Cheers to a second marathon in the books, recovery and the start of training for my next running adventures!
I completed the Missoula Marathon on July 11 under my goal of 4 hours. This race was a few minutes slower than the June marathon, but considering the short recovery time between the two, I am definitely satisfied with the results.
Race morning was warm and humid (relative for this part of the world). As such, I didn’t have problems with hydration but definitely stayed warm. Around mile 17 we hit a hill and I hit a wall of sorts with tight muscles. This set the tone for the last 10k of the race which was painfully slower than the first. But I made it to the finish!
Imagine my disappointment when I show up at the finish, looking to grab something cold to drink and food, only to find that it’s essentially a vegan-friendly buffet. No chocolate milk. Quiona? WHO EATS THAT after running a marathon?!? Vegan fruit popsicles? I sat down, drank my Powerade, grabbed my bag and went to claim my free beer. We need to find some dairy farmers to sponsor this race next year!
All kidding aside, the Missoula Marathon was great. The course was scenic, well supported at aid stations and had spectators spread out along the final half marathon. Race volunteers did an awesome job of keeping traffic off the course, which was much appreciated! I’ll definitely be returning for this event in years to come.
Enough about a race recap. This week’s podcast episode brings a little different style as I break into a series of Team Beef episodes. Running is a big part of my lifestyle as I get out to different parts of the country, I love seeing new towns through a short run on the local trails. Team Beef has been a big part of building this network.
Episode 15 of the Agriculture Proud podcast brings a brief review of my Team Beef story, how I came to be involved in the program and tips for those who want to join in.
You can find out more about Team Beef programs in your state, by checking with your Beef Council or joining the Team Beef USA page on Facebook. For those of you in Montana, sign up for our awesome Team Beef Montana! And of course, I explain more about what the program is in this week’s podcast.
You should definitely check out my previous posts about Team Beef on the blog. You’ll see quite a few posts about the Montana Running Ranchers. This is a 12-member relay team I’m part of, primarily consisting of ranchers or those of us working with ranchers. Each year we participate in a 200-mile Ragnar Relay, which is a great opportunity to connect with thousands of other runners while sharing a great message about beef and ranching. This year we’re headed to Hawaii, October 14-15. Learn more about this event and how you can sponsor us on the Montana Running Ranchers’ Fundraising site.
In the podcast, I also mentioned the 30-day Protein Challenge as a great opportunity to evaluate what you’re eating and as a guide that helped me get back on track eating enough with balance as I’ve ramped up my mileage. Find more on my experience with the Protein Challenge in a previous post. Here’s a link to the MyFitnessPal app mentioned to track my food each day.
Give this week’s episode a listen and let me know what you think. I’m excited to share a piece of what has made running with Team Beef special. Hopefully, this will be the start of several Team Beef episodes where I can highlight a member in each state. I hope you enjoy this episode of the Agriculture Proud podcast. Check out all my episodes at BeefRunner.com/podcast.
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