Take the National BEEF RUNNER Month Challenge

In just 10 days, I will be returning to the Brookings Half-Marathon to compete. My sister and I joined Team ZIP last year and ran our first 13.1-mile race, sporting jerseys with a graphic of a steak on the grill. Wearing these jerseys showed our competitors and supporters that we were powered by beef. When speaking across the country, I always encourage beef producers to use their other talents or hobbies as platforms to share their agriculture story with a new crowd. A perfect example of this is Calli Pritchard, the 2010 South Dakota Beef Ambassador, who recently competed in the Miss SDSU Pageant. Her platform? "ZIP into a healthy lifestyle with beef." You can bet the judges had never heard that one before!

Now, I'm asking all of you to join in on this consumer/producer challenge. It's called "National BEEF RUNNER Month Challenge," and it was started by Daren Williams, executive director of communications for the National Cattlemen's Beef Association (NCBA) and writer for his blog, The Beef Man Bloggeth. Williams challenges readers to eat beef every day in the month of May, encouraging them to try the 29 lean cuts of beef. In addition, he urges participants to get 30 minutes of exercise in each day. By June, he says you'll be ready for summer, having worked out every day and fueled your exercise with beef.

On day two, Daren writes, "Have you had your BEEF today? Take the National BEEF RUNNER Month Challenge and get at least 30 minutes of exercise and 3-oz. of lean beef every day in May. I've already done my morning hour swim and had leftover tri-tip for breakfast so I'm good to go!"

I'm going to take the National BEEF RUNNER Month Challenge. Will you? Share this idea with your friends, co-workers and community. Increase beef demand, get in shape and enjoy a sizzling steak on the grill. It doesn't get any better than that. For more information on this program, link here.

BEEF Daily Quick Fact: Get started on the challenge and celebrate Cinco de Mayo with Mexican Steak Tacos, a recipe provided by Beef, It's What's For Dinner.