Project Description
Hello! My name is Melissa, but most people call me Moe. I am super pumped to represent Revolution Running this year alongside some impressive runners who I also view as incredible humans even when they’re not in their running shoes.
I began dabbling in running in 2011 at the encouragement of my boss; however, running and I didn’t click until 2014. In 2014 I participated in my first sprint triathlon and half marathon and have since raced anywhere from the 5K distance to the ultramarathon (45 miles).
Like everyone else, life can be too heavy a load to carry at times, and that’s exactly the situation I was in back in 2011 when my boss encouraged me to start running during my lunch hour. I would run alone, or with him, and others began to join us. Greg, my boss, was a triathlete, so by 2012 we had added in cycling and called ourselves the “Pangborn Lunch Riders.” We had a fun group of 3-4 people that encouraged each other, bantered, and strived for consistency and fitness. In 2013 I began to gain interest in the races Greg would come to work talking about and decided I wanted to sign up for a triathlon, so in December of 2013 I signed up for the Callaway Sprint Triathlon that would take place in June of 2014. We laughed so hard at the eagerness of my registering 6 months ahead of race day. I learned to swim in the evenings, biked at lunch, and ran in the mornings. I ended up participating in my first triathlon in March of 2014, three months ahead of schedule. Word of this reached a friend of mine and she invited me to join a local running group where I began to learn so much about running and how the support of a group can really take you far! I also learned about an interesting gadget called the running watch – who knew?! I went on to race the Callaway Sprint Tri and completed the Savannah Half Marathon in November of 2014. From 2014 to date running has brought me peace, friendships and laughs (shoutout to ASR!), given me a sense of accomplishment, made me a better wife and mom, allowed me to serve the community and my fellow runners, and offered me countless breathtaking sunrises. I am so grateful to Greg for this gift that keeps on giving. I never imagined running would have taken me as far as it has. In 2023 I am looking forward to seeing everyone at Rev Running events, participating in the Callaway Sprint Tri, the Bronze Dragonfly, and maybe earning a PR on my 5K. If you see me out, come say hey, and let’s share some miles together!