Vegan endurance athlete Robbie Balenger on his spiritual connection with running

By Ben Church, CNN Video by Stefania Dall'Armi, CNN

Updated 0203 GMT (1003 HKT) June 26, 2021

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(CNN)It started with a two-and-a-half-mile run with his partner. Now it's a lifestyle for Robbie Balenger.

He's pushed his body and mind to the very limits by taking on mammoth endurance challenges, notably running 3,175 miles across the US in just 75 days in 2019 in order to promote the benefits of a plant-based diet.More recently, Balenger broke the record for most laps around New York's Central Park in one day. His life now is in sharp contrast to when he was running successful restaurants. «I lived in Austin, Texas, and was very much a part of the food and bar scene. With that comes a lot of partying and late nights,» he tells CNN.Read More«You work hard, then you blow off steam. I was still living that kind of lifestyle and quickly