Veggie Action
Get Dirty with Mud Not Blood
Envision a sloping wall, almost two stories high, covered in mud. Now, imagine someone saying you need to climb over it. That's just another day on the course for the members of Mud Not Blood, an all-vegan athletic team that specializes in obstacle races and trail running.
Mud Not Blood started in 2016 when founder Nathaniel Corn recruited now-team captains Ashley Fitzgerald and Leon Beggs to join him at a mud race in Pennsylvania. The trio was immediately hooked and set about growing the group to attempt a Tough Mudder — considered the pinnacle of obstacle course races (OCR).
Today, there is a core group of ten athletes, with an extended group of 30, participating from four states, ranging in age from 22 to 60.
"There's more to an OCR than any other kind of running event," said Fitzgerald, age 30 and a vegan of six years. "You need upper body strength, climbing skills and a team. Most importantly, a team."
At an OCR, athletes must overcome, on foot, both the running terrain — which is usually muddy and often hilly/wooded — as well as a series of mentally and physically challenging obstacles. The obstacles can range from walls to jumping through fire to crawling under barbed wire to swimming.
"It's problem solving, it's endurance, it's full body fatigue. Racing is you vs. you, but with OCR, you start and end working together and overcome things there's no way to train for," Beggs said, age 23 and a vegan of three years.
Mud Not Blood trains together regularly with workouts as varied as yoga and pilates, rope climbing, high intensity intervals (HIIT), monkey bar/pull-up clinics, sprinting, and trail runs. The actvity range furthers members' strength, balance, flexibility and cardio abilities.
The group doesn't stop there, though. Pulling each other through mud pits and over walls creates bonds beyond the course.
"There's desire to push the limits and support for each other. It's a family. We come together to help each other to meet increasingly difficult goals," said team member Katrina Rodriguez, age 38 and a vegan of three years.
Rodriguez additionally runs trail ultra marathons. She feels her veganism and the support of her team give her an advantage.
"We aren't just a sports team. Everyone has a high degree of compassion and integrity that you don't find in other athletes. Mud Not Blood members have the same values," she said.
All three noted that since going vegan, their energy level, general health, and recovery times have improved.
"When I put on that shirt representing the team, I'm showing everyone on the course how strong a vegan athlete is," Beggs said. He plans to add strength competitions to his sports line-up this year.
Check out the team's race reports, members' bios, and upcoming schedule at www.mudnotblood.com.
