2:51 Marathon and 2 Kids: Melanie Lassen's Speedy Motherhood Adventure

DFW Running Talk: Melanie Lassen
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Chris Detzel: [00:00:00] All right. Welcome to another DFW Running Talk. I'm Chris Detzel, and today's guest is Melanie Lassen. Melanie, how are you?

Melanie Lassen: Hi Chris. I'm doing well. Happy to be here. Thank you for having me.

Chris Detzel: Thanks for being on. I was talking to an essay, talking, it was more online to Jennifer Pope and I was like, Hey, I really want to talk to some really very focused women that are running some good times in the marathon, half marathon, et cetera.

And she mentioned I should talk to you. So here we are. Jennifer, there's another guy that actually said something, Brandon or something in Frisco. Anyways, he was telling me, yeah, he, I'll have to get his name later. But yeah, there's a couple people that mentioned your name, it's exciting.

Melanie Lassen: Yeah, I'm super happy to be here.

And there's a, we were, having some pre-conversation, lots and lots of runners in the DFW area. I think what you're doing is awesome.

Chris Detzel: Thank you and I really appreciate all of you getting on. It's really fun. And one is you, do you run with completely sloth or?

Melanie Lassen: I do. Not a ton lately because of crazy schedule.

So a couple things. We mentioned I have a nine month old, so life's a little [00:01:00] crazy, but that's not. Really, that's not the reason why. I, my husband works in medicine, so he has a really crazy schedule. So I actually ran with the group this morning. Mondays is my day, right? Like for the next, this cycle that he's on where he can be home in the morning with the kids.

But usually he's out the door at 6:00 AM So I just, and so I live in Wiley, so I live pretty far away. That is

Chris Detzel: Far because they meet in Plano or.

Melanie Lassen: All over the place. Okay. This morning we ran in Allen. Sometimes it's Plano and then some, there's a Southern group, Dallas group. But I do try when my husband and then my husband also works weekends.

Not every weekend, but quite a bit. So when he is not working on the weekends and I'll go down to White Rock or whatever, whenever and wherever I can. But yeah, this season of life hasn't I, the community is so important. I wanna run with people more and it's just, it's hard right now, but.

I do when I can.

Chris Detzel: It's a season wreck, right now it's hard, six months, eight months, things change and things start getting a little bit better. That's just the way how life, you get a nine month old,

Melanie Lassen: no, not [00:02:00] I, and actually, we were talking this morning, so he has never slept through the night and what, nine months.

Yeah. He is never slept through the night. Hey, no shaming. Okay. And yeah, and I'm breastfeeding, so I have gotten up every single Oh, okay. With him. Yeah. And honestly, I have not slept through the night in years just because like when you're pregnant too, like you're not sleeping great. And so Yeah. I am a tired mom, you make it, yeah.

Two

Chris Detzel: years basically. No sleep. Oof. That's rough. Let's do this, Melanie. It's and we'll get into kinda kids and things like that, but tell me a little bit about your running journey. Look, for a while I'm gonna be talking about running journeys 'cause I think it's so interesting.

And then we'll get into some stories that, you might wanna think about and things like that. So when did you get into running and let's start there.

Melanie Lassen: Yeah, Chris. So I mentioned, I went back and I listened to a lot of your episodes and you have had very, awesome guests on here and.

I feel like a lot of your guests in the DFW area are actually newer to running. I am. Your example of the. I went back, I have been technically running for over 20 years, which [00:03:00] is Wow. Yes, which is crazy. Great. I'm your typical. I started running in middle school. Now my older sister ran. I think I just wanted to be like her and I just was always like pretty good.

I was your typical, ran in middle school, ran in high school. I had a great high school coach experience, like cross country.

Chris Detzel: That's important.

Melanie Lassen: Oh yeah. And then went on to run division one in college. I went to UNC Asheville. It was like a small D one liberal arts school. Same thing. I had a great coach there, and I do feel like your college and your high school coach can really make or break your running experience.

And I just, I think I had in high school, like we were very good as a team. By the way I'm from Tennessee, so like Oakridge, Tennessee, Knoxville area. And he never we were a good team and, but he never like. It feels like we ran a lot. I went back and asked one year, we actually only ran 30 or 40 miles a week.

So very, but you

Chris Detzel: were doing, you, I mean you were doing five Ks right? Or stuff like that? Yeah. That was your, okay.

Melanie Lassen: Yeah. Yeah, we did a long, I think that's [00:04:00] smart. No, why don't

Chris Detzel: you wanna do 70 or 80? Look, I like, I talked to Travis one time, he was telling me he was doing 70 mile.

I'm like.

Early 5K. 10

Melanie Lassen: K. Yeah. And then, yeah, after that I I did my first half, actually, right after I graduated from UNC Asheville. And I'll talk about this, but I, the half marathon has not been great to me, so that, it's been pretty

Chris Detzel: great actually. I've seen some times

Melanie Lassen: so I ran a 1 25 in my first half.

Chris Detzel: No,

Melanie Lassen: you will see I stayed at that, like I did not pr or I stayed at that 1 25 for [00:05:00] 10 years. I just couldn't never break it. And then you, it's

Chris Detzel: pretty tough though that's a, it's a fast time, really.

Melanie Lassen: Yeah. Solid time for sure. But something about it, I just could never break that 1 25 and even though my marathons would show that, like I, I should, but the half is really hard.

It's probably, I feel like

Chris Detzel: the marathon's really hard, but I

Melanie Lassen: like the marathon honestly, a lot more than I like the half really. Yeah. I listened to your interview with Javier and I know he said the same thing of at least. A marathon, you just get into that cruise and like you just feel good.

You feel like you can go forever a half marathon to be in good half marathon shape. You almost have to run it like a 10 K. So you have to be, and you have to do hard, fast workouts.

Chris Detzel: You should, yeah, I agree.

Melanie Lassen: Yeah, that was hard. So I ran my first marathon in 2014 and it was the seven Bridges marathon in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

So I went back and looked. Also, I have run eight marathons total over which. I actually thought it was more than that, so I'm surprised it's only eight, but over about nine years I've run eight marathons. So the first one in 2014 won it, [00:06:00] but, so I technically ran it well, so I crossed the line with a 2 51, but it was not a 2 51 because we shortly learned that like the top seven people, the bike escort took us the wrong way.

And this was actually before I had a GPS watch. I'll actually never know. So it was short. I'll just never know. Okay. How short or what my time actually was.

