Finding Ultra (31 page)

“We have a little run planned for later this afternoon if you're interested in joining,” I mentioned to Luke. I imagined how his long, sure strides would likely compare to ours and jokingly added, “But be warned, we might be running a little too fast for you.”

Luke laughed. “Good times, mate. I've got a big training day ahead, but I'll think about it. Have fun today, boys!” And with that we parted ways. Given his long slog of serious pro triathlete training that day, I doubted we'd see him again, but I was glad to have made the offer.

And we were off, accompanied by our friend and “sherpa du jour” Warren Hollinger, Kona local and multiple Ironman and Ultraman finisher. As we pedaled uphill to the famous Queen K Highway, I was again amazed at just how fresh I felt. Thanks to the remarkable natural properties of tea tree oil, my undercarriage seemed to have miraculously healed overnight—staying seated on my bike was no longer an issue. And what seemed even more miraculous: The power had returned to my legs, the fatigue not much more than a mild annoyance. What can I say? The body's ability to adapt to stress is nothing short of astonishing. With the sun shining, and my friends as my tailwind, my spirits were running high.

Heading up the Queen K, we followed the world-famous Ironman World Championship course on our way to the tiny town of Hawi, happily baking in sun-crusted lava fields. Sure, it was hot. And windy. But today I was unfazed. After Maui, this was easy. The numbers on my power meter reflected my state of mind and body, registering measurements far above anything I'd generated since our first day in Kauai. I wasn't just feeling good.
I was feeling great
.

With the urge to let the tiger out of the cage a bit, I rode off the front of our little group of three. To the purr of my whirring
carbon-rimmed Zipp wheels, I embraced some alone time to connect with my gratitude—not just for what we'd accomplished so far this week, but for all the blessings of my life: the sobriety that had returned me to sanity, the faith that had given me the strength to reinvent my life, and the wife who hadn't just supported my dreams but co-created them. I also gave thanks for the children I was blessed to raise, healthy and happy. And my friend Jason Lester, who believed in me enough to make me part of his lunatic fringe. Centered firmly in the
now
, I allowed myself to genuinely feel the sun on my face, lean into the new strength in my legs, and mentally genuflect in this church of lava—this land that had played such a central role in forging my life's new trajectory.

Before I knew it, I'd arrived in the hamlet of Hawi, and I pulled over to wait for Jason and Warren. Marking the fifty-six-mile halfway point of the ride, this village, with its hippie sensibility, was also the finish line for the Ultraman Day Two bike course, as well as the starting line for the Day Three 52.4-mile run. That's a long way of saying that Hawi is a place of great meaning for me.

Soon Jason and Warren arrived, with Rebecca following just behind in our support vehicle, and we took an extended lunch break. Again, today was a celebration, not a race. The feeling was of a leisurely excursion, not a scramble, and Rebecca produced an impromptu picnic. I swiftly shoveled three Vegenaise and avocado sandwiches down the hatch, washing them down with a quart of coconut water, at which point Jason, who was always amused by how much food I could pack away, remarked, “So, Roll-Dawg, how many avo sammies you figure you've inhaled this week?”

After a quick calculation, I answered. “Sixty, easy. Possibly seventy.” It's not an exaggeration to say that my EPIC5 experience had been fueled in large part by avocados, grapeseed oil–based Vegenaise, and coconut water.

Spirits still high, we got back on the bikes and descended from
Hawi down toward the Queen K. Together we rode gently back into Kona town, circling the main commercial drag before completing our ride where the day had begun, at the Kailua Pier. I had 2.4 miles of swimming and 112 miles on the bike under my belt, and I was still smiling. The sun still tall in the sky, my energy ran high, and I was excited for the run—our final leg. Maybe it was the adrenaline, but the idea of running a marathon now struck me as nothing more than an afterthought—just a final jaunt before putting this entire event to bed.

I downed a jar of Endurance Elixir, yanked on my compression socks, and laced up my running shoes. Ready to go, I was cheered to once again find us in the presence of Luke McKenzie. The Ironman champ is one of the biggest names in triathlon and also one of the nicest. Despite Luke's already having put in torrid bike and run workouts earlier that day, he was declining his well-earned right to vegetate in front of the television, so he could join us stride for stride for our marathon's first several miles.

