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Podcast

The No Meat Athlete On How He Runs on Plants

By October 4, 2013August 7th, 20238 Comments

All hail the running carrot!  Today on the show I’m joined by my pal Matt Frazier, the guy behind the wildly successful NoMeatAthlete.com— website, podcast and roadmap series of downloadable tools — an absolute go to resource chock-a-block with information for runners and triathletes of all abilities looking to take their athletic & nutrition game to the next level.

Matt founded NoMeatAthlete in 2009, about the same time he went vegetarian. Six months later, Matt qualified for the Boston Marathon with a time of 3:09:59 at the Wineglass Marathon, over 100 minutes faster than his first marathon time seven years prior. In June 2010, Matt ran his first 50-mile ultramarathon, recently completed his first 100-mile race and has run several more ultras and marathons each year since.

What’s great about Matt is his sincerity, authenticity, transparency and relatability.  He’s not a world-class athlete, just a friendly, smart and resourceful guy who started experimenting with running and diet and wanted to share what he was learning.  A site that started out as little more than a personal document of his experiment in food and fitness, NoMeatAthlete has morphed over the last few years into one of the web’s leading resources when it comes to information relating to the intersection of running and plant-based lifestyle.

The best part? Matt is genuinely a really nice guy.  A guy you just want to see win.  Like Rudy — a comparison that will put a smile of irony on your face when you hear our parting words at the end of the interview.

Now Matt has taken all he has learned, and synthesized it into a new Book: No Meat Athlete: Run on Plants and Discover Your Fittest, Fastest, Happiest Self*  — do yourself a favor and check it out.  Let’s support this guy!

Finally – a note of thanks.  Just a few days ago we surpassed ONE MILLION DOWNLOADS of the podcast.  That’s right.  A cool million.  That just blows my mind wide open.  Does not compute.  Surreal.  It’s all because of you. So thank you – for everything.  There have been ups.  There have been downs.  And more recently, controversy (see comments on Episode 53 with Durianrider– holy smokes).  I appreciate you for sticking around.  I am truly humbled and more energized than ever to continue the mission.  So much great stuff to come.

I hope you enjoy the show.

SHOW NOTES

*Disclosure: Books and products denoted with an asterisk are hyperlinked to an affiliate program. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

8 Comments

  • Ned says:

    Rich, where can I buy one of your t shirts you posted to twitter that Matt was wearing ?

  • Really? says:

    Complaints about the intros being too long? Really!?!? People, these are FREE podcasts and very very high quality…and you can just skip the intro if you don’t like it.

  • richroll66 says:

    Hey Ned – working on getting the web site configured to sell shirts. Lots of stuff we have to get figured out re: shopping cart & shipping. Should be up / ready within next 2 weeks hopefully. Thanks for the interest and keep ya posted! Will be rolling lots of designs & garments in coming months:)

  • YurtGirl says:

    Hi Rich – Just wanted to thank you for your interview with Matt. While I’m sure the vast majority of your audience is comprised of seasoned athletes, I am a semi-out-of-shape woman in her 40s who would like to be a better health example for veganism (I eat well, but need to tone up) and who has been thinking I may have an inner runner inside somewhere. I tried once before and got shin splints even though I thought I was ramping up slowly. I visited a runner’s forum to see if I could pick up some tips and came across a thread where a new runner asked a question and folks jumped on her for not being a “purist” or “real runner”. She didn’t even know what that meant. She just wanted to run. She felt really bullied and it was off-putting to her and to me. I’m so glad to have found your podcast with it’s welcoming, encouraging, non-a-hole tone. 🙂

    Super excited to get Matt’s book. (It’s on back order already even though I ordered it the day of your podcast. I forgot to use your banner ad – I’m relatively new to your podcast-, but next time. I promise.) Anyway, I know you are all about spreading the message to all walks and I wanted to let you know it is effective and appreciated.

  • Kaitlyn says:

    Rich, you have inspired me to change my diet. I’m a pretty healthy marathoner/triathlete in her 30’s but have always felt a “vegetarian inside” unsure of how to get out. I’ve decided to jump in and make the switch. Have been meat free for 9 days, and starting November 1, I’ll be doing the PETA 30 day vegan challenge.
    You are so open and accepting, it made me realize that changing my diet doesn’t have to be drastic or loud, just something I do for my own health.
    Thank you thank you thank you.

  • Arun says:

    NoMeatAthelete.com and now Matt’s book have so much great info — even for folks who haven’t given up meat entirely yet but are on that journey to curb (or eliminate) meat consumption. I interviewed Matt for an article, and it was a real pleasure to talk to him and learn even more. (‘No Meat Athlete’ says you can power your marathons with plants http://www.myfoxny.com/story/23785728/no-meat-athlete-says-you-can-power-your-marathons-with-plants)

  • Thanks for posting this podcast. I have been wanting to learn a bit more about Matt and this hit the spot. Thanks for sharing his story.

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