Recap of the Vegan Venture

Tracey and Lisa’s Vegan Venture was officially over on April 1. And although neither one of us will be making a full time commitment to staying vegan, we both decided that we are going to incorporate more plant based menu options into our respective lifestyles. Simply put: we need cheeseburgers every once in a while. 

Overall, the experiment went very well. We planned our menus and did some grocery trips together. One of them might have happened after splitting a pitcher of margaritas. No judging, it made Krogering infinitely more entertaining. The Kroger’s we go to isn’t exactly in a thriving and busy metropolis but it did have most of what we needed. We might have had a hard time finding buckwheat flour after those margaritas but really, who has ever found buckwheat flour on the first try?

One of the things that surprised me was the weight loss. Between the two of us we lost 10lbs. And it wasn’t muscle mass, it was definitely those pesky fat cells. I am convinced that the weight loss was due to lack of dairy intake. We got the calcium we need from green veggies, rice milk, beans, and almond milk. I discovered chocolate almond milk and have since become addicted.

I will admit, that first non-vegan meal on the evening of April 1 tasted fab. I went to one of my favorite places downtown, Harrison’s. They make an incredible Black and Bleu salmon salad with a healthy plank of salmon, bleu cheese crumbles, craisins, and nuts. That salad with their homemade ranch dressing is the bomb-diggity. I was soooo happy….until I went for a run later that night. I had to cut it short due to a bathroom emergency. No, I did not poop myself but it was very close call.

One of my favorite dishes was a soup I made one afternoon. I diced some onion and garlic and sautéed it in a little bit of olive oil. Then I tossed in some water and vegetable broth, elbow macaroni, green split peas, chickpeas, a can of diced tomatoes, fresh broccoli and cauliflower and carrots and celery. I seasoned it with some salt and pepper and Italian seasons and damn, that was a good soup. I paired it with some greens and homemade dressing (brown mustard, honey, & olive oil) and it made a very filling lunch option for the week. Another fave was black bean burgers. I drained a can of black beans and mashed them with a fork. Then tossed in some oats and chili powder. Added some salt and pepper and formed the mixture into patties before throwing them in a skilled with a little bit of olive oil. Again, quick and easy (hey, who doesn’t like that…and get your mind out of the gutter) and oh so delicious!!!

Yum. 

Playing with my new blender/food processor was fun as too. (That’s a sentence I never thought I’d say.) Tracey turned me onto smoothies. Our favorite versions use spinach, a few fruit options, almond or rice milk, and chia seeds and BAM! Now I drink one after almost every run.

Tracey's Vegan Burgers from the Oh She Glows website.

Overall, we think this experiment was a success. It didn't affect our respective training plans in a negative way at all. Both of us had plenty of energy and Tracey was in the high mileage phase of her BM training, so diet is really important. (That's BM for Boston Marathon, not bowel movement, btw.) 

We still eat at least one or two plant based meals per day. Both of us are keeping our dairy intake to a minimum and it has helped immensely with the bloating issues that were bothering both of us prior to this venture. And as an added bonus, the gas that plagued both of us seemed to level off toward the end. At least that’s what we told ourselves.

Happy Eating!

The Vegan Venture, Part Deux

We are a little over the halfway point of Tracey and Lisa’s Vegan Venture and we think it’s going pretty well. I’ve been experimenting with different soups (big surprise) and Tracey made a vegan enchilada for dinner guests that no one complained about. We’ve been discussing different recipe options and making sure we are getting enough protein.  Both of us have lost a few pounds and we think this is due to the lack of dairy. It is safe to say that TJack and I were addicted to cheese. I didn’t know how much of an effect the lack of cheese/dairy would have on my body, but I like the results.  I feel like I need to say that neither one of us set out trying to lose weight and we are definitely getting enough to eat. This experiment truly drives home the point that people can eat healthy and nutritious foods and not starve themselves while still losing weight. Duh. No magic pill is going to do that, just saying.  

One thing that really hasn’t gone away is the horrific gas. Again, I’m still blaming it on the dog when she’s in the vicinity. She doesn’t seem to mind. I’ve been very appreciative of the warmer weather of late because it means if I let one rip in the car I don’t freeze like the proverbial popsicle when I open the windows for some fresh air. That is some sweet relief, let me tell you.

