Women Crushing It Wednesday - Mel Lawrence

This year, Mel Lawrence was on a roll. She PR'd in 4 events: 2:05.89 800, 4:11.34 1500, 9:34.94 3K Steeple, and a 15:40.18 5K. Woman has got some wheels! She was 5th at Outdoor Nationals in the steeple this summer, which was her highest placing ever at a USA Championship. She is a 5x NCAA All-American out of UW with a 2008 NCAA National Championship team title under her belt. She owns the lowest combined score for a four-time Footlocker Cross Country Finalist (2nd 2nd 2nd 5th)... literally no other athlete has come close to that. She speaks French and cat. And she is also one of my best friends (my own brag). Let's take it away! 

JB: WHAT'S IN YOUR BACKPACK, PURSE, POCKET, FANNY PACK RIGHT NOW? 

ML: Computer, work notebook, wallet, a sweater (because the Picky Bars office can get pretty chilly even though it's 95* out), gummies from Sweden (Collier and I brought back a good stash from #SplishNoSplashTour), headphones, keys, and chapstick (always in every bag).

JB: WHAT DO YOU DREAM OF? 

ML: Well, like every athlete, making the Olympics or a world championship team is high on my dream list. I also dream of running as fast as my body is capable of, and knowing that I got there.

JB: WHAT TIME DID YOU GET UP THIS MORNING? 

ML: 7:30am

JB: WHO DO YOU ADMIRE?

ML: Ooo good question. I feel like I could sit here and name so many people and explain why I admire them, but they all have something in common; I admire people who do something for a good cause, and who stand up for things that they are truly passionate about.

JB: WHAT IS YOUR SECRET SUPERPOWER?

ML: Cooking? I really like to experiment in the kitchen, and I make something new every week. I think it's easy to get stuck eating the same thing day in and day out, and having fun with cooking gets me out of that pattern I can sometimes fall into. I've also gotten pretty good about creating meals with whatever is left in the fridge and pantry.

JB: WHAT ARE YOU LEARNING RIGHT NOW?

ML: How to mountain bike! I already know how to ride a bike of course, but I just got a new bike and it's awesome! So I'm just learning to get better at all the technical parts of mountain biking and that takes a lot of practice. So a lot of adventures in my future! Also, I'm learning all the ins & outs of the bike parts and how they works together and why.

JB: WHAT'S THE LAST PLACE YOU TRAVELLED TO? WHY? 

ML: I've got a good lists for this: Ireland, Finland, Belgium, Sweden, and Iceland. If you followed along the #splishnosplashtour, Collier and I ventured over to Europe to do some summer racing. We got to visit a lot of places that we maybe wouldn't have otherwise.

JB: WHO'S YOUR PIC (PARTNER IN CRUSHING IT)?

ML: My sister, Collier, of course. We run together almost every single day, and since I've know her my entire life, it's pretty easy to communicate with each other without even having to say words. We support + love each other unconditionally, and feel heartbreak when the other is upset or hurting.

JB: WHAT'S THE NEXT THING ON YOUR CALENADR?

ML: Right now I'm just finishing up taking my break from running. I'll slowly start to build my mileage throughout the summer and maybe do a few fall road races. Still up in the air, but I am already looking forward to getting back out there!

Big thanks to Mel for crushing it. You can follow her here!