Chris Detzel: Isn't it funny though, think about what you just told me you said. Back in 2013 or what did you say? 14, 13? Yeah. Thousand 14. I ran this marathon.

I won, got 2 51. But that was like, who cares? 10 years ago, 11 years ago. Yeah. You know what I mean? And you still feel bad about it. You shouldn't, you won to thing, no matter what,

Melanie Lassen: I don't even think I'm in there. So I almost don't count that marathon, but like I should That's an amazing

Chris Detzel: 2 51.

Or let's say even okay, 2 55. Geez.

Melanie Lassen: Yeah, I I wish I knew, I wish I, it was before, I don't even remember when I got my first GPS watch. I, it was probably like the next year after that. Yeah. But I [00:07:00] feel pretty confident that race was probably a sub three, but that was my, I was.

I was so close, like out of college running, so I was still like in really good shape. I had the good, college fitness yeah, but you'll hear my marathon journey, it, it takes you a couple to really get 'em. It does under your belt. So then 2015. I

Chris Detzel: think that, Melanie, that's a good lesson because a lot of people get into running a marathon.

I I'll tell you a little story because I think it's so important. I've been running like Dallas running Club for a long time and have paced the groups and all this kind of stuff and you'll get people that you know, have talent. Talent, right? You look at 'em, but they're new to the marathon.

And so they'll start training. It's yeah, I wanna run Boston and qualify this year. I was like it's. It's doable. I was like, but for most people, you're gonna have to give yourself maybe a year or two, maybe even three. Sometimes it takes time to build up if you've never run a marathon, because if you've never run a marathon, then you know, mile, you don't know what mile 18 looks like, mile 20, 24, whatever.

And [00:08:00] so I'm not saying you won't do well, I'm not saying you won't even qualify, but most people don't. You know what I mean? It takes a few years to really build that up anyways,

Melanie Lassen: The fueling alone, and that's actually a good transition. My first, again, I say it, my first real marathon about in 2015, my college coach actually agreed to coach me.

I. I guess like for the next two years I think he did to the marathon and he was actually a really good marathoner himself and he ran in college and all that too. But I'll never forget, actually, before that race, he asked me as we talk about first marathons and how important feeling is, he asked me, he was like, okay, like what are you thinking for your feeling?

Strategy? So this is my second marathon, 2015. And and he was like, when are you gonna take water? And all that. I was like, oh yeah. So I'll probably, start taking water and fuel after 13 miles. And he goes wrong. You need to take it immediately. Every single. And he basically just said, every g Gatorade stop every water.

Just grab something.

Chris Detzel: Yeah.

Melanie Lassen: But it's so true. It took me many years and I'll get there, but it took me many marathons and I think most people, it takes you a [00:09:00] couple tries to truly nail the fueling and nail kill. It's

Chris Detzel: hard.

Melanie Lassen: Yeah. And you have to train with I, those first couple marathons I did not even do great with training with fuel.

Chris Detzel: Yeah. Yeah. It's, I've been asking the marathoners on these. My wife's done a lot of marathons as well, and and I've done three or four, and I don't. I don't really do those anymore, but what I do know is that I'll say, how many GOs do you take? Or, whatever the fuel is.

They're like six or seven. Maybe I should take more as six or seven, like I'm thinking like three or four. No, it's, I'm not saying some people can't do it, but. I think that nutrition is the key to a marathon period. Especially a fast one.

Melanie Lassen: It really is.

Yeah. Gosh, that's awesome that your wife has runs so many Bostons and some, what's her number, do you know, of a number of marathons?

Chris Detzel: At least 30 something I think. Yeah. I mean she's, this is her 12th Boston, and she's done the only one she hasn't done is Tokyo. She'll do London this year as well.

So she's done Berlin and

Melanie Lassen: Austin and then London.

Chris Detzel: Yeah. Unfortunately. She got in, but. So she'll just run, walk London, I think, are you

Melanie Lassen: going [00:10:00] to, are

Chris Detzel: you gonna walk? I'm gonna go to Boston, but I'm not gonna go to London.

Melanie Lassen: She's going by herself or is she going with anybody?

Chris Detzel: No, there's some people as she knows that's gonna go there, but she's gonna go by herself.

I'm sure. Maybe they'll hang out. I don't know. But whatever

Melanie Lassen: the international, I haven't done one yet, but I imagine they're tough, like with the time change and everything. It

Chris Detzel: is. She's done Berlin and and she did okay Berlin, but, it's definitely a. Adjustment. It's gonna be, look for her.

London's not gonna be that difficult. Any, anytime you run a second marathon in a week, it's gonna be hard. But she's gonna run, walk it, so it's not like she's gonna try to enjoy it. Kill herself. Yeah. She doesn't usually run walk marathons, but after a week, whatcha gonna do?

Melanie Lassen: Oh, after.

And I've done Boston. Boston, I was so sore after Boston.

Chris Detzel: It's tough. It's, Boston can be a tough one for people, anyway, sorry, I don't mean to interrupt. I'm just so interested.

Melanie Lassen: No thank you. Yeah. Yeah, so I ran the Nashville Marathon 15, and I won that one too. And that one I was, it was really unexpected.

I, so I ran a 3 0 4 for that. So that was [00:11:00] like first official marathon. Okay. Three or four ran it horribly. So I talked about the fueling. I don't even remember what I did for the fueling, but I ran it

Chris Detzel: horribly.

Melanie Lassen: The only, and I have such a good recollection of it because of like with winning it, like there's interviews out there and I go and I talk and I like watched the interview yesterday and I talked about how I hit the wall at 13.

I know. So I hit the wall at 13 in that one and I think it was just, I think I remember just feeling really bad for the majority of it. So I'm sure I positive split it majorly, actually, I know I did PO positive split it. That one was really cool 'cause my, so it was really unexpected. I, it was Nashville, like the rock and roll.

Oh, not like a crazy big one or anything, but I was not expecting to win it. And my husband, so he's, he works in medicine. He was in PA school at the time, but his class, they were. Like volunteering at that same marathon. So it was really the, honestly, the coolest part is that he actually got to be there at the finish.

'cause I somehow it got word that like his girlfriend [00:12:00] at the time was like winning it. So he actually got to be there at the finish. Put the flag around me and stuff. That was honestly the coolest part of it all.

Chris Detzel: That is cool. Yeah, I like that.

Melanie Lassen: So that first marathon and then I was like, oh, I love the marathon.

