Karen Sanzo

Long Distance Runner. Mother of Two Boys. Active Team Beef Athlete.

My running journey began at age 38, when I took my first hesitant steps on the pavement, after being a lifelong gym goer.  I found I loved being outdoors, running for miles either on my own or with friends, and the adrenaline rush of competitive races and satisfaction you receive when you finish a race. I’ve always enjoyed living a healthy, active lifestyle and eating beef plays a significant role in my nutrition plan.  I have battled anemia since my teen years and the energy drain that comes with low iron. My anemia has been mitigated, in part, through more red meat in my diet.  As my running mileage has increased (50-70 mile weeks, training for 50ks, 50 milers, and longer distances), so has my consumption of red meat to take advantage of all the healthy benefits including iron, which has helped to address my anemia, as well as b12 which helps keep my red blood cells healthy and zinc to help boost my immune system.  One of the interesting misnomers many of my women runner friends often vocalize is that eating red meat will adversely impact their training through weight gain and being lethargic, which is the exact opposite of what happens.  I find I am at my healthiest when my nutrition plan incorporates lean red meat at least 3-4 times a week – an added bonus is that my family loves red meat, too, and we are able to connect as a family through nutritious meals featuring beef several times a week.  My advice to women seeking to incorporate beef – or add more – into their nutrition plans as part of an overall training strategy is to start simple – there are plenty of accessible (i.e. not time consuming) recipes on the Virginia Beef Council website.  Also, incorporate your family into meal planning, too, to help everyone have a healthy lifestyle.  And finally, connect with your own active community that can help you achieve your fitness and health goals, like I have through Team Beef Virginia.