Takeaways from Being Vegan

What are some take away lessons from being vegan?

• The “protein” sources are just not as good from plants as they are from animals. Now, we are so basic in our understanding of protein vs carbs vs fats, that I will go so far as to say, no one has figured out the ideal diet, at least not the ideal diet for everyone. For example, there are at least ten (okay nine, plus one that your body makes a little of) amino acids in protein that you need to get from food, and animal meat is the best way to get it. Fats can be broken down into monounsaturdated, polyunsaturated, saturated, and transfats, and there may be more, and they all have slightly difference metabolism mechanisms in our body. Carbs run the gamut from fructose, to sweeteners, to sugar, to whole wheat pasta, and hearty Ezekiel 4:9 bread. We break a diet down into carbs,  protein, and fats, but it’s not that simple. Yet who has time to make sure you get enough phenylalanine and threonine on a daily basis? As a competitive marathoner I need to get enough of everything, on a daily, or at least nearly daily basis to recover after a hard workout and before the next. If a lack of threonine meant it took me six days between hard workouts instead of five, the diet is inadequate. While you won’t see my grilling brats four times a week, eating chilidogs, or having meatlovers pizza, maybe ever, I plan to have steak and (ocean) fish at least once a week each. Probably small portions of each, 4-6 oz, but enough to get some quality protein. I might also go for MSC fish and free range cattle since I will be eating so little and I can afford the cost up. I will also probably eat up to half a pound of sandwich meat per week spread over five lunches. I realize that eating 16-20 oz of meat per week sounds really low, only 2-3 oz per day, but in addition to vegan protein sources I think I can thrive on those levels.
• Very related to the first point, I am know that protein helps muscles repair and recover, I also think it might make a difference in glycogen storage, i.e. the right mix of proteins and minerals, perhaps something like retinol (animal vitamin A), may just help our muscles store more glycogen. This is more so a theory, but I think carbohydrate loading, which happens on a daily basis does not happen simply because we eat carbs, and it doesn’t happen best just eating carbs after a run, it happens best eating carbs after a run with the other chemicals that help our cells store it, and what those chemicals are, be they amino acids (proteins) or what, I think that eating a sufficient amount of animal protein (again we’re talking maybe only one pound a week) probably helps with this process. Even if it increases the glycogen stores in my body (my legs) from 1700 to 1750 calories, that could make a huge difference in a well paced marathon. Keep in mind, this is only my own personal theory, and we’re talking about a complex chemical reaction responsible for perhaps 3% of the total glycogen storage process. Also, on my one 27 mile run I really struggled the last seven miles just to run 6:20s. Other than that I never reached the level of depletion in training that I did at miles probably 18-22, let alone miles 23+ in Chicago.
• I never had that post-thanksgiving-tryptophan-super-full feeling, like I do after a large meal particularly a large amount of steak, milk, or butter. I really enjoyed not having that feeling. For that reason I will continue in the future on a plant based diet, omnivore of course, but there will be many vegan meals and probably even vegan days. It only took about three days for me to realize that heavy stomach feeling had gone away. I may just be lactose sensitive, certainly not intolerant, but I just don’t feel as good after drinking a pint of cows milk as I do after that much soy or almond milk. I had a huge 20 oz mocha with cows milk Monday morning, and I felt sick to my stomach.
• I seriously felt less inflammation. It’s a subjective feeling, but especially in my joints, especially my ankles, I felt in the first week that they felt, narrow, less expanded, less inflamed, I liked this feeling too. Another reason to eat plant based food.
• I stepped on the scale after a run in September, on a hot day, and I was a dehydrated 123.6 pounds, wearing all my running gear. That’s three pounds less than I ever weighed in college, and I almost always weigh myself in the afternoon after a run, so it is consistent with previous weights. Part of the goal of this was to lose a little body fat, and I did, about 2% of my body weight, so roughly 11% to 9% body fat. While that helped with some of my faster training, I think that simply not eating pizza and doughnuts at work would do the same thing. In short, yes, you will likely lose weight if you turn vegan, but no guarantee that you lose a lot of it.
• My bowel movements were softer and more regular. I think milk and cheese contribute to constipation, even if only mildly. The take away is instead of drinking two gallons of milk per week and half to a full pound of cheese, I will probably drink a gallon or less of milk (and drink soy and almond milk in addition) and less than half a pound of cheese per week.

In total, I have four positives from being vegan and two negatives. Some aspects of being vegan will stay with me, others will not. It was a great 73.5 day experiment.

