Balancing Life and Long-Distance Running with Avid Runner Melissa Londry Ep. 166

Ever wondered how an everyday mom transforms into an elite endurance runner? This episode of our podcast brings you Melissa Londry's story. She is a licensed professional counselor whose journey from non-runner to ultra-runner will leave you motivated. She talks about the trials of balancing motherhood with her aspirations, highlighting how a supportive running community played a crucial role in her success. Running, she reveals, became her therapeutic anchor during the demanding first year of motherhood.

CONNECT WITH MELISSA
WEBSITE (body and mindfully healthy)
WEBSITE (new river trail)
INSTAGRAM (body and mindfully healthy)
INSTAGRAM (new river trail)
TIKTOK

Transcript

Speaker 2: 0:10

Welcome to Ella Go. My name is Lisa. Join me on the journey in having real, raw and uncomfortable discussions about fitness, health and everything in between, because, let's be honest, this journey would suck if we don't get our shit together. Welcome back to the Elegoo podcast. My name is Lisa, your host and today's guest is Melissa Laundrie.

Speaker 2: 0:44

Melissa is a licensed professional counselor, certified EMDR therapist and business owner of Body and Mindfully Healthy, with a passion for aiding individuals in overcoming trauma, depression, anxiety and addiction. Her therapeutic approach is person-centered, focusing on empowering individuals to direct their own paths to recovery. Outside of her professional role, melissa has been an avid runner since 2013, finding solace and strength in the outdoors. She has achieved success in many races. Success in many races that includes overall female McLennan Madness 8-hour race. Second overall female Elise Enduro Last Runner, standing second overall female Pilot Mountain Marathon and numerous other top placements in past races ranging from 5Ks to 240 miles. Melissa's dedication to both mental health, counseling and endurance. Sports reflects her commitment to personal growth, resilience and community support. Through her professional expertise and athletic achievements, she continues to inspire others to pursue their own paths to wellness and achievement. Welcome, melissa.

Speaker 1: 2:09

Thank you so much for having me. Lisa, Melissa, introduce yourself to the audience. So my name is Melissa. I wear a lot of hats. So I'm a mom, I'm a therapist, I'm a runner, I'm a race director, I'm a coach, I'm a trail sisters leader. I do a lot of stuff.

Speaker 2: 2:27

Melissa, I didn't know you were a race director. Wow, your story with running. Tell us a little bit more about that. So were you always a runner? How did that happen?

Speaker 1: 2:39

I was not always a runner. In fact, if you had asked me in high school or even undergrad if I was going to be big into running, I would have told you absolutely not. I would have never thought I would run like this. So I played team sports in high school. So volleyball, basketball, soccer, loved that, the camaraderie, the competition, I just absolutely loved it. And then when I got to grad school, I played on some co-ed teams.

Speaker 1: 3:06

I never really tried to go into like collegiate sports. I was more focused on my academics and just didn't think I was good enough, honestly. So I played some co-ed sports and undergrad volleyball and indoor soccer at Saginaw Valley State University. And then, um, then I was like, well, what else am I going to be able to do? Like, what else is there? I don't like going to the gym. I tried that. And so I was like, well, maybe I'll just like run a little bit. And it really was just like from my apartment to a stoplight and back at first. And then when I moved to Virginia, it was like from my house to a park and back. And then I really didn't take it seriously. It was consistent until I had my first, my first child, my son and that was in um had him in 2012. And in 2013 is when I started being consistent, like running races and really amping up my miles and getting better at it. But it was like from 2003 or 2004 till 2013 before I took it seriously or even started liking it.

Speaker 2: 4:16

So let me ask you a question. So you were a mom at the time that you're running, mom at the time that you're running, and I think that one of the you know, one of the challenges as a running coach is getting the clients that are moms, making the time to do the runs, and we're going to get into a little bit more of what types of runs do you do? Because this is not just like a little 5k, but how? What would you share? What could you share? How did you go about doing that? Because that's the biggest complaint I get is I don't have time, I have kids, I got a job, I'm doing all of this. How did you go ahead and do that?

