By Christina Menssen, Vega Blogger and Athletarian.

I’ll be honest — the name of my blog makes me laugh a little. I never considered myself an athlete growing up. I was never into sports, had poor hand-eye coordination, and couldn’t run a mile without stopping to gasp for air. It wasn’t until I began university that I thought I should do something active as a way to keep fit and make use of the school’s amenities. I’m not sure what it was about the indoor track, but that’s where I found myself nearly every day. I challenged myself to run more laps each time and eventually brought my runs outdoors. My own progress was motivating and I started to believe that my body was capable of a lot more than I thought. I signed up for my first 10K in 2005 and have been hooked on racing ever since. My race resume now includes distances ranging from a 5K to a full marathon.

Once I started running more and taking the sport more seriously, I began to realize how important nutrition is. Everything from what I ate the night before, how I fueled during, and how I recovered after all had a huge effect on my performance and on the way my body felt. After some research and a lot of trial and error, I cut meat from my diet in 2007 and just recently have also eliminated dairy. I have found that adopting a plant-based diet has tremendously helped my running performance and has been a huge factor in my improved race times. I physically feel lighter and more energized when I eat this way. I have less cramping, better digestion, and faster recovery times.

Finding what works best for me When I cut meat out of my diet back in 2007, I started using Vega products as a way to supplement my new lifestyle. Since the launch of Vega Sport, I have come to favor this line of products and use them daily to support my training. Fueling with Vega and whole, plant-based foods has made me feel better than ever. I’ve learned so much about my body over the last few years and eating this way is what works best for me.

I love setting goals for myself and next on my list is to do whatever it takes to get me to the start line of the Boston Marathon. I know I’ve got a lot of work ahead of me if I want to qualify but I am more confident now than I have ever been. Time, patience, training, and a healthy, well-fueled body are going to get me there.