Coach Melissa
I have always been a bit of a "Wild Child" going against the grain - making my own rules. I admit I became a bit reckless at times resulting in trouble. I grew up in a small agricultural town along the central coast of California. A community of immigrants from Mexico, predominantly Hispanic, teen pregnancies, gangs, and farm work. My mom, a single parent, kept my siblings and me in sports to keep us busy and away from trouble.
I gravitated towards running in high school. My coach was far from nurturing! I never thought running in college was possible. But something inside me told me to "keep trying." I believed this could be my way out.
I competed at the Junior College level and left California for North Dakota when I was awarded a scholarship for cross-country and track. I continued competing and training aggressively through 2017. After running the Boston Marathon in 2017, I wanted to hang up my shoes and be done.
Leading up to the marathon of my dreams, I was not fully present in my life; I was on antidepressants, slipped back into unhealthy habits, and treated myself unkindly.
I discovered Ultra Running at a time in my life when I was taking the necessary steps to heal and move forward in a healthier direction. This healing process included me signing up for my first 50k. Unfortunately, the outcome of this race was not pretty; my body was very unhappy with me. But this race opened my brown eyes and encouraged me to take on a new training approach. So I did what any sensible person would do and tried again; signing up for a 50mi ultra.
This journey keeps me on my toes, but I am excited about the next chapter, showing up with purpose and intention. And a whole lot of cowbell!
Client Testimonials
“Melissa created a training plan to bring me success in my first 50 mile race. She was the first running coach I used so it was a new experience for me. Make sure to share all your goals as well as your training style with her. She will listen and customize a training plan for you. Because of limited time during the week, she ensured that the workouts were focused to get the most from that period. There are a couple of bests about Melissa. The first is that she was receptive to my input regarding my training and was willing to adjust my training program to meet my desire to have two 50Ks under my belt before my race as well as expand my understanding of the technical aspects to training. The second is she is 100% supportive and had my back throughout the training. I loved the confidence she had in my abilities and the encouragement she gave me. My race was a great success as I finished in a blaze of moonlight! Lastly, I know that I was well prepared as the day after the race I was tired but injury free!”
- KATHIE
Shout out to an incredible coach!
Melissa is genuine, relatable, available, enthusiastic, invested, and inspiring! I couldn’t have asked for a better coach to guide me in training toward my first 100k.
After designing a personalized training plan which accounted for my strengths/weaknesses, she not only held me accountable but encouraged me along the way. She empathized as I shared my insecurities, was patient and attentive to my questions, and encouraged me as I worked to break bad habits and establish new ones. She joined me for my longest training run leading up to the race, which reinforced those habits and further built my confidence.
The training plan and race strategy she designed provided peace of mind and confidence going into the race. She inspired and encouraged me by her presence, as she came out to crew and coach me to the finish on race day. I truly felt that she shared the race experience/emotions with me.
Melissa challenged me to venture outside of my comfort zone, rethink my approach to endurance running, and open my mind to a new concept of what is possible. I’m so thankful for the opportunity to learn from her. This is just the beginning! Thank you, Coach!!
-Hannah