I’m not alone: http://ambereverything.blogspot.com/2011/03/vegetarian-to-omnivore.html

http://kristensraw.com/blog/2013/03/17/my-vegan-diet-caused-health-problems-would-primal-paleo-or-real-food-be-better/

Reasons my Chicago 2013 Marathon Fell Apart

85% of my performance was due to going out too fast. Both the mental aspect of not slowing down enough when I realized I went out too fast and the physical aspect that led me to the wall. I went out almost as fast as CIM, although Chicago is flat, not downhill, like CIM. Hands down that was the reason I hit the wall. 10 miles in 55:14? I was just not at the level to do that for a full marathon in October 2013. I have no business hitting 5:2X miles in a marathon this year. The oxygen and glycogen demands for me at that pace are just too great to sustain for more than two hours.

The other 15% I’m going to attribute to nutrition. About 5% from trying the strategy I tried of eating in the middle of the night and not having breakfast, plus a low protein meal the night before. Another 5% is due to my nutrition 24 hours+ from the marathon. Not eating in the 30 minutes after my Friday run hurt me. If I stored 50 calories less because of that mistake Friday night, that's almost another mile of hard but not post wall hard speed. The other 5% I’m going to attribute to being vegan. I realize this is a can of worms and I will likely be vilified by the vegans and vegetarians out there for blaming any negative aspects of my performance on a vegan diet, however, I’m a 2:30 marathoner and low 32 10k and a 4:31 miler, hear me out!

In the last 30 days I had the best marathon specific intensive workout (1k medium, 1k hard for 21k total) of my life, the best marathon specific extensive (20 miles in 1:57) workout of my life, and an open 8k PR of 26:30. Clearly it is possible to run really well as a vegan. However, compared to October 2011 my recovery was not as fast in September 2013 as it was then. Perhaps that is the difference between a 27 year old and 25 year old, but I don’t think those two years should make as big of a difference as it did. Plus, part of the reason I did such great workouts was that I was only trying to do a big workout once a week, Bill Squires and new Renato Canova style. However in October 2011 I did nearly as big of workouts, with a lot more quality during the week. I could do that quality during the week because I was recovering so fast. I feel that, at least for me, getting the macro and micro nutrients from meat products is the most efficient and bioavailable way to get the recovery food I need. 

What will I do differently in the future? 

• Well, I going to run a lower key marathon, and as soon as I can, so that I can negative split one of these things. I negative split my 2:47 this summer our of shape, but seriously, a 2:47? I could probably do that once a week if I really wanted to. (Barring my current bum leg.) That's the major change. To run a really good marathon, you have to feel great at half way. I don't just mean feel okay, you have to feel capable of sprinting a mile at 5k pace.
• I eat meat again. I think my diet will consist of steak once a week and fish once a week and cheese on meals. Other than that I will eat some chicken wings or hamburgers here and there but I would guess than two thirds of my meals will probably still be vegan, specifically most breakfasts and lunches. 
• I will eat breakfast before marathons. Just a bagel and some coffee and orange juice, but a few hundred calories none the less. 
• I will be absolutely on my nutrition leading up the race so that I carbo-load and get the protein I need in the days before the race. The difference of 100 or 200 calories is all that separates a good race, but running a couple 8:20s miles at the end of a marathon. 

I Live in Iowa: Week 130

An interesting week to say the least. Some weeks I seem to spend more time laying around, going out to write and just socializing. This past week was a blur of activity, mostly at work.

Sunday and Monday were pretty standard low keys days, but Tuesday grew interesting. I was at work early and still there later than normal, and a rumor surfaced about a trip to Canada.

Wednesday the rumor became a fact, I was going to Canada for a minor issue, but field time is always more conducive to understanding issues than sitting behind a computer trying to understand a few unfocused pictures. Preparation and details were being worked out as I grow into my new role I understand what I need to do better. New jobs always start slow, but the intensity eventually builds.

Thursday, the wheels came off, metaphorically speaking, although it's relatively accurate. FAILURE! Dubuque, we have a problem! A major structure has cracked and not only is it now my structure in my three week old job, it was a structure that I, and I alone, did finite element analysis on two years ago. I am the world expert once again on a very specific component, and I'm getting a trip to Canada to fix the problem. I would like to add, we don't fully understand the problem yet either. We are going up with a solution, but it is based on only a fraction of the story. I am quite afraid that once up there we will discover more problems. Although, I am hopeful that we will discover more details to the current problem, enough to allow us to solve it.

Why do companies make physical prototypes? Because things fail in real life that do not fail virtually.

Friday was another blur of coming up with a fix, changing flights once in the morning and a second time in the afternoon. I used my FEA software and my design software to create the two new parts, and virtually test the two new parts in less time than it would take to explain the previous FEA to someone else. In other words, I have already started cannibalizing my previous job. Realistically I eliminated one or two days of highly skilled, highly paid, work because I now have more skills than I had a month ago.

Friday night and Saturday were far more relaxed as I accompanied my cross country team to the IIAC cross country championships. There were I think four personal records on our two teams. Given the rolling hills that isn't too bad. However, a number of other teams had runners set personal records, and the leading times were not terribly slow. Both of our teams came in last, 8th of 8. After two and a half years of coaching, hours a week, probably 600 hours a year, it is not exactly the kind of conference experience we were looking for. It's too early to say more about it.

