Matt Frazier is the No Meat Athlete and in this conversation he shares how and why that all started.  Matt describes how he wasn't always a runner, in fact there was a time when he actually hated running, however once he started, it was all about challenging himself.   Keen to qualify for the Boston Marathon, Matt also wanted to follow his desire to live a vegetarian lifestyle for ethical reasons.  Initially concerned that it would impact his running time and ability, he started his blog NoMeatAthlete.com to track his progress.  To his delight (and maybe even surprise) he got faster.  The blog also got more and more popular and now hosts great content including updates, recipes, resources, gear and a supportive community.

Not only did Matt go on to qualify for the Boston Marathon (and credits his community for pushing him on to finish it), he has since written a book (again called No Meat Athlete and available online and via the website), and has also gone on to run ultra-marathons (and has now gone Vegan).  As for future goals, Matt explains he is not one to just go out and run for the sheer pleasure or to just tick a box, so he is waiting for the next event to start to consume him and become a passion, although the Bad water event certainly seems to have piqued his interest.

You may not be vegetarian or vegan, or even a runner, but this conversation is full of great lessons on perspective, understanding yourself, your drivers, motivators and how to set goals, that all can be applied in various parts of your life.  It also highlights the benefits of a community that you can share these goals with and ensure they hold you accountable.

In fact when I asked Matt who he would like to connect to and why, it wasn't a runner, an athlete or a coach.  It was Seth Godin, the entrepreneur, marketer and author he resonated with, as he is a champion of the 'connection economy' and finding and developing your 'tribe'.

As for the person that Matt thinks I should connect with, he suggested a conversation with Leo Babauta of ZenHabits.net which I think would be fantastic.  So let's see if we can make that happen.

To follow Matt Frazier and his challenges and adventures, why not head over to NoMeatAthlete.com or you can follow him via twitter via @NoMeatAthlete.

If you would like to connect with us, then why not follow us on Facebook or on twitter with @infinitepie and @al_fawcett .  Of course you can always sign up below to ensure you become part of the infinite pie community and get regular updates and information.

If you like this episode then please do us a great favour and share it by hitting the social media buttons below or the share button on your mp3 player.  It only takes a second and it means a lot to us (and of course could make a difference to the person you share it with).  While you are at it, you may want to check out the library of previous episodes and the remarkable stories that you can find there.  If you are looking for similar stories to Matt's then you may want to head straight for Brian Robertson, Angela Von Buelow, Shane Whaley and Rich Adrian amongst many others, as they are also converts to plant based running.  While you are at it, I would certainly suggest you also check out Shane and Angela's podcast JuicingRadio.com as you will find a wealth of information and great interviews there as well.