After 5 months on a vegan diet, I went running today, and it was only the third time I've been running all year, the previous two last month which were shorter but I didn't time them or measure the distance. I haven't done any sports this year or hardly anything fitness related.
I did 10k at just over 7mph (I timed it and measured the distance on google pedometer), and only stopped because I was developing a blister rather than too tired to continue. That's the first time for three years I've ran anywhere near that distance.
It was actually slightly easier and faster than in the past considering how little I've run. I wouldn't have run 10k at 7mph on my third run in the past after a prolonged period of not running, it would have been a shorter distance, or a slower speed. In 2013 I ran a 10k and ran it 5% faster than today but that was a competitive race, I pushed myself a bit harder, and I'd done more than 10 training runs in the few months before, including one other competitive 10k.
When I started to run 8 years ago I was really unfit and managed to run 2 miles from work to my house at the third attempt, and it was extremely hard to do, much harder than today.
Not bad considering I'm 36 years old and ought to be in decline athletically. Will be interested to see how performance develops from here.
It may not be the vegan diet as such however, it may be simply weight. I seem to have lost more weight off my stomach than anywhere rather than legs muscle which must help. I weigh about 10% less than a few years ago and maybe 20% less than 8 years ago. Then again, most of the 10% weight I lost while on a vegan diet. Then again, I was trying to lose weight anyway and might have lost it anyway...
The other factor is at the same time as going to a vegan diet, I've also increased intake of whole plant foods somewhat, and reduced somewhat junk/processed food.
It's difficult to draw any definite conclusions from this, other than perhaps to say my vegan diet has either slightly helped or not affected my athletic performance, but certainly isn't making it worse.
