https://www.facebook.com/alecblenis
Nothing about being an athlete is easy. Whether
Luckily, the notion of being a vegan athlete isn’t
it’s early morning long runs, speed work for lunch,
as crazy as it used to be, but I still get puzzled looks
or Friday nights spent with a foam roller, keeping
when I tell people about my diet. “Why” being the
your body in top shape is a balancing act. OCR takes
most common question, I still get responses like,
it to the next level. Like nothing I’ve ever done in my
“but where do you get your protein” and, “but what
life, obstacle races absolutely tear your body apart -
supplements do you take?” At times I am shocked
that’s the point though; in this sport, race directors
at people’s attitudes towards my lifestyle, but then
seek to break you. With the added intensity that
OCR brings to the table, any athlete hoping to be
successful in the sport must focus as much
(or more) on recovery as they do any other aspect
of their training. And that doesn’t mean laying on
the couch when you’re not working out! I’m a firm
"My name is Alec Blenis, Im the
youngest member of the Spartan
Race Pro Team, and Im a vegan."
believer that proper recovery comes through quality
nutrition. My name is Alec Blenis, I’m the youngest
I remember that I was in their shoes just years ago.
member of the Spartan Race Pro Team, and I’m a
After reading about the successes of plant-based
vegan.
athletes like Brendan Brazier, Scott Jurek, and Rich
Roll, I began phasing animal products out of my diet
in 2009.