Why Am I Running a Marathon? (On Fruit!)

A few months ago my Facebook friend Jina (the brilliance behind The Happy Healthy Truth) and I had the wild notion to meet up for a marathon. We met online two years ago through Marie Forleo’s B-School program and struck a quick friendship. She’s funny, loves good food, is a meditation expert, and she lives a happy, sober life that I adore. And we have never, ever met in person!

We thought about meeting somewhere cool like San Francisco. Then we remembered the hills. We wanted enough time to train, so didn’t want to pick something as early as this Spring or Summer. The Asheville marathon would have been a great destination, but, then again, the hills. Ack! The hills.

So I suggested to Jina the Savannah Rock ‘n’ Roll marathon practically in my back yard this November. The date gave us ample time to train and there would definitely be no hills, just one short bridge.

We start our official training on July 13th. Jina has a background in Sports Management so I’m leaning on her for training guidance plus she’s done FOUR marathons. I’ve only run a half marathon ONCE in 2011 which is the farthest I have ever run in my whole life. Oh, and she’s 33 to my 44. Gulp!

She has our training all charted out:

We are committed to training for and running this marathon on a predominantly high-fruit, mega-veggie diet with the addition of Blendfresh raw, whole, organic food powders. Why? Because we both feel so great eating this way and we know that we can be sufficiently fueled, avoid injuries, and recover quickly eating a simple, clean plant food diet. Jina & I have partnered to bring Blendfresh to our communities and to show how simple, clean eating can fuel passions and athletic pursuits.

PLUS I have new heroes! Not only did Janette eradicate her breast cancer diagnosis with a raw, vegan diet when given 6 months to live by her doctors, she and her husband Alan committed to running one marathon PER DAY for 365 days around the island of Australia. That’s 26.2 miles every day for a total of 9,563 total miles in one year when over 60 years old! I mean, seriously, if that’s not inspiration and testimony for the power of a healing diet, I don’t know what is. If they can do what they did, I can run one flippin’ marathon!!!

Learn more about Janette and Alan HERE.

So we are two young, healthy women meeting for the first time, running a marathon together on a predominantly raw vegan diet and we would love your support. Follow us for regular updates on our Run Fresh Facebook page. Make good use of our #runfresh hashtag. If you’re curious about what I eat now and will be during training, check out my Food Diary.

Why am I running a marathon?

Good question. I ask myself that often. I really have little desire to run 26.2 miles. Road races start way too early for me as I really like sleeping late on the weekend. Crowds and the trash they generate depress me. I’ve been running 7-10 miles lately and I impress myself plenty with those distances. I never thought I’d be running miles like that on a regular basis. I’m not competitive, not even so much with myself.

But, I’m thrilled to pieces to meet Jina. And I want to show those who follow my work how living on a high-fruit, mega-veggie diet can fuel not only a healthy life, but can adequately fuel athletic pursuits. I’m 44 years old and in the best shape of my life thus far and I completely attribute it to my diet.

Early last year after I had mastered the art of the high-fruit lifestyle, I made a conscious choice to bring more exercise into my life. I had been the occasional walk-with-my-girlfriends and grab a yoga class here and there kind of girl with sporadic spurts of jogging and swimming. Running 3-4 miles was about all I could handle, and before the half marathon in 2011, the furthest I had run was 8 miles.

I wanted to see what this diet could do. I wanted to put it to the test. And without becoming an exercise maniac, I committed to exercising more days per week than not. These days I swim, run, or walk usually 6 days a week and some days I run and then swim afterwards. I never thought I’d be this person! I never thought I could! Knee and hip pains had discouraged me in the past, but my diet has developed and supported a stronger and more able body that rarely feels pain, muscle aches, or fatigue.

So the answer as to why I’m running a marathon is: because I can. I have a healthy body, the luxury of time, a great running buddy, the support from my husband and daughter, and the desire to demonstrate that as we age we can become healthier and more fit. We don’t have to deteriorate. Diet is a choice and one of the most powerful choices we can ever make to determine our physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health.

I run because I can.

And that’s why I’m taking the show…this fruit show…on the road. Seeya at the crack of dawn (ugh!) Saturday, November 8th in Savannah. Cheer for us! #runfresh

Give me your best running & marathon tips below in the comments. Thank you!!!