This is so fun. Because. And I'm just like, this is, I think I, the longer distances always suited me a lot. Enjoy it. Yeah. I really enjoy it. I just, do you enjoy

Chris Detzel: the training or?

Melanie Lassen: I do really enjoy the training when I like, and we'll talk about this, but community is so important. There is just nothing like being in good shape.

Saturday morning running hard with friends, meeting each, and like you just have the best conversations to run. There's just no feeling like it. So after I moved to Richmond. For grad school in 2015 as well, and found an amazing running club there. That's my theme is if you move and you're a runner, you just, you need to find a running club.

Yeah.

Chris Detzel: That's for sure. Yeah. I think we all know that, right?

Melanie Lassen: We all know that, and that's how I've met all my friends and that's just No, nobody likes running alone all the time, and I do a lot more. I know. [00:13:00] Solo than I want to. Yeah, no, no one likes that. Found an awesome running club there. I signed up for the Richmond Marathon in, that was in the fall of 2015, which is an awesome marathon.

If any of your listeners out there looking for a fall, which I'm like, maybe I should do that one since I didn't get into New York. It's an awesome marathon. It's perfect weather. A really, like a, honestly a fast course. So that one I ran 2 58, so I went sub three.

Chris Detzel: Congrats. That's great.

Melanie Lassen: You know what?

And I think I just, I didn't even realize it was like such a barrier I think. 'cause I was just like, oh, yeah, I went 3 0 4, the first one, I wanna go sub three. But yeah, I hovered around that like sub three for a while. Not really going too much under that for a while. Yeah. Had an awesome running club there.

I

Chris Detzel: feel like that happens to a lot of people. They hit some, like you, you mentioned in the half you were just stuck at a 1 25. I don't know if we said this on the air or whatever, but you're stuck. That with people is that there's another breakthrough at some point, right? If you keep pushing there's this plateau of, or whatever time, maybe a three hour, [00:14:00] 3 0 1, whatever, and then all of a sudden get a little bit deeper and then even a bigger one, potentially.

Melanie Lassen: Yeah, a hundred percent. The sub three, sub three is really hard. Like even if you just always run a 2 59, like that's really fast to go. It's get that like further like breakthrough and go like even further sub three. I just find that to, it is, I find it to be really hard of course. But yeah, so then I went in 2016 I went back to the Nashville Marathon because I loved it so much and I think I just immediately signed up for it again.

And I won that one again and. I was like, man, I love this marathon. And that one I did go sub three again. So I say I like HI hung out hovered under that like sub three, so that was a 2 59. Again, I ran ably. I again like major.

Chris Detzel: Was there a positive marathon that you enjoyed? Are we gonna get to that eventually, or,

Melanie Lassen: I'm getting there.

I think we're Oh, okay. Good. So 2017 I moved to Texas 'cause I graduated from grad school. My husband got his so he's from Houston, but he got his first job. I think we were just trying to decide where to live and he was [00:15:00] applying to a lot of different, states and jobs. And we just landed in, he landed in Dallas first and then I was there a couple months later.

I a nice

Chris Detzel: break. That's good.

Melanie Lassen: Yeah. I know. Yeah. And I a almost like five months, five months break,

Chris Detzel: yeah. Enough to miss 'em,

Melanie Lassen: yeah. Sometimes you need that. So I didn't actually run any races for a while, so I moved in 20 se like, yeah. About the summer of 2017. And I found again, I was like, got, where's the running clubs?

I gotta find a running. So I don't even, I think I went on Google and I found, WRRC, the White Rock running co-op. Okay. And I found the Facebook group.

Chris Detzel: It's like everybody finds them.

Melanie Lassen: There's a ton of people. That Facebook group is huge. I was like, is this is this a, like what is this group?

And I remember I posted in there and shout out to Javier. 'cause So Javier and Ray were my my first like friends here. And the first people who I ran with, I posted on the Facebook group and I was like, Hey, I'm looking Hey

Chris Detzel: Ray. Ray Who?

Melanie Lassen: Ray Nichols, huh?

Chris Detzel: Yeah, I know him. Okay.

Melanie Lassen: Yeah, [00:16:00] like everybody knows him.

I posted on there and I said I was looking for, a group to run I think I said seven 30, because it was hard to tell. So this is what I realized about White Rock running co-op is like on the Facebook page, it's really hard to, there's just, there's so many people and there's like a group for everybody.

That's right. I was like, okay, where's the group for I was like, is there, there's

Chris Detzel: no group. Like it's just one big group.

Melanie Lassen: One big, yeah.

Chris Detzel: It's not a,

Melanie Lassen: so I posted on there looking for a group running like seven thirties and Julie. Commented and was like, she like tagged Javier and was like, yeah, like we should, like I should be running that.

Like we're running that. And so I showed up on a Saturday morning, didn't know anybody. I don't even know how I found him 'cause I didn't really know what he looked like or anything. And then I ran with Javier and then that was who I ran with Javier and Ray. And that's who I ran with for like the whole first year.

Like exclusively. Yeah. And I signed up for Chicago. October of 2018. So that was my first world major experience. Ran a 3 0 3 there positive, split it. There's a theme here. I like cannot handle these marathons great, [00:17:00] terrible

Chris Detzel: times.

Melanie Lassen: Like I'm like, my times are okay, but if you. See my splits, of and it's

Chris Detzel: like something happened.

Melanie Lassen: Yeah. And that's how I determined the success of my marathon. Like of any of my marathons, honestly. How I run them and how I feel and how I I just how I, like how I pace and my fuel and everything. So all of these have not been great. So it was not until 2019 when I went and I ran CIM and I finally had that breakthrough.

I had a really good training block, trained with Javier a lot. And I. I, I think I just, I, I so I'm talking about fuel. I'm really into ucan. I still use ucan to this day, but that's where I like, experimented and learned about ucan. It works really well for me, but I ran a 2 53 at CIM.

They're like, finally, kinda a breakthrough for

Chris Detzel: you.

Melanie Lassen: Big breakthrough. And I just, and I negative split it finally, and I never hit the wall. Like I felt really good.

Chris Detzel: Feel like you could have run faster afterwards.

Melanie Lassen: Yeah. Honestly. And I don't know, are you familiar with CIM or have you run it?

Chris Detzel: My wife run it.

Melanie Lassen: [00:18:00] Of course you wide. Yeah. So like the whole, the last six miles are downhill. You're, it is just. It's prime to run a negative split and I love that. I wanna go back one year. I want, so my goals, like long-term goals, I really wanna break two 50, really wanna break one 20. So I'm like, maybe I'll go back to CI M1 year when I'm like, can get fit again and run CIM and maybe do that sub two.

