Run with Jess: Awesome Athletes • Melody

I hope you all enjoyed a margarita or two for Cinco de Mayo! To launch the new Awesome Athletes series, there is no one more fitting than my fellow FitFluential Ambassador Melody Jones. I have read will run for margaritas for quite some time now and feel honored to follow her incredible running journey. During a busy race week (for both of us!), she spared some time for a quick interview. I hope you enjoy meeting this amazing and beautiful athlete!

Yup, that's a Boston Marathon medal
around her neck!!

Name Melody Jones

Age 28

Home Arlington, VA

Favorite Race Distance 10 miles

Current PR's

5k – 19:11

10k – 41:37

10 Mile – 1:06:20

Half – 1:35:02

Full – 3:32:42

Tri – 2:39:39 (Olympic Distance)

Cinco de Mayo was this weekend. How many margaritas are too many for you? Favorite flavor? Too many?! No such thing… I’m a classic margarita lover: on the rocks with salt.

Favorite Running Gear Race-day shoes
(currently, the Brooks Launch)

Describe your early start in running...

I grew up watching my mom run & race. So, it was no surprise that I would grow up to be a runner, just like my mom. The only difference: I loved track and hated distance. I vividly remember screaming “I hate XC” during meets – but my mom always told me that it would make me faster on the track, so I continued to run (and hate) XC. After 4 years of hard work and dedication, I was offered a track & field scholarship to the University of Central Florida, where I specialized in 400m hurdles and 400m. It is one of my greatest accomplishments to date. After college, I discovered that “distance” running wasn’t so bad. I ran a 5k. Then a 10k. And, then a half marathon. It took another 6 years, but I finally ran my first marathon in 2011.

What was your most memorable race at Univ. of Central Florida?

Probably The Florida Relays, hosted at The University of Florida. There is such an amazing energy at this track & field event – the pinnacle (and last event) being the 4x400m relay. The amount of talent and speed is mind-blowing, I’ve run with some of the greatest and fastest runners at The Florida Relays. It’s the one track meet I looked forward to every season.

Running accomplishment you're most proud of?

Being offered a track & field scholarship to The University of Central Florida. I dreamed about and worked really hard in high school – running in college was the one thing I wanted the most. I wasn’t the fastest girl on the team, but I’m proud that I worked for what I wanted. It’s one of my greatest accomplishments to date.

Best advice for runners...

Listen to your body. If you don’t feel like running, don’t. It’s a common mistake we [runners] all make. Personally, I’d like to skip 1-2 days in a major training cycle than suffer from injury, or worse, burn-out. My coach would say the same thing!

Tell us about your job at Brooks Running... I think that is everyone's dream job!

My job is my dream job: I get to talk about running all day. I can’t think of anything better suited for my lifestyle and personality. I’m the Mid-Atlantic Tech Rep, a fancy way of saying that I visit accounts, educate staff on our products, act as a resource to stores/owners/employees, host events, and work expos. If you ever have a question about running shoes or need a recommendation, feel free to email me at: willrunformargaritas@gmail.com.

What upcoming race are you most excited about?

Boston Marathon was my “big” event for 2012, so I don’t have a ton of races on the calendar. I was excited about and ran Broad Street 10 Miler yesterday (May 6) - it was a great race (and a new PR)! I’m going to focus on shorter distances and speed this summer, so I’m in the market for some 5k and 10k’s.

Besides running, how do you spend your free time? any hobbies?

I love yoga, ultimate fitness kickboxing, and triathlon. Triathlon keeps things interesting (and my knees from failing me).

The last word from Melody...

Running is one of the most rewarding and easiest things I do every day – all I have to do is lace up my shoes and step out my door. Running has taken me to places I never knew possible {and they weren’t all good places or experiences, but I learned from each one}. If you’re new to running, on the fence, or in a slump, give running a try – I promise it will change your life!