Vegan Bikers

23 Sep Vegan Bikers

When I think about events like Mountains to Desert, I think of one word: stamina. Indeed, it was with great relief that I only experienced Telluride’s most recent race peripherally. I clicked the donate button. I waved a banner with my family as the racers rode by early Saturday morning. Then I went back to my house, cooked a big breakfast, and lounged around in my p.j.s for a few hours.

As our staff writer Jesse McTigue who won the women’s side of the race will tell you, competing in races like that takes a lot of training. A lot of planning. And a lot of calories. Racers can burn as many as 5,000 calories in their trek from Telluride to Gateway.

Five thousand calories does not seem like something that would lend itself to a vegan diet. But that’s exactly what US cycling coach James Herrara reveals  in a recent article in Bicycling Magazine. Herrara says that going vegan has helped him reach his full potential as a biker:

“I take a lot of ribbing when people hear that I’m vegan. In fact, one of my best friends, who’s part Cherokee, tells me the term translates to “bad hunter.” I became a vegan—someone who eats no animal products—after reading The China Study, by T. Colin Campbell, which chronicles research that found that people who consumed more animal products were more likely to suffer from diseases such as cancer.

Two and a half years later, I’ve lost nearly 50 pounds and lowered my total cholesterol by 75 points. I have more energy, think more clearly, and pedal uphill a lot quicker.”

Check out more of Herrara’s story and some of his recipes here.