How

Chris Detzel: old are you?

Melanie Lassen: 33.

Chris Detzel: Okay. You're still young.

Melanie Lassen: Oh, thank you for saying that. I feel like I'm old. You're not,

Chris Detzel: you have lots of prs in you if you want

Melanie Lassen: know. I do. I know it's not old, but when you're in your thirties you're like, oh man, two kids. Huh? They age me. Yeah.

Chris Detzel: Look, I, I do wanna definitely get to the kids thing and talk about, that.

But let's continue on. Tell, and then we'll go back.

Melanie Lassen: Yeah. Okay. Kids are coming. 'cause here it comes. 2020. 2020.

Chris Detzel: 2020. Everybody had kids.

Melanie Lassen: I know, right? So I was supposed to run,

Chris Detzel: what people were doing then

Melanie Lassen: I was supposed to run Boston in 2020 and then Covid. So it got canceled.

I was really bummed about that. And I, so I got [00:19:00] pregnant. Actually, I got pregnant in 2021 'cause my son was born December, 2021. So I just did, the virtual races and just trained and ran, but like nothing crazy in 2020. Yeah, my son ran pretty much everybody,

Chris Detzel: right?

Melanie Lassen: Yeah. Oh, I know.

That was so hard. So I lost my qualifier, which really sucked. Yeah, so I had my son in December, 2021. I really wanted to run Boston so I couldn't run it in 2022 'cause I didn't have a qualifier. So I was like, okay, I'm gonna run it in 2023. So in 2022 is when I started really training again.

Like I had to start back.

Chris Detzel: You were still running, but you weren't hardcore training.

Melanie Lassen: Yeah. I ran all through my pregnancy and everything, I, and we talked about this at the beginning. It's running is so great for, your physical health, your mental health and everything.

But I think those of us in the DFW running community, like we, we want goals and we want something like. To train towards and being on the calendar and really push our bodies. So yeah I spent 2022 just working back after having him and

Chris Detzel: so back up. I see this a lot. And I think this is really good [00:20:00] for women that are, I.

Pregnant. I see a lot of women like you continue on, not necessarily training, but still running, not training for a p 'cause you can't, get a PR or whatever. Can you talk about that kind of like, how hard is it, why you're pregnant? I think there's probably different stages and things, as you're pregnant and running.

What is that like?

Melanie Lassen: It's a great question, Chris, and, truly like having two pregnancies, it's. Different. It was totally different for both of them. So the first baby I ran, literally the day my water broke, I never felt like my body, of course, like your heart rate gets higher, like pretty immediately.

Yeah. Like in the first trimester, I was like, okay, what like running feels hard, but I felt like I could I still was running, I think I ran 12, like up until like half, about halfway, so about 20 weeks. I got in both pregnancies, I got pubic synthesis dysfunction, which is gosh, how am I gonna describe it?

It's just like pain in your pubic bone, but like in your leg. I had to go to chiropractor and they fixed it. That was the worst thing that really happened. That made running hard. But yeah [00:21:00] it's really just working with your body. The second time was much harder. He was much bigger baby too.

Chris Detzel: It helps.

Melanie Lassen: Yeah. So I just, you gotta listen to your body. You gotta see what feels best. But I, but not doing anything felt worse, like even if I would just go out and run three miles, I'm like, okay, this is good for both of us. And also it's,

Chris Detzel: even if you had to walk, run.

Melanie Lassen: Yeah, I walk ran a lot in the second pregnancy and yeah, you just gotta listen to your body and do and every day was different. Some days were good, some, and I would, on the good days, I would take advantage of it and go farther. In pregnancy, for me it was like, oh, six miles.

I was like, I'll do six miles. That's a like a long run. And then if it feels worse, I'll just walk. Run it or run less and you just gotta do what you can.

Chris Detzel: I love it.

Melanie Lassen: Yeah. Yeah. And I just felt like I really needed that for my mental health. And then also knowing that I was gonna come back running is so important to me.

Training is so important to me. And I was like, I don't wanna, I don't want to take nine months off and then it be that much harder to come back and train and sign up for something after. So do you find

Chris Detzel: yourself hard on yourself? Especially 'cause I saw this, so [00:22:00] I'll tell you why I say that is because.

I think runners are anyways, or maybe we just as people just hard on ourselves on something we try hard to do and then we don't hit this certain thing. Back in 2023, I think you ran a half marathon, Houston, and I think it was at 1 27, I don't know, whatever. 1 28 I, whatever it was. But previously you've run like a 1 21 and it was only like six months of pregnancy?

I think not, I don't know which one but the point was that you're pretty hard on yourself. It's looked like just. I could tell, you're probably like, ah, it wasn't what I wanted, but I'm happy with it. Can you walk me through some of that thinking, as a runner and just trying to always just hit these dolls and times I think it's good because that's how we push ourselves, but there's some real reality too to it.

And realistic.

Melanie Lassen: Yeah. I know. Thanks Chris. That is a great question too. So that was this past Dallas and Yeah, I was,

Chris Detzel: it was at Dallas. It

Melanie Lassen: was. Okay,

Chris Detzel: got it.

Melanie Lassen: Six months postpartum is past Dallas. That's

Chris Detzel: right. That's right.

Melanie Lassen: And I knew the theme of this season of life I'm in right now is like no, [00:23:00] sleep running has been really hard.

Yeah. I've often changed jobs in the past, like I've had two different jobs in the past seven months, so I've ramped up with this drinking from a fire hose. So it's just been a crazy season and to your point, many runners, like we have big ambition. Like we have big goals or like most runners are pretty type A and you train so hard and you really care about it.

So you have big goals and you want to it's easy to get. Disappointed with how you do. And that one, I felt pretty okay. 'cause I, it definitely was not like, I was not expecting a great time. I don't even know what I was expecting. So I'm running Big Star in two weeks and I feel the same way.

I'm like that

Chris Detzel: a half big star. I don't even know what, okay. I

Melanie Lassen: don't even know if they have a full, do they?

Chris Detzel: I don't. What's Big Star? Oh, is that the one in Frisco?

Melanie Lassen: Frisco, yep.

Chris Detzel: Okay. Yeah, I've heard of it.

Melanie Lassen: I've never done it. Speaking of Covid again, I was supposed to do that one in 2020 and then it, got canceled.

