Raw Vegan Female Triathlete Kathleen

Female Triathlete, Ironman finisher, mother of 3 and all round achiever Kathleen Leonard is at the top of her game after adopting a low fat, high fruit raw vegan diet in 2007.

I have been following Kathleen's blog for some time now and always found it quite amazing to see the amount of training she can do! She literally runs up mountains! Her last blog entry lists her training as a 24 mile run, 2400 meters of it vertical!

This is one impressive athlete and she looks extremely good too.

So I was thrilled to get the opportunity to interview Kathleen in March 2011 about the diet and lifestyle that keeps her moving and looking so fabulous.

Raw Vegan Female Triathlete Interview: Can you tell us a bit about yourself? Age, where you live, occupation, children etc?

I am 40 years old, I am married and a stay at home mom with three daughters.

Raw Vegan Female Triathlete Interview: Can you tell us a bit about how your diet progressed? I.e. vegetarian to vegan to raw?

My diet was the standard American diet. Though it wasn't filled with highly processed foods. In 2004, we took dairy out of our diet. Dairy was making my kids so sick with coughs, ear aches and congestion.

And then I heard about the raw food diet. I wasn't big on giving my kids meat, they ate very little. I was so worried it was contaminated with something. So when I learned you can actually live without meat then I was all for going vegan. My kids are cooked vegan, and my husband and I are low fat raw vegan.

Raw Vegan Female Triathlete Interview: What was your health like before you began your progression?

My health was fine. Though of course we all had some sort of annoying things going on with our bodies. But in general I was healthy. But after my 3rd child I was experiencing really bad digestion problems. Bloating and constipation that went on for years. I knew the SAD diet and antibiotics were the culprit. And the high fat raw gourmet didn't help either, it actually made it worse.

Raw Vegan Female Triathlete Interview: How did you find the transition to a raw diet? Were there any struggles?

Well, transition can be easy for some and difficult for others. I think the biggest key is really wanting to be raw. Your mind has to be in it 100%.

Of course there were struggles in the beginning. I follow The 80/10/10 Diet and so the biggest problem I faced was finding fruit.

It took about a year for me to transition. It was definitely a learning process. Trying to find fruit at a reasonable price, when to know a fruit is ripe, how to ripen and keeping your house stocked with ripe fruit at all times .

I think if you could just snap your fingers at every meal and have whatever fruit you wanted right then and there and plentiful, most people could easily transition.

I don't struggle with anything now.

Raw Vegan Female Triathlete Interview: Are you now 100% raw?

I am 100%.

Raw Vegan Female Triathlete Interview: What benefits have you experienced?

Lots of benefits: skin is soft with no blemishes, great digestion, waking up I feel fresh not groggy like before, I cured my insomnia, I can recover easily from a hard workout, no foul breath and my nails are super strong. The list goes on.

Raw Vegan Female Triathlete Interview: What do you eat in a typical day?

I like to eat three to four meals a day. I am not a grazer. Generally I go for the melons, oranges, and kiwis for breakfast and more dense fruit for lunch like bananas, apples and grapes. Lunch is my biggest meal. And dinner, more acid fruit with a salad or veggies.

Raw Vegan Female Triathlete Interview: How much exercise do you do?

I exercise 5 days a week right now. I am in training for ultra marathons so right now I am running 2-5 hours a day.

Raw Vegan Female Triathlete Interview: Do you tend to keep track of how many calories you eat per day like many others following a high athletic lifestyle? If so how many calories do you generally eat per day?

In the beginning I did because I wanted to get a sense of how much calories were in certain fruits. But now I eat intuitively.

I eat my lunch and dinner until I am full and the food is no longer appealing. This works really well for me.

And to be honest, I couldn't put a number on how many calories I need in a day. I mean how do we actually know what that number is? And what a pain to keep track and keep weighing your food. I say just eat until you are satisfied. And if you are maintaining your weight, sleeping well, and have energy then you are meeting your caloric needs.

Raw Vegan Female Triathlete Interview: Can you tell us about the kind of sports you do and your accomplishments?

Basketball was my number one sport growing up but I started running in college then took up cycling. The last seven years I have been doing duathlons, triathlons, marathons and ultra marathons. I am a two time Ironman finisher. And now currently training for a 100 mile ultra.

Raw Vegan Female Triathlete Interview: Has your performance improved with raw foods?

I just don't know how SAD (Standard American Diet) eaters train and race hard.

I remember running a marathon years ago and getting sick a few days later. Actually that happened a few times. Now I haven't been sick in three years. Not a sniffle. The biggest part of training is recovery. And if you give your body what it needs: ripe raw fresh organic fruits and veggies, drink plenty of water and get enough sleep then the performance will ALWAYS improve.

I am coming on my 4th year as a raw vegan and my times are faster and I am so much stronger. It just gets better every year.

Raw Vegan Female Triathlete Interview: What are your views on aging. Do you feel that raw foods have the capacity to halt or reverse the aging process? Have you seen evidence of this in your own life?

I see aging as a way of life. It does happen. I believe eating raw foods can do wonders for the body. It can prevent most diseases. And disease can have a huge aging affect and so does having a stressful life. But exercising, sleeping etc also have a huge impact on aging.

I have seen 50 year old athletes who are lean and fit who don't follow a vegan diet, and they look so youthful as compared to other 50 year olds who don't workout.

I think raw food, exercise and sleep can help you age gracefully.

Raw Vegan Female Triathlete Interview: Do you take any supplements, i.e. B12? Why or why not?

