image source: ironman.com
Next month I will be an Ironman, although my body will no doubt feel like an overcooked noodle. And I’ll do it as a vegan. Something I was told was impossible. Those people apparently don’t know me very well because the gauntlet was dropped and it was game-on. I’ll show them.
In reality, it just takes a bit of research and planning ahead. Something vegans are accustomed to doing. Goodness, before going to a restaurant, I study its menu and end up knowing it better than the wait staff. Why couldn’t that have been a university course? I would have aced it.
Like anyone competing in a race, whether it be a triathlon, 5K or marathon, being a vegan means finding out what the organizers will provide athletes on course – from the electrolyte drinks to gels and regular food like bagels, pretzels and candy. While researching my course offerings for the Ironman, which is a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike ride and 26.2-mile run, all to be done in under 17 hours, my only problem was the electrolyte drink, as it “may contain dairy”.
For some vegans in dire need of the electrolyte boost, “may contain” may be just fine for them. But for me, I’m allergic to dairy and when I ingest it I pretty well stop breathing and other extremely unpleasant things happen to my body within nanoseconds. It’s best for everyone involved that I keep my hands out of the M&Ms.
Thankfully electrolytes come in a variety of portable options, including a number of chews that taste like gummy bears. Problem solved, sort of. A new skill had to be learned – chewing and swallowing while hammering up a hill on my bike. Sure, I could make my own electrolyte drink, there are tons of recipes out there, but sometimes it’s just a bit easier to let someone else handle certain things.
When I was told doing an Ironman as a vegan couldn’t be done, someone also asked the proverbial question – all together now – what do you eat for protein? Before she even finished the question, I was rattling off the list: nuts, tofu, beans, soy milk, nut butters, quinoa and even veggie burgers with peanut butter on it. Yes, protein is important and I could give you a bunch of numbers regarding how much you should eat based on your gender, weight, age and activity level, but as stats and anything numerical turns me into a stressed-out, cookie-binging puddle of goo – I’ll defer to others.
The reality is, yes, protein is important but it’s not the be-all and end-all to an endurance athlete’s diet. The key to surviving any type of endurance training and race is a balanced diet comprised of good quality food. Over-priced cupcakes count, right? No matter what, you will never convince me Brussels sprouts are as good as cupcakes.
A good sense of humour is also necessary. After all, you spend a lot of time in self-induced torture training.
It took doing this Ironman for me to give up Oreos and even then I held out as long as I could and that last bag had to be pried from my hand in the middle of a temper tantrum that could rival any three-year-old’s in the middle of Toys R Us.
One of our go-to meals mid-week is a variation of the spicy noodle salad found in Roberto Martin’s cookbook Vegan Cooking for Carnivores. Our version goes something like this:
Ingredients:
Rice pasta (454 g bag) cooked
A bag of bean sprouts
A handful of almonds or some other nut we have around
Mushrooms – any kind – chopped
Saute the bean sprouts, nuts and mushrooms in:
1 tbsp sesame oil
The dressing consists of:
3 tbsp creamy peanut butter
2 tbsp lime juice
1 tbsp sesame oil
2 tbsp agave nectar
1⁄2 low sodium and gluten free soy sauce
1⁄4 cup balsamic vinegar
optional: 1-1/2 tsp of Sriacha sauce
Directions:
Once the noodles are cooked, drain. Pour into the wok along with dressing and mix together. This had become our go-to pot-luck meal as it can actually be served hot or cold and covers off a number of dietary restrictions.
Another of our go-to meals, which doesn’t have any protein, but is really, really good, is the Reuben sandwich. Our recipe is modified from what is served at one of our favourite restaurants – Mellow Mushroom.
In our version, we sauté diced Portobello mushrooms in garlic olive oil. The cooked mushrooms then go into a wrap with vegan cheese, sauerkraut and yellow mustard. Viola. Brown rice is served on the side.
Image source: Ironman | Ironman.com
About the author: Sandra Bolan is an award-winning journalist and photographer. She is a multiple 5K to marathon finisher as well as multiple half-Ironman finisher, who lives in the middle of nowhere with two crazy dogs and a husband who spends a lot of time running.
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