Once through town, and with about seven miles under our belt, Luke bid his adieu as we headed up the steep incline known famously in Ironman parlance as “Palani Hill.” And before we knew it, we were back on the Queen K, once again donning our salt-streaked headlamps to cut a path across the black lava. The miles clicked by, and the fatigue began to rise once again, reminding us that we weren't yet free of its grasp. But we kept on, maintaining an even keel. The familiarity of the terrain helped. As it became necessary to start digging deep as we pushed past the marina on the outskirts of town, I recalled a run that Jason and I had completed during our training camp leading up to Ultraman 2009. On this same track of highway, we busted out a very hard two-hour run in the pouring rain on a dark night. It was one of those runs where everything just clicks. And by tapping into that very lucid memory, I felt stronger.

I turned to Jason. “This remind you of anything?”

Jason smiled. He knew exactly what I was talking about. “One of the best runs of my life, big bro.”

“Until now,” I said, continuing to marvel at just how well my body was holding up after the trauma that visited me on Maui. We certainly weren't running fast,
but we were running
. And most important, we were enjoying the experience. Rather than dread the miles to come and focus only on being done, we were savoring these final steps.

With about six miles to go, a car pulled up and out jumped Grant, further raising our spirits as he jogged alongside us in his Teva sandals. When he remarked that this was his first “run” in years, I responded, “Then you might have considered wearing some running shoes, at least!”

He confessed that he didn't even own a pair. But he didn't want to pass up the opportunity to participate. Ably plugging away, Grant was just happy to be there. Talk about a boost!

Counting down. Five miles to go. Then four. And before we knew it, only three more miles to go. I could feel those mental window shades beginning to drop, and I fought the urge to withdraw as I'd done during the final miles of every previous marathon that week. I battled myself to stay present and, most important, to stay connected with Jason. And just when I thought I couldn't sustain my pace or any semblance of sociability one minute longer, out of the dark appeared Luke and Amanda, riding alongside us in their scooter, snapping pictures, shooting video, hooting loudly, and honking their horn in support. Later, we'd learn that they'd been at home and about to call it a night when they were struck by the urge to venture out and cheer us to the finish.

With the town now within reach, and buttressed by Luke and Amanda's cheering motor escort, which felt a bit like a presidential motorcade, we made our downhill right turn off the Queen K en
route to the finish. Then came the goose bumps. As the reality of what was happening began to set in, I felt an energy surge that carried me that final mile. My emotions took over. And with the Kailua Pier now within reach, tears began to stream down my cheeks. Two hundred yards to go and I no longer wanted it to be over. I wanted to
keep going
.

Then came the moment. With the gurgling motor of Luke and Amanda's scooter drowning out the steady fall of our footsteps on the Kailua Pier, and to the backdrop of cheers and whoops from Rebecca, Warren, Luke, and Amanda, we took our final steps.
Done deal
.

Life is a long, complicated walk. Over the years, I've found myself on many paths, some winding, some clear and straight, and many dark and troubling. My story is about a guy who woke up one morning and found himself on the same worn trail he'd been on for too many years. We've all been there. And far too many of us just can't seem to find the exit ramp, let alone a new and more fulfilling trajectory. But I did. By opening my heart, trusting that it wouldn't lead me astray, and having the resolve to follow its direction, I saw my life change in every conceivable way. The difference, in fact, is epic.

At times the pain of confronting seemingly insurmountable obstacles was so intense that comfort came only through living completely in the moment. Yet with obstacles come the opportunity for growth. And if you're not growing, you're not living. So my mantra has become:
Do what you love; love those you care about; give service to others; and know that you're on the right path
.

There's a new path waiting for you, too. All you have to do is look for it—then take that first step. If you show up and stay present, that step will eventually become a gigantic leap forward.
And then you'll show us who you really are
.

Before launching into the specifics of what I eat (see
Appendix II
, A PlantPower Day in the Life), let's take a look at
why
I eat the way I do. Presented below is a basic plant-based nutrition primer that provides the foundation for the PlantPower Diet.