So it'll be my first time doing it. But yeah, I think you just have to have realistic expectations for your fitness and like where you're at. And I think runners were type A, we have big [00:24:00] goals, but ultimately as I've gotten older, and I grew up with running, I grew up running competitively, ran in college, if younger, Melanie could see my attitude now.

Really like remarkable because I was the type of person where like I could not miss a day of running if a run was not seven 30 pace. It wasn't a quality run. And I just, I feel like young Melanie would be so proud of my like mental state now, and I truly feel like anything is better than nothing. If I only have 30 minutes, that's okay.

I'm gonna go out for a 30 minute run and I'm gonna feel better after. And I just. I feel like I'm a good example of consistency over time, and it's just like 20 years of running, being consistent, not having any major injuries. And I, what I tell myself right now is this is just a season of life right now of running's not at the forefront. Sleep is not at the forefront, and running will always be there for me. Always. And I think that's just a, that's what I was [00:25:00] thinking about after the Dallas half of I wasn't happy with my time, but I, it's fine. I'll get

Chris Detzel: back. Yeah. It sounds like you are all that, hard on yourself, so that's positive.

Maybe not as that. As I thought. But one thing I love is, you mentioned if I were to look at my young self and what would I say? You just don't know when you're young, anything. You know what I mean? You don't know what it's like to go through different stages of life of, okay, you are single now you're married, now you're married with kids, and it just goes on and on, right?

You get older and you just realize that I love running, that's. Not number one, it's number one to stay in shape and just to be fit and just, to keep my mental sameness. I don't know if that's a word, but, the point is I think that's important. You don't know what you don't know at a young age, right?

But you know now more, way more than you did before. So I think that's something to keep in mind is. You got two kids, they're young, and your husband works different crazy hours, and you do too. And you get, like you said, another job, two jobs, and you're tired running and sleep is key to do well, I think, that's the number one thing, is trying to [00:26:00] rest.

Melanie Lassen: Oh, I know. I do what I can. I think we're getting there. I feel like I'm. I'm close to getting more sleep. Every once in a while. I'm like, oh yeah, like he's doing some longer stretches, and I'm like, oh man, no. Literally 10 30 and one 30. He always wakes up 10 30 and one 30 and then. I know. But again, it's just a season of life.

I know. It won't. It is forever. And then just like with running too, I'm just like, I will have a time again where I can run so many miles and do crazy workouts. Like I know that that's not lost forever. I'm gonna but you can't

Chris Detzel: wait.

Melanie Lassen: I am like, oh, especially everybody doing Boston. I'm like, and seeing everybody just crush their workouts.

Like I went to White Rock. So you should interview Maddie. I know she's a mentor. Sweet. Okay. Oh man, she's gonna be a good one to talk to. I did half of her workout sad like this last Saturday. Half of it. She in 24, and I just literally watch everybody crush their workouts and everything.

And I'm like, oh man. Like I wanna be in this good of shape again. It just feels so good.

Chris Detzel: It will. So you, all right, let's, I guess go back and, because we didn't [00:27:00] marathons, I don't.

Melanie Lassen: Last. Okay. We're almost there. 2022. So I had to re-qualify for Boston. And I signed up for, I can't remember the name of it, but it was in Madison Misconduct.

It was like the, it's the last weekend race to qualify for the 2023 Boston. So it was in September. And I yeah, so I ran I went with. I don't know. You know those people like Dan Club? Randy? Like we, we had a nice group. Oh, Brent was there. We had a nice group of some Dallas people running that race, however, so it was on a Saturday and I.

I didn't have crazy training. Like literally my only goal for that race was to qualify for Boston. So like from my age, I think it was like three 30, I was like, okay, if I do like a 3 25. Yeah. And I was like, I don't need to get a five minute buffer. So I think I only did one 20 mile run. Like I didn't do any crazy workouts or anything.

So the race goes off on Saturday and like weather is fine when we start and then six miles in and I was just running with Randy feeling really, [00:28:00] again, I was like, I'm not pushing, like I'm just calm calmed. I was like, I just need like my qualifier. Like I just, I, the only goal for this weekend, I flew by myself, like no family, anything.

And we start seeing, the sky gets really dark and then it's getting darker and darker. And I'm like, oh my gosh. Cooler and then six miles in they start ushering everybody off the cord. No. And so then they like put us underneath this bridge and then this horrible storm hits.

And then they essentially like, so actually when they ushered us off, I actually started, I like bawled 'cause I was like, my whole reason all those mornings of training.

Chris Detzel: I think I would've cried.

Melanie Lassen: Yeah, I cried. 'cause I'm like this, like my whole reason, like I just wanted to qualify for Boston.

This is the last chance. Like I can't, I, there's no other, there's no other time. And also there's no

Chris Detzel: race.

Melanie Lassen: We knew we wanted another baby. So I literally, I put a lot of pressure on myself as I was like, if I don't run it in 2023, I'm not running it until 2025. 2026. And I had never run it.

26. Yeah. Done it in 2020. So it was just a long time coming. I really wanted to do [00:29:00] Boston. So yeah, I cried. It was, I was so sad. We eventually, like we got a ride from, it was like me. Yeah. Me, Randy, I think, yeah, I think we all found each other. It was like me, Randy, Dan, Brent, we like reconvened and then we got a ride from like this random person back to the start and we were like, why are we getting in the stranger's car?

Like they just saw us and they were like, whatever it

Chris Detzel: takes.

Melanie Lassen: You're from the race. I know. So I actually, while we were waiting there underneath the bridge, because it was the last chance qualifier for Boston, so there were a lot, there were a number of people that were like really bummed in the same position as I was.

And this one girl had her phone up and we were like, literally like researching what other options there were. On Sunday, the next day, which was technically the last day. And I look back and I'm really glad that race was on a Saturday. 'cause if it was on a Sunday, like it would've been done. So I pivoted and I, there was a race, it was like three hours north of Madison, Wisconsin to Minocqua.

It was in Minocqua, Wisconsin. It's wow. Close to Canada [00:30:00] and I rented a car, so it started out everywhere was we all were gonna do it and then everyone bailed. But I was like, was so stubborn and I was like, I am going, I'm running that marathon. I'm qualifying for Boston. So I rented a car, I pivoted it, I got a hotel and I was supposed to fly.

I changed my flight and I like drove up and then the next day I ran, it was actually a trail marathon and it was awesome actually. And I, and I. It was, I'm so surprised.

Chris Detzel: I love trills. Anyways, go ahead.