Speaker 1: 5:00

So when I started running consistently after having my son, it was really with a running group. So in Galax there's the Galax Running Club and so they meet at 530 to 545 to run during the week and then 7 am on Sundays, and so I just hopped into those runs and they are super supportive and it was just nice to have that camaraderie again, like I did with team sports, and they were really consistent and they helped me to become really consistent and that's where I started developing a love for it and developing, getting like better and aerobically and then in my muscles too. So it wasn't terrible every time. It was so much, so much better running with a group and so I think it was a combination of it being effective was I could go in the early morning when the baby wasn't awake and I was still asleep. I could sneak out the house and then I had other people to meet me out there, so I wasn't alone.

Speaker 2: 6:00

Waking up in the morning is never who wants to do that. But you made that commitment because, I mean, was it were you at the point where you're like? It started making you feel good about yourself, like what was your, what were the benefits that you were getting, that made you wake up earlier.

Speaker 1: 6:18

I think it really was. That it was just a really good coping skill, especially with, I mean, you're a mom, like you know, that first year of having a baby, your first baby, is like a little bit traumatic because you're like, what just happened to my body and what just happened to my emotions and, oh my gosh, I'm responsible for another human being and I'm not getting any sleep and I'm not my best self physically or emotionally. And I found like running helped with all of those things, thank goodness Cause I mean it's hard being a first time mom. I don't know if that was your experience too, but I struggled.

Speaker 2: 6:58

Oh, yeah, yeah, I did. I was like what just happened? My life is over and still is. So definitely you were getting the benefits from the run. Did you feel like, after you did the run and it's almost like a code switch, like you're like I don't, I'm a runner, and then you're like home mom time and like, did you feel that when you did that, were you feeling more confident? Did you feel like you were, even because we always doubt ourselves being a better mom? Did you feel like, okay, I got this. Did you feel that?

Speaker 1: 7:35

Oh, yeah, definitely, cause I felt like my headspace was in such a better place that I could be a better mom because of running. Um, especially when they were really little babies Like that was. It was a huge confidence boost as far as my mothering too. Cause I just needed that hour to myself because you know, when you have a baby and I breastfed, like they're attached to you all the time because they need to be, like it's good for them to be always on us for their development, and when you're not used to that, you go from like no one touching you all the time to someone touching you 24 seven. Like I needed that hour of no one touching me. I was touched out.

Speaker 2: 8:17

And now she doesn't even want to be with me.

Speaker 1: 8:21

Might still like to cuddle.

Speaker 2: 8:22

They love hugs, so so let's talk about ultra running, because that's what I'm getting to. You know, um, melissa is not just doing your typical five Ks. What's the well explain what an ultra run is versus someone doing a marathon or a half marathon?

Speaker 1: 8:40

So a half marathon is 13.1 miles, a marathon is 26.2 miles, and then an ultra marathon is, by definition, anything beyond 26.2. So I ran my first half marathon which I didn't think was possible in 2013, after my son. I ran my first marathon in 2013, after my son, which I didn't think was possible, and then I immediately got pregnant with my daughter, and so I had to start over again and in 2014, had my daughter, and so it was like, well, I was 30 at the time when I had my daughter and I was like, well, next year it'll be 2015 and I'll be 31. I need to run a 50 K, so 50 K is 31.1 miles. And so that was where it started and I ran. The race that I direct now was my first 50K, so it's pretty special, it's pretty awesome.

Speaker 2: 9:34

What's the longest distance you ran?

Speaker 1: 9:37

So last year I ran 240 miles. Okay, girl, how long does that take? It took me four and a half days.

Speaker 2: 9:47

Okay, do you sleep or are you just running through the whole thing?

Speaker 1: 9:51

So this one's a little bit unique. So it's unsupported, uncrewed. There's no aid stations. You have to coordinate when you're sleeping, your food, everything. You're on your own Going from one point. I started in Midland Michigan and then I ended in Mackinac City underneath the Mackinac Bridge, and so I slept maybe three hours the first night, three hours the second, three hours the third, and then the last night it was maybe an hour and I was so sleep deprived. I've never been that sleep deprived in my entire life. So in comparison to having kids, it was so much different.

