Running Blogger Goes Vegan to Improve Performance

Ann Shellard, of the The Guardian’s The Running Blog, joins the growing list of online writers who are experimenting with veganism. According to Shellard, she is aware of mounting medical evidence that indicates the benefits of plant-based diet, but her real interest in cutting meat and dairy out of her eating regimen is to bolster her running performance. The blogger notes vegan examples including Scott Jurek, who went vegan and won the 50-mile Minnesota Voyageur Trail Ultra race, and the renowned track-and-field star Carl Lewis. Shellard reports that since she has attempted the vegan experiment, she has experienced physical benefits that could help her make it to the finish line sooner. “I have been running faster, with less effort, sleeping better, and finding my energy levels to be at least as high as usual,” she says.