What a Proud Day...Indeed!

 

The the Montana Running Ranchers at the base of Mount Hood, the start of the Hood to Coast relay. Back row (from left): Scott Hughes, Jeff Lewis, David Dover, Mike Rydell, Will Wise (Oregon Beef Council) Connie Becker, Sheri Roth. Front Row (from left): Rich Roth, Chantelle Thomas, Jennifer Lewis, Stacey Hughes, Rachel Lee, Sarah Nash-Werthheimer

"What a proud day..." read the e-mail I received today from a woman I've never met but already feel connected to through Team ZIP (Zinc, Iron and Protein), the national BEEF running team. "I cannot thank you enough for what you've inadvertently done," said Carin Ryan. "We've built friendships. We're healthier people."

Carin and a dozen other runners including California Women for Agriculture (CWA) president Celeste Settrini and members of the San Luis Obispo CWA chapter ran the Heritage Oaks Bank Family Day and Fun Run in Paso Robles, California. "We even had a gentleman who saw the chatter on Facebook and joined...we'd never met him!!"

The "Beef Backers" at F. McClintock's Saloon. From left: Denise Athy, Stephanie Mosinski Marden, Carn Ryan, Celeste Settrini, and Krista McNinch Kodl

"Team ZIP was definitely the hit of the day! It felt as if we were celebrities and paparazzi were following us as we were stopped for pictures, asked questions and spread our message," reports Carin. "Celebration of course ensued ending at Beef Backer Award Recipient F. McLintock's Saloon in downtown Paso Robles. We were all too proud to take our jerseys off so as we enjoyed the rest of our day, the message of lean beef in a healthy diet and lifestyle stuck with us."

What a proud day, indeed, for Team ZIP and for BEEF. And this is just the most recent example of healthy people spreading the word about beef's role in a healthy diet. Earlier this month the Montana Running Ranchers completed the 197-mile Hood to Coast relay. "The Mother of All Relays" stretches from majestic Mt. Hood to the Pacific Ocean in Seaside, OR. More than 12,000 runners participated in the relay this year, including the Running Ranchers, led by Rich Roth of IX Ranch in Big Sandy, MT.

Rich Roth and other Montana Running Ranchers ran in cowboy hats and rang a cowbell whenever their team members approached. "It was obnoxious, but by the time the race was over people knew who we were," says Rich.

"What an awesome experience," says Rich. "We had a lot of fun and met some great people. Over the course of the entire race, we were constantly cheered for and constantly asked if we were 'real' ranchers. People loved that we were running for our industry and that we were all in such good shape. People would cheer 'GO BEEF' or 'GO COWBOY.' People were impressed that we drove all the way out from Montana and it was great to see all the people on the highway stare at our vans as we drove by."


Both Carin and Rich shared similar stories about the journey their teams traveled as they trained for and completed their races.

"We finished and still look pretty good!" says Celeste Settrini or Team ZIP. From left: CarrieAnn Arias, JoAnn Wall, Celeste Settrini, Krista McNinch Kodl, Carin Ryan, Stacy Miller, and Denise Athy.

"In just seven short weeks, we all found ourselves sharing our journey, speaking freely about the benefits of lean beef in a healthy diet and training together as we prepared for this fantastic run," says Carin. "The message always seemed to include 'strength' -- personal, physical and strength as an industry."

"As race day approached, the chatter amongst Team ZIP increased. Plans were made, training times were posted, encouragement was shared and it became very apparent this race and Team ZIP would change my life. We proudly wore our 'Real Women Eat Beef' shirts to the pre-race packet pick up and dinner. Everyone commented and asked questions. We were all proud to explain that we were excited to run our race fueled by lean beef!"

The Montana Running Ranchers had lots of time to bond and little time to sleep during the 27 hours, 32 minutes and 23 seconds it took to complete the 197-mile relay.

After running for more than 24 hours straight, the Montana Running Ranchers gathered at the finish line of Hood to Coast, "The Mother of All Relays."

"When we first got the team together we didn't know everyone on the team," says Rich. "By the end of the race, we felt like we were family and the funning thing is we have been corresponding back and forth since we came back about the race, our families and what event we are going to do next time."

"Talk about a group of energetic people. We were noticed so much just because we were the loudest group there. We had a cow bell (like the ones people use at the skiing events) and every time we would see our runner would start ringing that bell. It was obnoxious, but by the time the race was over people knew who we were. We took two way radios to stay in touch with our other van and since there were others on the same channel we quickly became the Beef 1 and Beef 2 vans. That is what other teams referred to us as."

From humble beginnings four years ago when I had the first Team ZIP cycling jerseys made for my Ride the Rockies team we now have more than 400 members nationwide running, cycling and competing in triathlons to demonstrate in the most tangible way that beef is an important part of a healthy diet.

A proud day indeed! Go Team ZIP. Go BEEF! 

Ride on,

Daren

The Montana Beef Council supplied transportation for the Running Ranchers, complete with Team ZIP graphics! From left: Charlene Rich, MBC executive director, and Lisa Murray, director of nutrition and consumer information.

The Montana Running Ranchers take time to visit with the meat manager of Fred Meyer grocery.

"Real Women Eat Beef" says Team ZIP's California Contingent. From left: CarrieAnn Arias, Ann Marie Wood, Celeste Settrini, JoAnn Wall, Carin Ryan and Krista McNinch Kodl

Team ZIP getting ready to run. "We were so excited!!!" says Celeste. From left: Denise Athy, Krista McNinch Kodl, Ann Marie Wood, CarrieAnn Arias, JoAnn Wall, Celeste Settrini, Carin Ryan, Stephanie Mosinski Marden, and Susan Clark