Melanie Lassen: Oh, I loved it and it's, it was Boston certified, which I'm really like, I look back and I'm like, that's

Chris Detzel: Surprising.

Melanie Lassen: I know. I was so surprised because it was called the no Frills marathon. And let me tell you, Chris, it was no frills. There was nobody handing out water. Water was on a Google and you just pick it. Yeah. It was I think a point to point. Yeah. It was a point to point. All on the trail.

And again, I was like, all I have to do is qualify for Boston. I arrived like late that night. I, the terrain

Chris Detzel: wasn't bad, or, I'm interested how, like

Melanie Lassen: It wasn't like trail, it was more like travel. It was the

Chris Detzel: gravel trail. [00:31:00] Got it. Okay. That's doable.

Melanie Lassen: Yeah, it was doable.

Yeah. I had my, like my favorite flies. I had used my UAN already, so I had to, on my way to Manco, I had to stop at like a random, like Dick's Sporting Goods and get gels that I did not train with because I don't, I train with uan, but you can't buy that at Dick's Sporting Goods. It takes, and yeah, and I was like, whatever it takes.

And so I found like a group of guys. To run and like I was breastfeeding then, so I literally had to pump, and again, this was in the woods and I needed a plug. I had to pump in the race director's truck. He let me use it. Wow. I know, but it was super scrappy. It was so fun. Honestly, I would go back and That's pretty

Chris Detzel: cool though.

Melanie Lassen: It was really fun.

Chris Detzel: See, that's where you get the stories anyways.

Melanie Lassen: I know, exactly. So I won that marathon, but no surprise, right? 'cause it was like very small and my whole

Chris Detzel: one whole thing. I beat the guys too.

Melanie Lassen: I, no, there were a couple guys that meet me. I think I was like fourth or fifth, like overall, but I ran with this group of guys.

My goal was like. I think I was running like [00:32:00] seven twenties for the majority of it. And then I was like, let me just get to 20 miles and then if I feel good, I'll rip it. And then I, so I could have split that one. I felt really good and fine and 3 0 7, that one. So like I got the goal of Boston qualifier and then, so then this was 2020, I was 2022.

I qualified for 2023 Boston. And then that's when all my training, finally clicked, like I know you interviewed Javier and he talked about 2023 Boston. I did all of my training with Javier, and it was just one of those training cycles that like. I prd in everything. That's when I ran Houston at I had an 80 mile week.

And I prd with a 1 21. I finally broke that 1 24, 1 25 that I sat at for 10 years and I went writing and taper. Yeah, I prd in like the 5K and the 10 K like all in workouts, like along the way. I ran like PR

Chris Detzel: in the 5K.

Melanie Lassen: So my track from track days, the 1736, and then I'm, I think I did run it was like [00:33:00] 1730s and like a workout or something.

Like in that site? Yeah. In a workout. In a workout. Yeah. I know. I was like, I know I'm gonna pr I it. I felt like it was like the, obviously the best shape I've ever been in. But I think it's because I had. Such great community training, like people training, like I know you've interviewed like many of the slots, like beautiful things happen when you have people training for the same race and you do the same workouts.

And we were following, are you familiar with the Fitz training for Yeah. I respond really well to Fitz Singer. That's actually, I didn't mention this, but that's what I, that's the training I use when I did CIM and I had my first breakthrough then. So talk

Chris Detzel: about it. Tell me a little bit more in depth about it.

Melanie Lassen: It's nothing crazy. Like I think about Jack Daniels and that's, that is so intimidating to me. Fitz Singer is really nothing crazy. You can choose between whatever mileage you want. So like for CIM back in 2019, I think I only did. Like the 65 to 75 or something. And then I, for the 2023 [00:34:00] Boston I bumped up to the 85 fit plan.

And it is nothing crazy. It's really, you do a medium long run and that one for the 85 mile a week one got pretty cr like you got up to 15, you were doing like 15 miles every Wednesday. That was really hard. 'cause I'm starting at 4:00 AM before work. That was always really hard. And it was just all about like tempos you did.

It's like some 600 some Ks, but like it wasn't track really, which was what I was used to like pre-kids, the Tuesday track workouts and then after kids. I have not done a track workout since kids because I just can't make it out to the track. Yeah. But I can do 'em on the roads, outside.

Yeah. And it's all about tempos. A lot of long run workouts, but nothing super fancy, it's just tempo. Like we got up to a 14 mile, 14 miles at mp, so that was like the big one. But you build up to it like it's, it. It's really doable.

Chris Detzel: Wait. So when you say 14 miler, do you mean like with speed and stuff like that?

And so it was a

Melanie Lassen: 20 miler, but 14 miles at mp, so it was pretty big. But you on page, yeah. [00:35:00] You build up to it though. Yeah, I just feel like it's very realistic and it's free. Like I found it all online for free. Kean had the book so he would send us like the actual,

Chris Detzel: very technical.

Melanie Lassen: Yeah, you would Brent's

Chris Detzel: kinda like that, just very, let's go back to Boston.

Tell me about that.

Melanie Lassen: Yeah, that one. So I still, I don't think I ran that one as great. Okay. So I ran a 2 51. This is, but I know I could have done better because number, see I,

Chris Detzel: oh, A 2 51 at Boston. Okay.

Melanie Lassen: Yeah. 2 51 at Boston. Wait, is that

Chris Detzel: a P? Was that a pr

Melanie Lassen: And It's a pr. Yeah, it's still okay.

Chris Detzel: Weren't.

Melanie Lassen: I was super happy, but I, so number one, I did my first ever bathroom stop in the middle of Boston. No. Yeah. I think it's 'cause the 10:00 AM start and yeah,

Chris Detzel: it's different.

Melanie Lassen: I was like, my, my tummy just was like, was not used to it. So I've never done a bathroom stop before. So I did a bathroom stop.

But also, I understood Boston and how you have so much downhill at the [00:36:00] beginning and then you've got like the rolling hills, you've got Heartbreak Hill and then and then you have like downhill to finish. I. I did so much research and I knew that, and I understood that I did train on hills, but not great.

Like I could have done more, but I still, like I, my legs were so beat up after all that downhill in the beginning and then, really from like mile 18 on like my legs were screaming at me. So I think I may have positive split that one a little bit and I was actively trying to go out slow too. But that downhill, just, it's a little

Chris Detzel: harder going, doing that.

Yeah, 'cause like you're being pushed to go downhill and you wanna go with that flow because the problem is like whenever you go up, there is no flow. 'cause you know there's gonna be some ups, and, yeah, when it's that early in that race like that, it's gotta be tough.