That's about it. My own running? Half a mile Tuesday and 0.8 miles Saturday was all. A 1.3 mile week. Granted that's a 400% milage increase from last week. My calf is healing due to the massages and stretching, but it takes time. My therapist is doing a great job, and I am rehabbing as I can, but this is one gnarly left calf.

My Problem and a Trip to Canada

It is my fault. I can not blame anyone else. The fact that there is a crack in the prototype structure after far too few hours of operation, when I did the FEA on it, is my fault. Now, I am the design engineer responsible to fix that structure. Not only is it my fault, now it is my responsibility. This is why people move to new jobs far from the old ones, to leave old projects behind for the next poor sap. On the other hand, commitment and a deeper experience are what I am after and having responsibility  for the failure and now the fix is exactly the kind of end to end experience I am after, even if it means I feel afraid of being a failure.

I will be in Canada next week! Tuesday it was a rumor from one person. Wednesday morning it was official and Thursday I booked tickets. Initially the trip was to investigate one moderate issue that is my responsibility, now with the revelation of a major issue that is also my responsibility, the trip will be even more valuable. I'm flying into Spokane and driving north to Cranbrook, BC area. 

Companies exist in large part to absorb the problems of any one person. In other words, failures happen but they do not have to ruin a career. Companies also exist to pool resources so that one person can not do too much damage. In this particular case we have a good team, we will solve this problem, before Thanksgiving. 

Yes It Hurts!

I see myself as weak. I think of the pain I experience and wonder, why can't I push through it better?

However, when I do not think I am showing any pain, more than once in this recovery people have commented that it looks painful. Well, my leg is painful.

Despite the fact that sometimes, maybe all the time, we don't want to show pain, we don't want to show our weaknesses, we need to be honest without ourselves and admit, it hurts. Only after admitting our weakness can we do the therapy necessary to heal and eliminate the problem. This honestly holds true for math skills in school and mental issues just as well as a bum leg. If there is a weakness, if there is a problem, do something about it!

Long Day

The day's first activity might as well have been last night. The rest of the day started well before sunrise. The morning was a blitz of meetings, including a presentation. The afternoon calmed down, but the to do list still grew. Now I have some baby sitting for a friend and grocery shopping still to do tonight. 

I like being busy, but seriously, it's tiring.

Long Term Development, Progress and Goals

How does one set out a multiyear, decade or longer plan, and then follow through? The key is small steps, intermediate goals that can be somewhat rapidly checked off.

For example, take my running.

• In 2007 I set out to go after an Olympic Trials marathon standard. 
• In 2008 I ran 1500, 5k, and 10k PRs and my first ever 100 mile week.
• In 2009 I ran a mile and half marathon PR.
• 2010 was not a great year, but I did run something like 3300 miles, including a lot of miles at altitude.
• 2011 saw PRs at the marathon and half marathon along with some massive mileage.
• 2012 was a good year on the track as I set PRs at the 5k and 10k.
• Finally, 2013 overall has been a success as I set PRs at the 800, mile and 8k and learned what it means to go out too fast in a marathon.
• 2014 will hopefully be PRs in the marathon, 5k and mile along with some more massive mileage.

While I could say the major goal is the marathon, it is noticeable how so much of the development thus far has focused on shorter distances. Another great example would be my climbing and mountaineering.

• 2002 climb South Massive and Mt. Elbert in one long 15 hour solo day. 
• 2003 use ice axe for the first time.
• 2004 first time using crampons on a failed North Face of Longs Peak attempt.
• In 2005 I led my first traditional rock climbs.
• In 2006 I tried to summit a mountain every month and experienced winter mountaineering.
• 2007 saw me climbing longer harder traditional rock climbs.
• In 2008 I did some big climbs in RMNP (the Diamond) and invented an ice axe.
• 2009 was the year I spent seven weeks in Pakistan and reached 7000 meters on Broad Peak in addition to ice soloing and aid climbing.
• In 2010 I pushed my rock climbing ability to 5.12 and did some free soloing and went to Yosemite.
• 2011 was really more focused on running but I did get out and rope solo climb a little in addition to financial training.
• 2012 was a decent year for climbing including Devils Tower and more financial training.
• 2013 had some silo ice climbing and a little rock climbing and more financial training.
• 2014 will be interesting.

Here again multiple aspects of climbing are addressed so that I have the experience to attempt larger objectives. 

How do you track progress? If what you are running faster, climbing harder or higher in most years, that is progress, even if it doesn't live up to your goals. It can be harder in the working world to see regular career progress but the concepts are the same. If one is developing slightly lighter structures, greater ranges of motion, less expensive to produce, or otherwise more functional devices, progress is happening, even if we don't have hover boards like Back to the Future III.