Scott Jurek - Spartathlon 2006 Winner - Vegan Athlete
Plant Powered
Triathletes, cyclists, and hardcore Ashtangis are among the new crop of athletes proving that a vegan diet can be a winning one.
When Scott Jurek, 32, of Seattle fuels up for a 50-mile ultramarathon, he reaches for a smoothie made with pears, bananas, apples, spirulina, and avocado. A mighty bowl of pasta, sauced with garlic and olive oil and brimming with fresh veggies, is the night-before-racing favorite of professional cyclist Christine Vardaros, 36, of Mill Valley, California. Triathlete Ruth Heidrich, 71, of Honolulu opts for a salad of greens with papaya, mango, bananas, and berries before setting out for a competition.
One thing you won’t find on these athletes’ grocery lists is meat, eggs, or dairy products. Jurek, Vardaros, and Heidrich are vegan. And if you think a vegan diet would compromise their physically demanding pursuits, just check out their performances: Jurek holds the course record in the Western States Endurance Run, a 100-mile trail race through rugged terrain. Vardaros is ranked no. 32 in the world in cycling, and Heidrich has won 900 medals in running events.
Read the whole article on The Yoga Journal - Plant Powered by Rachel Seligman
Also see:
- OrganicAthlete
- Team Vegan - Adventure Racing Team
- Veg Athletes Discussion
- Vegan Athlete
- Vegan Bodybuilding & Fitness
- Vegan Fitness
Links courtesy of Blactivegan
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on March 24th, 2007 at 6:22 PM'
I get very annoyed that Scott Jurek gets press attention for doing trail/ultra’s. He did not run in college and he is not a fast or talented runner. The collegiate runners who are fast and talented (mysef included) get no press attention and I don’t think that is fair. Yes, he does eat very well and that is a good thing. However, it does not change the fact that he gets more attention then he deserves.
on March 24th, 2007 at 9:23 PM'
I have never met Scott personally yet I feel that it is difficult to know who deserves what in these mysterious worlds we inhabit. However Scott’s performance at Spartathlon last year elevated him above all other perfomances, ever, bar one persons, in this particular event.
Again, I have never run this race so I can’t actually judge what talent is necessary to produce a result like this but friends of mine who have been able to complete the distance within the time limit, have attested to the seriousness of the nature of this challenge.
Scott has offered sufficient evidence of his capacity for experienced ultrarunners to be able to appreciate the significance of his race at Spartathlon and what that means for American ultrarunning, the world ultrarunning community and running as a whole.