I do get some weird looks when I take some of my concoctions into work. The soup I made this week (Potato and split pea from the Oh She Glows website) looks like vomit but actually tastes very good. I’m having a really fun time making my own salad dressings too.  This weekend I’m going to try making a vegan spinach lasagna dish. Another thing I’m super excited about is the change in the Girl Scouts Thin Mint recipe. They are now vegan and get this, JUST AS DELICIOUS AS THEY WERE BEFORE. Thank you, Girl Scouts.

Overall, this has been a good experiment so far. One more item to put in the oh hell yes column is that I’m a cheap date – my tolerance of alcohol has dipped somewhat. Not that I’m complaining, as it means less money spent on wine. And that means more money I can spend on those new running shoes I’ve been eyeing – holla!

And so the vegan venture continues…

Here We Go...Tracey and Lisa's Vegan Venture!

I like food. I like it a lot. I try to eat healthy most of the time. Okay, fine…I probably go to Taco Bell more than I should. But sometimes a run to the Border is necessary. Anyway, it’s a proven fact that eating healthy foods has a direct positive impact on our bodies, just as eating crap has a negative impact. (Anyone that has had to use the facilities after a dose of Taco Bell can attest to that.) And as a runner and a busy mom on the go, I tend to pay attention to what I eat. So during a recent discussion, my friend Tracey (aka TJack) and I decided to go vegan for the month of March. And no, we were not drunk when we made this decision. 

This picture is circa summer of 2014. And yes, those might be Cosmos in styrofoam cups.  

The vegan lifestyle is actually very simple: no animals or animal byproducts. No red meat, no poultry, no seafood, no yogurt, sour cream, milk…if it isn’t plant based, it doesn’t get eaten. People who are unsure of this often ask how dietary vegan gets certain nutrients that are needed for survival. I’ll say this one time: YES vegans can get the protein, calcium, potassium, all the necessary vitamins and everything else that the human body needs. It requires a bit of planning and research along with some meal prep, but it can be done. And no, we will not be living on salads all day long.

The thought of giving up the occasional slab of red meat or hunk of salmon doesn’t faze me much. It’s the dairy free part of veganism that gave me pause initially. I reeeaallly like cheese. But I decided to put my big girl panties on (there’s a visual for you) so… TTFN, dairy. At least for now.

I feel I must also say that we are still going to shave our legs, neither one of us wears patchouli, and we aren’t doing this to save the animals. We’re both in training – Tjack is doing the Boston Marathon next month (have I mentioned she’s a badass?) and the Mohican Trail marathon later this year. I’m training for another 50k and the Ironman 70.3. We really wanted to see what kind of impact this way of eating has on our bodies and our training plans.

There are many noted benefits to this type of lifestyle change. Reduced cholesterol is one of them. And since both sides of my family have cholesterol issues (and my doctor told me mine was on the high end a few years ago), I feel it’s worth a try. Plus I really want to cut down on “bad” fats and processed foods. So I’m focusing on eating whole foods. Many of my purchases on my recent trip to the grocery came from the produce aisles. I’m learning to modify some of my favorite items. Replacing the skim milk I drink with almond milk, buying Ezekial bread, and using vegetable broth rather than chicken broth in my soups. All small steps that I hope will contribute to an overall healthier lifestyle. And who knows…maybe 6 pack abs. (Dream big or go home, right?)

So far we are 5 days in to Tracey and Lisa’s Vegan Venture and it’s been good.  Both of us are adjusting to it with minimal issues. Questions about what we eat are welcome, I’ll even share stories about the weird noises my intestines make and the gas(!) that I’ve so far blamed on the dog.

And in case you’re wondering, neither one of us is giving up wine. It is plant based, after all.

Race Recap: Another Dam 50K

Last weekend I did something not many people would think was fun: a little race called Another Dam 50k. No, I am not crazy. (Ok, that’s debatable, but we don’t need to talk about that right now.) And yes, I loved every single minute of it.

