An Introduction

So here I am frozen in another Minnesota winter, huffing and puffing on the treadmill. I'm overweight, coming up on my 35th birthday, have a beautiful 9 month old baby and I want to drastically change my life; for myself and for her.

I've decided to eat plants, and only plants.

I've never liked the word "Vegan." It just sounds like another 4 letter word. I first heard the phrase "Plant Powered" while reading Rich Roll's "Finding Ultra" and decided that it suited me better. His story and mine have many commonalities. Like him, I can't just eat better "some" of the time, or go to the gym occasionally, or have just one beer. I need a plan. I need guidelines. I need limits. I need goals.

I need to eat plants, and only plants.

After watching Forks Over Knives, reading Scott Jurek's book "Eat & Run" and listening to the many

Vegan Ultra-Runner

athletes and physicians on podcasts by Rich Roll and Joe Rogan, I've decided that now is the time.

This blog will mostly post pictures and recipes of the success and failures I find in the kitchen, but also in life and on the running trail. I ran my first 25K trail race last fall. My goal was to not come in last. I succeeded in that, but not by much.

Surph the Murph 25K

So starting Jan 1st, I stopped drinking alcohol. I stopped eating refined/heavily processed foods. I stopped eating animal products, including dairy. My step-mom and dad said that if I visit this month, they can cook my wife something with meat and make fish for me.

"Fish? That's an animal dad."

"No it's not. It's fish!"

"It has eyes and a parent, didn't it?"

But luckily, everyone is supportive of my adventure in eating plants.

I have also signed up for the Minneapolis Half-Marathon, along with my wife, and the same 25K trail race that I entered last fall. I hope to do a full trail marathon in the near future.

So here it goes, my first few meals!