THIS BUSINESS OF PROTEIN

First, let's address the elephant in the room. The pesky protein question. Rarely does a day go by that I'm not asked:
How do you get your protein?

There's a powerful and hardened belief in our culture that you need animal protein to be healthy.
A lot of animal protein
. The message is everywhere you turn. From commercials, to food labels, to fitness-expert testimonials: protein, protein, protein. Protein powders, protein shakes, protein supplements. Also omnipresent is the assumption that the only foods that contain an adequate amount of protein necessary for proper human functioning, not to mention peak athletic performance, are animal-based. A T-bone steak. Eggs and a tall glass of cold milk. Or a creamy whey protein shake. Without them, you won't succeed as an athlete, train and race at your peak, build muscle, or recover properly between workouts.

But I've come to see that this pervasive notion is utterly false. Have you ever heard of someone hospitalized for a protein deficiency? I
haven't. The whole hullabaloo about protein is much ado about nothing: a red-herring debate, in my opinion, fueled by a campaign of disinformation perpetuated by powerful and well-funded meat and dairy lobbies that have convinced society—including medical professionals, educators, and government bureaucrats responsible for the proverbial food pyramid—that we need these products to live. The protein push is not only based on lies, it's killing us. To be sure, protein is a crucial nutrient, critical not just in building and repairing muscle tissue, but in the maintenance of a wide array of bodily functions, including preserving proper bone mass, immune system strength, and the prevention of fatigue. But what exactly is protein? Does it matter if it comes from plants rather than animals? And how much do we actually need?

Proteins consist of twenty different amino acids, eleven of which can be synthesized naturally by our bodies. The remaining nine—what we call
essential amino acids
—must be ingested from the foods we eat. So, technically, our bodies require certain amino acids, not protein per se. But these nine essential amino acids are hardly the exclusive domain of the animal kingdom. In fact, they're originally synthesized by plants and are found in meat and dairy products only because these animals have eaten plants. I was myself surprised to learn they're found in copious amounts in a wide variety of grains, nuts, seeds, vegetables, and legumes. Things like black, kidney, and pinto beans; almonds; lentils; a quirky seed called quinoa; and even spinach and broccoli. Who knew? I certainly didn't. So in the most generalized sense, if your diet contains a well-rounded variety of these plant-based foods—high in the nine essential amino acids in varying degrees and proportions—it is essentially impossible to be deficient in your body's ability to properly synthesize all the proteins it needs for proper tissue maintenance, repair, and functioning.

In truth, only one out of about every ten calories we eat needs
to come from protein. And the requirements of the athlete don't far exceed this recommendation.
^*
And yet the typical sedentary American consumes about twice the amount of protein the body actually needs, which according to the recommended daily allowance (RDA) is only 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight.
^†
In fact, I agree with many experts who contend that the body's true needs are even lower for most people, with the possible exception of pregnant or nursing women. For now, let's set aside the fact that most people obtain the majority of their protein from ingesting animal products, which tend to be high in unhealthy artery-clogging saturated fats. Take into consideration that on the PlantPower Diet one must obtain the nine essential amino acids from a variety of plant-based foods, which are admittedly digested and absorbed differently from animal-based proteins. And let's get really conservative by factoring in the assumption that an endurance athlete like myself would require even more protein. Let's go so far as to say that this level might even be as high as 1.2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight. That means that at my current weight of 160 pounds (72.5 kilograms), I'd have a recommended daily intake of 72.5 × 1.2, or 87 grams of protein—although in truth I generally ingest much less than this amount, somewhere in the range of 70–75 grams, even during periods of intense training. Sound like a lot? Ready to break out that gigantic canister of whey protein with the steroid-ripped bodybuilder on the label looking like his head is about to explode? Not so fast. Spread out over the course of a day, eating some almond butter toast and quinoa for breakfast, a black bean and brown rice burrito for lunch, and a healthy portion of
tempeh, lentils, mung beans, or quinoa with hemp seeds and some spinach or broccoli for dinner puts me right where I need to be.