Talk a little bit about kind of the starting time and all that kind of stuff that maybe you weren't used to. Most marathons start at seven or eight o'clock.

Melanie Lassen: Yeah. This

Chris Detzel: one starts at 10. You gotta get on the bus. All these things.

Melanie Lassen: Yeah. You still wake up so early [00:37:00] and then you don't run for hours.

So fueling was like interesting. Like you had to be sure. To bring a lot of snacks with you also, because my qualifier was a 3 0 7. I didn't get to start with Kieran, Javier Ray, like I started in a further back corral by myself which was good. And so it was bad in the sense that I couldn't find them and run with them.

I feel like they probably helped me to go out a little bit slower, but also good in the sense that I was passing a ton of people and it was like, pretty. Cool. But also the start was

Chris Detzel: inspiring. Kinda get you going a little bit.

Melanie Lassen: Yeah. Especially, I don't think I, I really don't, I probably got past a little bit in the end.

Actually. It started pouring in the end too. It was humid that year. A little warm, like not crazy, but like it, the last mile it did pour on me. But yeah, it just something you have to get used to. We were actually talking about that on our run this morning, the late start and like how you have to get used to it now.

I'd probably be great at it because I do all my runs after daycare drop off. So 9:00 AM I do [00:38:00] all my runs.

Chris Detzel: Yeah. Now you'd be perfect at it.

Melanie Lassen: Yeah.

Chris Detzel: What's so what'd you do after Boston? Was it, Hey, I had a kid kind of thing or what was the

Melanie Lassen: Yep. 2023 Boston and then, oh gosh, I had to do, I should have done this.

Yeah. I think I was pregnant for 2023 in the fall. That was actually my. That was my last marathon, so I'm like really itching to run it. I definitely need to do a fall marathon since it can't be New York. I need to really think about which one I'm gonna do. Yeah, nothing between It was, I did run, oh, I did run Dallas half when I was pregnant.

Actually I think I ran faster at that than I did postpartum, which is crazy if that tells you anything about motherhood. But yeah, other than that,

Chris Detzel: go into that, the postpartum stuff, like what is that like? And then really. Trying to run and do all the other things that you know mom's gotta do.

Melanie Lassen: Yeah. I, you

Chris Detzel: said you're breastfeeding and all that stuff, and I'm sure that's.

Melanie Lassen: Yeah, not part of it, it's for sure a challenge. 'cause it's like any listeners you have out there who understand breastfeeding and [00:39:00] running and working, like you live in three hour increments. Like you're like, you just, like for me it's like right now it's, I always feed in the morning, but then I'm working, so it's always a 10, a one and a four o'clock.

Those are my, like times I have to pump. And so you just live in that with. With with training and running and your time. Yeah, postpartum, I think so pregnancy with my second, and I think I was able to run the Dallas half faster in pregnancy than postpartum because like things were really good.

And then I remember it was right after the Dallas half. I just went downhill, like running wise. Like things just got so much harder. It's almost like my body knew, it's just get to Dallas. Like just get to your half. I can't even remember what my time was, honestly, but it was one 20 something.

Yeah. And then like postpartum. I think I will always say going from zero to one is way, way harder than one to two. The only thing with one to two is time, like your time is split more and like again, I mentioned my husband works in medicines. That's a challenge and I think that's why I'm [00:40:00] not able to train as much as I would want to right now.

But again, I know it will. Running will always be there and it will come.

Chris Detzel: Yeah. That's. That's awesome. Is there something that I really should have asked that I didn't ask? I didn't ask, what do you think's next? You're still going through some of these things potentially a marathon, but you're not sure.

What's going on right now?

Melanie Lassen: Definitely wanna do a fall marathon. I just don't know which one yet. 'cause I was really banking on New York, didn't get into New York, so Yeah, I mentioned Big Star in a couple weeks and yeah. We'll, that'd be fun.

Chris Detzel: Just kind see where you are,

Melanie Lassen: yeah, hopefully, surely I can run faster than I did in Dallas.

I don't know anything about the course or anything, surely. 'cause I'm like more months, out.

Chris Detzel: It could be warm. You gotta,

Melanie Lassen: it could be warm. That's true. Dallas half is usually great weather.

Chris Detzel: That's pretty warm actually. Dallas. Yeah,

Melanie Lassen: it was warm. It

Chris Detzel: was really warm that day.

Melanie Lassen: Yeah, I forgot about that.

Chris Detzel: I paced the one 50 and I was like,

Melanie Lassen: oh.

Chris Detzel: Yeah I love pacing it gets me away from racing a little [00:41:00] bit. And people look, get in the race for free and you get to get people to the pace that they want to go to, and it's just fun, you get to kinda give back a little bit.

You also get to run a half marathon,

Melanie Lassen: yes. Oh yeah. I paced a lot when I was in Richmond when I was living. Richmond and like the running community is awesome in Richmond, and I was in like my running club there. So yes.

Chris Detzel: What would you pace today? If I, if somebody's like Melanie, like we have a one 30, a one 40, a one 50, for half, let's just say, what would you do if.

Melanie Lassen: I could do at one 40. That's what I have paced in like a couple of races around here too, like in Plano and I usually do 1 40, 1 45, 1 40. I prefer 1 45 pacing that's a little bit more comfortable. Like a one 40 is still I need to make sure like I'm on the pace. But

Chris Detzel: that's what I always say, like one 40 for me, I don't ever wanna pace that because I feel like there's times for me I can run consistently around the one thirties, like mid to low, but I. Sometimes I can barely run a one 40, and so I'm like, I don't, I will never pace that. One 50 is gonna be my [00:42:00] sweet spot,

Melanie Lassen: yeah. That's awesome.

Chris Detzel: I think it's just smart

Melanie Lassen: and that's a great pacing gig because you still, you have those people, like the two, talk about barriers, like the two hour barrier for a half, that's a big one. And like 1, 1 50 is like a big one too. That's an important. Group to pace.

Chris Detzel: Yeah, it's fun because a lot of those people have a lot of talent, and if it's their first one, they're like, going from, maybe they don't know what they're gonna do, and but it is fun to, I like pace in that group that time. Anyways, I. It's the best. So you've got the star, you've got potentially a fall marathon and you think about Dallas maybe, or, that's always gonna be there.

Melanie Lassen: I am. I have never done the Dallas full and I don't know, there's a draw to do it just because I live here.

