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Ambassador for Vegan Powered Athlete, FLO Factory Team member, Zoot Ambassador, BLUE 70 Competition Team, Doodle Dad, Behaviorist, & Tennis stuff

A weekend @farmsanctuary ✨ A great weekend with @team.vpa teammates volunteering, petting all the animals, and eating lots of delicious vegan food. The time always goes too quickly, can’t wait until the next trip. #vegan #veganathlete #farmsanctuary

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$We all have teaching moments, but 2025 was a full on teaching year. It started on a high note with my first 100k and getting under the 17 hour Western States raffle qualifier. No WS entry this time, but still a big milestone. In March, I paced Sarah at her 200 miler, which ended early due to a stress fracture. Watching her work through that decision was heartbreaking. April brought a major shift. Severe back and abdominal pain landed me in the ER with more questions than answers. I trained when I could, but that stretch ended with my first DNF at Ironman 70.3 St George, one of my favorite races. Two days before the race, a strange bulge appeared where the pain had been. I started anyway, taking it one segment at a time. The swim felt great, the bike felt good until halfway through. Just before the run, Kyle stopped me and asked how I was. That pause mattered. I was shaking, hadn’t been able to pee since before the swim, and it was 98 degrees. Walking away was the right call. I was back in the ER the next day after nearly nine hours without relief. May and June were spent mostly flat on my back, the only pain-free position. Swimming became my escape and turned into a 63 day swim streak. Travel plans fell apart. In July, I had bladder surgery, but the relief was brief. The pain returned two days later. The abdominal pain remains a mystery, while an MRI showed three thoracic disc bulges likely causing the back pain. I kept training when I could and moved forward with Coldwater Trail 50k to chase a Leadville slot. Alabama delivered memories we will never forget. I didn’t get the slot, but Sarah did, and watching her run with joy again was priceless. I also went forward with Ironman Cozumel in November. Despite barely riding my tri bike since May, I showed up ready for number nine, only to wake up race morning sick for 11 hours. Still, it was an amazing trip with great people and a race I would love to return to. Through all of this, my belief has only been reinforced. Movement is medicine. I fight through pain every day, and while it can be frustrating, I feel better when I move. Onward 2026!$

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🏅 Medal Monday: Coldwater Trail 50K

Didn’t snag the @leadvilleraceseries slot I was hoping for, but came home with something even better: unforgettable memories with the Super Vegans crew. 🌱 @runtrails_eatplants @vegan_trichef @mark.ochsner.7

This race was a grind (no surprise there). My training hasn’t been where I wanted it this year with all the health stuff and pain, but somehow the miles went by faster than expected. And even better, I didn’t fall or turn any toenails black, so I’m calling that a win!

Felt great early on and got a little ambitious around mile 3, pushing the downhills to create some separation. Worked great… until mile 12 when the legs said nope. Totally blew up and got passed by what felt like everyone.

On the steepest climb at mile 17, Sarah caught me (she’s a beast on the climbs). From there, it was a fun back and forth all the way to the finish. Me catching her on the descents, her pulling away again on the ups. At one point I almost took her out when I almost fell in the two dozen attempts I tried to wreck my body. Haha One thing I am good at still, is kicking rocks.

She finally pulled away on the last climb, and even though I tried to chase her down in the final mile, she just cruised into the finish strong. It’s always special to share these race experiences, even more so when your athlete beats you! Oh and the icing on the cake, Sarah got her Leadville slot! @thriveenduranceathletes

Grateful for the support, laughs, and memories with this crew all weekend. My first medal since Black Canyon in February, and it feels good to be back out there.

Here’s to movement, gratitude, and more adventures ahead with Team VPA. 💚

#MedalMonday #TrailRunning #VeganPoweredAthlete #TeamVPA #ColdwaterTrail #UltraRunning #PoweredByPlants #VeganAthlete #RunGrateful

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Mark Ochsner

@mark.ochsner.7