Fueling for the Long Haul: Sage Canaday’s Plant-Based Journey from Roads to Trails

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Welcome to Episode 71 of the Eat for Endurance Podcast! This week, I’m joined by Sage Canaday, a pro-runner, coach, and plant-based athlete with over 20 years of running experience. 

Sage is known for his “any surface, any distance” motto, and his impressive career has seen him excel both on the roads and in the mountains. He’s a 2-time US Olympic Trials qualifier in the marathon and has secured top 20 finishes at both the Boston and Chicago Marathons. In 2012, Sage shifted gears to mountain ultra trail running, where he’s earned numerous wins and podium finishes.

Raised as a lacto-ovo vegetarian, Sage experimented with including meat, poultry, and fish in his diet at different points in his life. However, he found that this “foreign cuisine” didn’t appeal to him or offer any noticeable performance benefits. After some trial and error, he made the decision to fully embrace a plant-based lifestyle.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Sage’s transition from road racing to ultra-trail running
• His journey to becoming vegan and how it has fueled his athletic success
• A look at Sage’s typical day of eating and performance nutrition strategies
• How his diet and nutrition approaches have evolved over 20+ years of running
• Insights into training, recovery, and fueling for both short and long distances

We recorded this interview in early June, just as Sage was preparing for a busy summer of training and upcoming races. By the time this episode airs, he’ll be gearing up for TDS by UTMB on August 28th in Chamonix. Best of luck, Sage—we’re cheering for you!

Links:

• Sage’s YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/Vo2maxProductions
• Sage’s coaching business: https://higherrunning.com/
• Follow Sage on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter
• Join my monthly membership service, Fuel for Life Crew, for just $30/month (cancel anytime)
• Check out my free nutrition downloads
• Fill out a new client inquiry form if you’re interested in 1:1 nutrition coaching
• Support the podcast with my Skratch affiliate code EATFORENDURANCE20 
• Join my Patreon community 
• Get in touch at claire@eatforendurance.com
• Music Credit: Joseph McDade

Disclaimer – all information provided is for educational and entertainment purposes only and is in no way meant to replace individual medical and nutrition recommendations

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