Currently on Hal Higdon's Marathon Training Plan for Novices which was advised by a friend.

For my previous races I used the Nike Run Club training plans (5K, 10K, Half-Marathon). You don't need to use the app, just download and print out the plans. My only note is that the interval workouts are convoluted AF so I had to make adaptations.

My Diet

I eat on a Mediterranean diet and I went vegetarian after watching Earthlings.

CAVA, Juiceland, Snarf's Sandwiches, Sweetgreen and Soup Peddler are where I get most of my meals from in Austin. Trader Joe's for life.

My post-workout shake:

• GNC Pro Performance: Bulk 1340 - Vanilla (4 scoops)
• SirenLabs: UltraKarbs - Natural (1 scoop)

My Nutrition As A Vegetarian Runner

1. Protein for Muscle Repair & Growth

• Sources: Lentils, chickpeas, quinoa, tofu, tempeh, edamame, Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, and plant-based protein powders.

2. Carbohydrates for Energy

• Sources: Whole grains (brown rice, quinoa, oats), sweet potatoes, whole wheat bread, fruits, and vegetables.

3. Healthy Fats for Energy & Recovery

• Sources: Avocados, nuts, seeds, olive oil, and nut butters.

4. Iron & B12

• Iron-rich Sources: Spinach, lentils, beans, quinoa, fortified cereals, and pumpkin seeds. Pair iron-rich foods with vitamin C (e.g., bell peppers, oranges) to enhance absorption.
• B12: It's harder to get B12 on a vegetarian diet, so I have fortified foods (cereals, nutritional yeast) or a B12 supplement, as it’s crucial for energy metabolism.

5. Calcium & Vitamin D

• Sources: Leafy greens, fortified plant-based milks, tofu, and almonds for calcium. Make sure to get enough sunlight or consider a vitamin D supplement if you're not getting much sun exposure, as it's important for bone health, especially with the high-impact nature of running.

Check out the SenDex post for more nutrition information.

Overview

I'm using Oak Meditation, Down Dog Yoga, Sadhguru and Wim Hof Method to track these stats. To export data I'm using HealthExportCSV on iPhone.

Asanas

Asanas are the postures that you may recognize as yoga. I practice Ashtanga Yoga, which has six series, each with a sequence of poses to master. I've found that it helps my physical and mental health to practice a few days every week. Most days I do 10+ minute sessions as part of my morning routine.

You can find the full list of poses online, but here's a 30 minute intro session on YouTube by Leslie Fightmaster.

Breathing Exercises

Through yoga I dabbled in the Wim Hof world as well. Now I've settled on three rounds of breathing exercises each morning when I wake up, followed by meditation and yoga. I feel that the breathing exercises wake my body up and get me prepared for meditation.

Meditation

There are many techniques - do your research. Here's my typical approach:

While sitting on a meditation cushion I focus on breathing in a relaxed steady rhythm. Thoughts, ideas and noise come and go but I refocus the mental laser on the present moment through breathing. Over lots of practice sessions and applied focus, thoughts don't come as easily and the rest of the world falls away.

Yoga Nidra

A technique to consciously transition into deep sleep, or more simply: breathing and visualization exercises to help you relax. Instead of staring at your phone until you get tired, give this a try. The Down Dog Yoga app is good.

Overview

Yeah, I know.

Whenever I hear people talk about hippy dippy stuff I get weirded out too. But here's the point - this is just another system of ethics and discipline. A lot of these concepts exist in other places like Agape, Buddhism, Ignatian spirituality, Stoicism, Sufism, Taoism and so on. Add your -ism here.

There's insane stuff in any book that doesn't make sense or wouldn't be appropriate in our modern era. And keep in mind that all of these systems have been heavily edited with context relevant to the people of that time and place.

But the more you study across these ideas the root appears to be the same. Be a nice person, manage yourself and work hard on the responsibilities you have. It's just another way of living.

Thousands of years ago someone named Patanjali wrote down a series of practices called Ashtanga Yoga. You can buy or download that text, The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, pretty much anywhere.

Here's a summary:

Ashtanga Yoga

The eight 'limbs' of ashtanga yoga are:

• Yama: moral codes or restraints, regulating how we behave with others
• Niyama: observances or commitments, particularly to ourselves
• Asana: the physical postures of yoga
• Pranayama: control of the breath, or “prana”
• Pratyahara: withdrawal of the senses, drawing oneself inward and remaining unaffected by the external world or impressions of the mind
• Dharana: concentration, holding steady focus
• Dhyana: meditation, a prolonged and uninterrupted state of one-pointed concentration
• Samadhi: complete absorption and realization of higher consciousness

Yama and niyama are ethical practices:

Yamas

• ahimsa: non-violence, in our words, thoughts and actions
• satya: truthfulness towards others and ourselves in words and actions
• asteya: non-theft, don't take the property of others (tangible or not)
• brahmacharya: moderate your sensory cravings
• aparigraha: non-hoarding of things and ideas, don't be greedy

Niyamas

• saucha: cleanliness (internal and external), keeping the mind and the body pure
• santosha: contentment, being happy with what we have, equanimity
• tapas: self-discipline, austerity, the "burning" of impurities
• svadhyaya: self-study, self-inquiry
• Ishvara pranidhana: devotion or surrender to a higher power

Check out the SenDex post for more information.