But I've heard so many bad things. Not bad, just that it's hard but I feel like we all should do it. Always. Dallas, half Marathon. Like one of the series is like everybody does it. You pace it. Everybody in Dallas does it. It's one of the best weekends of the year. I would love to do, always pretty good.

Chris Detzel: Over the last several years they've done a very good job. And then the crowds are crazy now. [00:43:00] Yeah. Good. And I. So my wife, she prd it once. I think she got like a three 15 that day. She's now got three 14 something, but Wow. Yeah, so she, she prd it once she likes the race,

Melanie Lassen: fast.

And for that course,

Chris Detzel: yeah, for her, it's fast, she's 50, right? She was like 47 then. So I think, but that's really

Melanie Lassen: fast. That is fast for anybody. That really is, yeah.

Chris Detzel: But so I think Dallas, to think about it, but what others are you thinking about?

Any kind of,

Melanie Lassen: I don't know. I mentioned how much I loved Richmond. I would love to go back to Richmond. Yeah. Marine Corps is also one. I wanna do some one year. We were talking about Eugene this morning, but I know that's April, but I'd love to do Eugene Marathon one year. There's. There's, and of course I wanna do all the world majors, but no huge rush.

I wanna do them all. But like the international ones, I'll probably start signing up for those like next year. Yeah. And we'll see what I can get. So you've

Chris Detzel: only done Boston and Chicago?

Melanie Lassen: That's it. Yeah.

Chris Detzel: Okay. All right. And how many times you just done Boston? Once.

Melanie Lassen: Yep. One Boston. Done

Chris Detzel: once. Okay.

Melanie Lassen: Yeah. All

Chris Detzel: right.

That's, look, got a lot of [00:44:00] talent. There's no doubt from a qualification standpoint, you'll be able to qualify for any of those. Just trying to get in still is always the opportunity, right? Yeah. And you've had a, I love your journey. You've been doing it for a long time and you continue to get better now, like you said, it takes, you're in spurts at times, right?

And now you're in another cycle of, babies and things but that they'll get older and you'll get better, and you'll get back into, you already know this

Melanie Lassen: I cannot wait for the moment that like, my boys are old enough to ride their bike next to me. Like when I go for a run like that is something that really I,

Chris Detzel: did you do the stroller?

Melanie Lassen: Oh gosh, I do and I hate it. I don't, I only I only do it if I have to. Yeah. But I do not like it. But I just can't wait till they can like, bike next to me. And I just think it's, like going back to the parenthood thing, I just, I think it's really important for like our children to see, like their mom have like my own, have my own goals and I think that'll just be healthy for them for their relationship going forward.

And like it's, I think it's just a good example for anybody to be, for their [00:45:00] children to see that.

Chris Detzel: How can you disagree with that?

Melanie Lassen: Yeah. So

Chris Detzel: well, this has been really great. Melanie, did I miss anything? Did you wanna say anything that I just completely forgot to ask?

Melanie Lassen: No, thank you for having me.

And it was, like I said, it was, I've never gone through my whole running journey like that before, ever. So like it was really fun for me to go back and see the years I ran races and I did not realize I've been running for over 20 years. That is wild.

Chris Detzel: That lights up.

Melanie Lassen: Yeah it's crazy.

So I really enjoyed going back and like going through my running journey and like seeing where I'm at and yeah. I just, again, you've had amazing super fast people on this podcast, so it's I just feel really honored to be here and I love what you're doing, like for the DFW running community and talking to everybody, and I am a listener of yours now.

Chris Detzel: I appreciate you listening and saying all the kind things, and we talked about this pre-show is, my goal is to get. The stories out there about DFW runners, there are some really awesome fast women runners, really great men [00:46:00] runners that are fast, that care about running. And it's not necessarily always about the fast, but it is to me always about the seriousness of your health.

The running and things like that. It is a running podcast, so we wanna be serious about it. And that's how I feel. And there's a lot of really serious runners in DFW and I didn't even scratch the surface. And I appreciate you telling your story and getting on and just thinking about that journey because, your journey just is gonna continue for years to come and you'll get to be a great influence.

On your kids. And it's fun. I'll say this and I just think it's I've seen many people, like even myself, I have a 14-year-old son and a 24-year-old daughter. And my 14-year-old son, daughter never ran, but he ran as a kid, a little bit, and he get down to eights and nines and things like that.

And then he stopped, and then now he is about to hit high school next year and he sort, in eighth grade he did some running, get down to sevens, and a. Two miler, and nice kind of big time into band and stuff. But what's gonna happen though is he's seen me and my wife run a [00:47:00] lot and he's done a little bit of it.

Not really, he's not competitive in that. Maybe you never will be, but I think when he hits his mid twenties, late thirties, what in his thirties or whatever, he'll at least think I have to run, and then, to stay healthy and I think that's the key at the end of the day.

Melanie Lassen: Yeah, that's so great that he has that example. Look at you and your wife and gosh, especially your wife and like. All that. She has the number of marathons that she's run. And you pacing, like that's such a great example for both of your kids. But yeah, you're so right. I think the people who are winning at life truly are the ones who start running later, in my opinion.

'cause a lot of times, like usually I'm feel like I'm an anomaly. A lot of people like get burnt out or like really injured or, but I feel like when people start running later, they discover this hidden talent and don't realize how fast that they can be. So yeah.

Chris Detzel: They don't know. Look at Jennifer Pope for example.

She only, look, she's a soccer player, so she did sports. She's one of many stories that I. Look, she's an elite athlete. Literally she's an elite [00:48:00] athlete hitting two 30 fours or five, whatever, that time is, and she just started 2000, 20 or 21, and so I feel like even at, I think she's 38, 39 or whatever that age is, but she still has, I think, PR two or three or more in,

Melanie Lassen: yeah.

Chris Detzel: And that's, it's just her story. And there's lots of other stories.

Melanie Lassen: Yeah. And also on Jennifer, shout out to Jennifer 'cause I know she recruited me for this. She is such a great example too, of again, the like community. Like she joins all of the community events.

Like she just knows everybody and is so personable. Everybody loves her. And she's a great example of she's so fast, obviously, but she also. Loves running and loves running with people and is really good in the community.

Chris Detzel: Pretty cool. Melanie, this has been great. Till next time, thank you everyone for tuning in to another DFW Running Talk.

Don't forget to rate and review us. I'm Chris Tetzel. And Melanie, thank you so much.

Melanie Lassen: Thanks

Chris Detzel: Chris.