RWR:MEET MEL, PRO RUNNER FOR OISELLE

"My swagger comes from miles of missteps that screamed “No” & triumphs that engulfed them in a quiet "yes, I will".  For me swagger is the confidence to say, "Thank you for your opinion, but I'm going to do what I want."

~ Mel Lawrence

This year I'm going make a bigger effort to profile more people in my RUNNERS WHO ROCK series.  For a few reasons.  First, these features are so much fun for me to put together because I get to connect with the people that I'm profiling on a more personal level.  Second, there are so many amazing runners, musicians, runners who are musicians, musicians who are runners and people who just have a cool story to tell and are passionate about both running and music out there and they typically have a lot of great info to share.  And last, because I don't have as much going on in my own running world at the moment so why not learn more about those out there who are more interesting and most likely crushing it?  So, today I am thrilled to introduce you to Mel Lawrence.  She's not quite a household name, or at least, not yet.  Though, I'm guessing if you follow the pro running world at all you've probably heard of her, particularly if you are a steeple fan.  I've had the pleasure of knowing Mel since 2014 when I met her at my first Oiselle Birdcamp out in Bend, OR.  Yes, Mel and I are on the same team.  She's a hell of a lot faster and way more accomplished but you wouldn't know it in hanging with her.  She's warm, humble and hilarious.  We ran some trails together when we were in Bend and as I attempted to keep up with her, she and her sister Collier, told me this crazy story about wild animals living in their walls when they were younger, cracking each other up the entire 10 miles and significantly easing the pain of the run for me.  We spent a lot of time together that weekend, I don't know, I guess I was drawn to her positive energy and we've stayed connected ever since.  Lucky me.  Mel runs for Project Little Wing, a pro group in Bend coached by Lauren Fleshman.  She is currently in the middle of her indoor season where she focuses on mid distance racing.  I asked her to give me a quick high level snapshot of who she is and her career highs; to brag about herself basically, and this is what she gave me:

~ I have a twin brother (lives in SF after being in Portland for 11 years) and an older sister (who also runs for Oiselle and lives in Bend :-))
~ UW husky graduate; French major
~ Gearin' up for my indoor season, and I have at least 2-3 more races. It’s such a short season, but it’s so fun.
~ High School PRs: 4:48 mile, 10:20 2 mile, 2:11 800
~ College PRs: 4:21 1500, 9:08 3k, 15:50 5k, 9:40 Steeple
~ Current: 2:05 800, 4:11 1500, 4:33 mile, 8:50 3k, 15:40 5k, 9:32 steeple
~ I’ve lived in Bend for about 5 years and I love it.
~ Getting married in October this year!

Yes, she put her PRs in there, sprinkled among the other details.  But she has done so much more than just run fast.  Clearly, she's not one to boast, so I will do it for her.

Photo credit:Heather McWhirter

The photo above is from 2018 US Outdoor Championships in Des Moines, Iowa in June.  Mel placed 3rd in the 3k steeplechase behind Emma Coburn and Courtney Frerichs.  As of the close of 2018, given all of the race results for that specific year, Mel was ranked 4th in the USA in the steeple.  FOURTH.  I mean, that's just insane to me.  Last year I flew out to Seattle and got to watch her race at the Dempsey Indoor meet against the some of the best athletes in her field.  She took second to Shalane Flanagan in the 3K, coming in under 9 minutes and qualifying for US Indoor Champs.  Watching her race was magical.  She's so calm and cool despite the nerves she's battling and she's always smiling.  I was totally in awe of her the whole time.

Photo credit:Heather McWhirter

I know a lot of you reading this post have heard of Emma Coburn and/or Shalane Flanagan.  Do you see, now, why you'll likely be hearing more about Mel in the future?  I just love this gal.  She's such a cool cat and such a fierce competitor.  Ok, enough from me, let's meet Mel, a runner who really freaking rocks.

RWR:MEL LAWRENCE

Name: Mel Lawrence
Where you're from: Reno, NV
Where you reside now: Bend, OR
Age: 29
Occupation: Professional Runner & part time customer service at Picky Bars

w/ her Little Wing teammates & Coach Fleshman

ON RUNNING & MUSIC:
What do you love most about running?
I love being able to walk out the door, turn my brain off and just let my legs move me forward in any direction I want.  If I don’t turn my brain off, I also love that it’s a time to really think about things, mull things over, and you can do so without any distractions.

What do you love most about music?
That there is music for every type of mood I am in and for different times of day. The music I listen to first thing in the morning is very different from what I listen to while making dinner.

w/ her fiancee at a Red Sox game (love her even more now)

MEL'S FAVORITES:
Band (current, all time or both): This is hard!  There are too many to choose from, but I could always listen to Coldplay.
Album (current, all time or both): I rarely choose an album to listen to in entirety.  I like to have a playlist with various artist of the same style.
Race venue: Indoors: The Dempsey at UW. Outdoors: Stanford or Eugene.
Music venue: The Gorge Amphitheater in Washington
Race distance: 3k
Show you've seen live? Again, this is really hard. For the last 5 years, my sister, brother and I have gone to a music festival called Austin City Limits. It’s our sibling trip.  One of the first years we were there we saw Outkast - that is one I will remember forever.
Ice cream flavor:  Cookies and cream

THIS OR THAT:
Sweet or salty? Salty
Live or recorded? Usually live
Coffee or tea? Coffee
Summer or winter? Summer (although I always look forward to summer at the end of winter and to winter at end of summer)




MORE MUSIC INFO:
Which band or artist would you go see tonight if you could? Beyonce or Leon Bridges
Which band or artist (wait...but no longer alive or playing together) would you go see tonight if you could?  Beatles
Which band or artist would you like to have dinner with tonight if you could? Snoop Dogg
Which band or artist would you like to be playing alongside you during your next race (or long run)? Still thinking on this one.

LAST ONE:
Today, I feel like….(fill in the blank): I could use more sleep.

Top 5 Songs for running, dancing or both? 
This is a really hard question & I’m sure my answers would be different in a few months.  Have you seen Ellen DeGeneres’s new standup act, “Relatable”?  She talks about having a song where no matter what, you get on the dance floor. This is what I’m thinking of when I read this question. And everyone should watch Relatable.  
What comes to my mind first...
* 2 of America Most Wanted - Tupac (I really like old school rap)
* Run Around Sue by Dion (I also really like Oldies, which is very different from above)
* We Can’t Stop by Miley Cyrus (I don’t care what anyone says, but I love her voice)
* Crazy In Love by Beyonce
* Filthy by JT

Last 5 Songs you listened to today: I listened to Maggie Rogers new album, "Heard It In A Past Life"

Listen to this:
2 of Americaz Most Wanted - Tupac (feat. Snoop Dog)