This ultra (an ultra is a distance anything over and above the standard marathon distance of 26.2 miles) was at Englewood MetroPark, about a 20 minute drive from my home. I signed up for it a few months ago because the thought of doing something like that scared me shitless. Made perfect sense at the time.

Race day dawned sunny and beautiful with the temps in the low 60s, which gave way to temps in the 80s later. The course consists of 4 loops for a total of 31+ miles. It is mostly shaded except while running across the infernal dam,…which is required twice on each loop. Good times. Most of the race was on the trails, some of it was on pavement. And of course there were hills, including Big Bertha, who makes her salty appearance within the first mile of each loop. She is a bitch.

The race started at 8 a.m., so I got my happy ass up at 6:30 to finish packing my provisions: a couple of PB&J sandwiches, cut into fours (makes it easier to stuff in the face on the go, multi-tasking at its finest), potato chips, water bottle, extra change of clothes, extra shoes and a care package supplied to me by one of my BFFs. (The normal stuff like Vaseline, candy bars, lotion, powder, etc. Things one needs during and after the race, obviously.) And in true Lisa fashion, I forgot my Powerade. I knew Gatorade would be supplied on the course but it doesn’t always agree with me. Enough said. I have better things to do than to get into a discourse on my intestinal issues. Okay, I really don't but I'll leave well enough alone. This time. 

Just before the race started, the race director called the 100 or so participants to the start line and gave us a low-key pep talk. He also warned us not to fuck up the trails – no littering and if you have to be a bear in the woods and can’t get to one of the porta-potties make sure to get far enough off the trail that other runners don’t have to witness it. After those words of wisdom, he turned us loose.

During the first loop I fell into an easy pace. I knew my pacers wouldn’t be joining me until loop 3 or 4, and I was fine with that. As I was running, a few people struck up a conversation – it was all very laid back and relaxing. At one point I started running with a guy who had crewed/paced at the Leadville 100. Seriously, how fucking cool is that? He also had done IronMan 70.3, an event on my agenda for next year. Turns out, he and I had a ton of mutual friends. We chatted and paced each other for 10-15 miles and had a grand old time. Thank you, Doug, for your awesomeness.

By the time I started loop 3, I was on my own again. But my first pacer, Sheila, made her appearance with impeccable timing as I was heading through an aid station. We took off, and I sincerely believe that she made that loop bearable. We talked sometimes, but there were also times of silence. She was an excellent pacer and those miles seemed to fly by.

At the start of loop 4, Tracey (she of the two time Boston qualifier fame) made her appearance and the three of us set out.  If you’ll recall the last time the 3 of us ran together, I puked. There was no puking this time. They told me it wasn’t allowed as it would give them a complex. This loop was the hardest. I was tired. My body hurt. And then I got a weird side cramp. I also felt like I was getting a blister on the bottom of my left foot. My hips hurt. My knees hurt. I didn’t like my sunglasses on top of my head but I didn’t want to wear them, either.  My Garmin quit. The birds were too loud. I think I ate a bug. But I felt as if I couldn’t stop smiling. There’s no other way to describe it: I felt free. Free of the shackles of grief that have plagued me since my sister died last month. Free of the constant stress of budget woes, worrying about my children, fretting that I’m not a good enough mother, daughter, friend, person, …I could go on. I opened up and let the trails just be my therapy.

As we neared the end of loop 4, I felt like crying. I was beat the hell up but not ready for it to be over. I marveled at every mile covered and felt incredibly lucky to have fulfilled my goal. I crossed the finish with a time of 6:10:31. That includes all the stops at aid stations. I was 3^rd in my age group for females and 11^th female overall. Not bad for my first ultra. And I can’t wait to do it again.

Thank you again to my wonderful friends and pacers, Sheila and Tracey. (And to fellow Team Grace members – congrats Brett Bogan!). And thank you to TerriAnn, who sent me wickedly funny and inspiring texts all the way from Utah, as well as Steve who texted me to get moving and stop drinking wine in the shade. For the record, no wine was consumed until hours after that race. I stayed hydrated with water and Gatorade. Also, I want it known that I did not make up any new obscenities during this race. That alone is a major accomplishment, thank you very much. 

Until next time….

Signed,

An ultra runner.