I do not take supplements. I believe B12 is that tricky vitamin. If the need arises that I need to look into it then I will. So far I show no signs of deficiency.

Raw Vegan Female Triathlete Interview: What would you say is the best thing about eating raw foods?

You can eat all you want without feeling guilty. And trying out new tropical fruits.

Raw Vegan Female Triathlete Interview: What do you think is the most challenging aspect of this lifestyle?

I really don't find anything too challenging. I guess it would be restaurants that don't have salad bars.

Raw Vegan Female Triathlete Interview: How do you find socializing as a raw fooder?

I think that is the biggest complaint with a lot of raw foodists. I have no problem with bringing my own food. I don't like making a big deal about my diet so I try not to start a discussion about it unless someone is genuinely interested. Otherwise it is just a waste of time because most people don't want to change.

I have gone to many restaurants with friends and families and not eaten. I always eat beforehand. I am just not bothered with the fact that everyone is eating and not me.

Raw Vegan Female Triathlete Interview: How do you feel about the raw food movement as a whole?

There are good and bad sides of it. You have these people selling products that I am leery of.

When I started out, I saw that side of the raw food movement and I thought "I switched to this diet so as to not have to take supplements. And isn't switching to raw foods about eating raw fruits and veggies, not something in a package or bottle?"

So I am glad I didn't fall into that trap. I just eat my fruit and veggies and it seems to be working.

Raw Vegan Female Triathlete Interview: Have your family and friends been influenced by your way of eating and lifestyle?

I haven't switched anybody to the raw food diet but most people tell me that thanks to me they are eating more fruits and veggies. It's a start!

Raw Vegan Female Triathlete Interview: What do you think is the biggest factor in your success?

Just seeing all the awesome benefits physically and mentally. It keeps me on track.

Raw Vegan Female Triathlete Interview: What do you think is the biggest problem most people have in sticking with a raw food diet long term?

I read about how people are struggling to become a raw vegan when in fact they mostly already are!

They say "I was raw for breakfast and lunch then I caved in and had a baked potato, or steamed veggies for dinner".

Then they are so hard on themselves. Are you kidding me? If someone came to me and said they are eating fruit and veggies for breakfast and lunch and at dinner they ate a vegan cooked meal, I would pat them on the back and tell them to keep up the good work!

I mean if they think a baked potato or steamed veggies or even a pasta meal is going to harm them, that is just not right. What will harm them is highly processed foods, alcohol, smoking, and drugs, that is what will harm you. They need to relax more and not worry about being 100%. Once you let go of being perfect, it will all come together.

Raw Vegan Female Triathlete Interview: What advice would you give to someone just starting out with raw foods?

You must find an organic wholesaler. Buying in bulk is the key.

Raw Vegan Female Triathlete Interview: Do you think you'll be on a raw food diet for life?

I feel I am on it for life.

Raw Vegan Female Triathlete Interview: Do you ever get any cravings for less healthful stuff? How do you deal with them?

I ate cooked food for 30 years so when I smell some cooked food, I think that looks and smells great. But it is always short lived.

If you meet your caloric needs with ripe fruit the cravings will be less and even go away.

I think I will always have some sort of cravings for cooked food. I ate it for so long I can't expect it to turn off. Raw foodists are always trying to find some sort of way to get rid of them, but I think they just need to stop dwelling on them. Just accept them. In time they do lessen and go away. There is no magic potion or pill or fruit to get rid of them.

Most days I have none. And when a cravings does arise, I just accept that it is there and move on.

I do not experience intense cravings, and if you are experiencing intense cravings, I would say you are low on calories. Go eat some fruit!!!

Raw Vegan Female Triathlete Interview: I believe you don't use any shampoo on your hair. Can you tell us about your experiences going 'no poo'?

I have not used shampoo on my hair for 2 years now with the exception of  a few times . One time was after a long wet bike ride and I had oil from the street in my hair and the other time was after a camp fire and I couldn't get the smell out.

I stopped using shampoo  because I read about other people's experiences and I thought I would try it. My hair has always been frizzy  and unmanageable. So I thought I had nothing to lose. 

Well that was the best decision I made. 

The first few months were difficult for me.  My hair was greasy.   But  soon after that the grease subsided and my natural oils returned which is what softens your hair and keeps it healthy and strong. 

I did go one year without cutting it and I didn't have one spilt end.  I also discovered I had very curly hair and now my hair is easy to manage.

The shampoo was just stripping my hair of its natural oils and most likely other things too.

I have found that rinsing my hair everyday really keeps the oils moving. I just make a habit of rinsing it everyday, and with warm water only.

During my hair transition I did use a little bit of lemon juice and nothing else. Not sure if that helped any but it does make your hair smell good. You can always mix lemon and orange juice too.  Just be sure to strain the pulp out first. 

Below: Kathleen's beautiful shampoo free hair! It's definitely not frizzy and unmanageable now!

That concludes this wonderful interview with Kathleen Leonard. This is some great information and inspiration.

I especially love what Kathleen says about new raw foodists being so hard on themselves. That is so true. If this sounds like you, give yourself a pat on the back for the changes you've already incorporated, it isn't all about 100% or nothing. It is about moving in a positive direction, it doesn't matter whether you're moving fast or slow.

Enjoy the journey, take it easy and the rest will fall into place on its own.

If you'd like to find out more about Kathleen, check out her blog Trifruit and be awesomely inspired by her daily fitness adventures!

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