a clean diet has allowed me to venture into the sport of ultrarunning—50K, 50 miles, and beyond, something I always considered impossible.
What can plant power do for your running?
Join the thousands of other runners who subscribe to No Meat Athlete and are discovering just what limiting meat in their diets can do for them.
It's free, and each time I post a new recipe or advice on how to train and fuel your runs, you'll get it automatically delivered. In the case that you subscribe by email, rest assured that we will never share your email address with anyone.
About Matt Frazier
No Meat Athlete was founded in 2009 by Matt Frazier. Matt ran his first marathon in 2002, finishing in 4:52. Seven years later, six months after becoming vegetarian, he qualified for Boston with a time of 3:09:59 at the Wineglass Marathon. In June 2010, Matt ran his first 50-mile ultramarathon, in 10 and a half hours.
When he's not running, cooking, or blogging, Matt's a full-time graduate student working on his Ph.D. in Applied Math. He also enjoys reading, gambling, music, and brewing beer. Matt lives in Maryland with his wife and son, and his two beautiful dogs, both adopted from the SPCA, are a constant source of inspiration to help spread the joys of eating less meat.
Feel free to contact Matt or email him at matt@nomeatathlete.com.
No Meat Athlete currently has over 2,400 subscribers and is viewed by over 65,000 unique visitors each month. In addition to guest-posting for the popular Zen Habits (one of Time Magazine's Top 25 Blogs of 2010), Matt has been interviewed on several websites and on radio:
- The Extreme Self — The Meat-Free, Manly Marathoner: Q&A with Matt Frazier
- Step 1 Runner — Interview with a Runner: Matt Frazier of No Meat Athlete
- Melinda Hinson Neely — Marathons without the Meat: An Interview with Matt Frazier
- WOCM's Rude Awakening Morning Show
- Running Somewhere — Running Mates: Matt Frazier, No Meat Athlete
Don't forget to subscribe to No Meat Athlete!