Speaker 2: 10:29

So where are you like carrying your sleeping bag and you're just finding a spot to sleep?

Speaker 1: 10:34

No, there is no sleep. No, there's no sleeping bag. I have my regular running pack on. I have, I had a. So in my pack I had two water bottles, my bladder full of water or Gatorade, I had some caffeine gum, a med kit in case I ran into like blisters or anything like that. I could take care of everything. Extra contacts so I could see extra underwear, extra socks, and then, oh gosh, what else was in there. And then my food and emergency poncho and emergency blanket, and that was all I carried. And so I did find motels to sleep in for those three-hour stints, but the last night I slept in a parking lot with my emergency blanket and my emergency poncho.

Speaker 2: 11:21

Okay, melissa, all right, I always wanted to know more about this From a safety standpoint. You're by yourself, how does that?

Speaker 1: 11:32

work safety standpoint, like you're by yourself. How does that work? I mean, I would just find like places off of the road and that like. So I slept in a marina and there wasn't really anybody at the marina because off the lake, here on, and so it was like really early in the morning, there really wasn't anybody out there. So it's like, you know, there's nobody here.

Speaker 1: 11:49

And that little, that burrito did have cameras on the, like the, the. It was like owned by the state, so there was cameras on the building. So I slept where this camera could see me because it was like, well, if something happens, at least it's going to get caught on film and I don't think anything's going to happen. Because this, this arena was like off the main road, behind some trees, like it. You really didn't have to know, and it was a really secluded area because there was no hotels, there's no places else to sleep, so so I scouted a place, but yeah, I had to be very um particular about like where I was going to be, and I really didn't. No one really could tell that I was female either, because I mean, I had a hat on, like I was covered by the emergency blanket, I had a poncho, like all my stuff is black, like I'm not wearing pink or anything.

Speaker 2: 12:35

Um, what about like the tracking, Like how this is like a race, Is this a? So how do they track you?

Speaker 1: 12:42

You have to do check-ins at every 12 hour point, and so I would check in with the race director's wife um every 12 hours. We're her little, her little gooselings, and she's mama goose to check on everybody, wow, okay.

Speaker 2: 12:57

So let's talk about how you even got into this, because, okay, so you, you, you said you did the half a marathon. You did. I mean, in your mind were you just like I'm going to give it a try where you're? I mean, it sounded like it didn't even deter you, it was more like I didn't think I could do it.

Speaker 1: 13:15

And so I'm just like, well, let me just try. And then I put in the training. And then I did it. And then, for example, with the half marathon, I was like, well, I'm halfway to a marathon, I might as well go and sign up for the marathon. And so then I did that. And then I knew I could do a marathon. So it's like well, coming back from the second pregnancy, I was like, well, I know I already can do a marathon. If I put in the training, I'm physically capable of doing it. So the five extra miles for a 50, 50 K, like it's just five miles, I can walk it, so let me just do that. And so I did and I had a great time, like I was. I thought that was like the most pain I'd ever be in. I was wrong. A 240 is much more painful, but it's, it's such a, it's a growth process.

Speaker 1: 14:02

But then, after I did that, you know I was like well, I'll take some breaks from ultra, I don't know if I'm going to keep doing this. So I did like 5Ks, 10 Ks, half marathons, marathons in between, and then COVID hit in 2020. And so that's when I was like there's nothing else to do, especially where I live, but there's tons of outdoor activities. And so I signed up for a lot of virtual races. So I did my first 50 miler virtual, I did my first 100 mile virtual here on the New River Trail, and that was all in 2020. And so that's when I figured, well, I can do it and I can do it virtually, I need to do these in person. So I signed up for more because I was like, well, let me keep doing this. This is fun, and I've been doing more ultra since 2020. Me keep doing this.

Speaker 2: 14:53

This is fun, and I've been doing more ultra since 2020. Talk about someone who's never done an ultra, and maybe they're even thinking about it. How does one prepare physically, mentally and emotionally?

Speaker 1: 15:07

I think it's really a great idea to just be consistent. First you want to build a really good base, follow a marathon plan to begin with and then, if you're just if you're striving for a 50 K, a marathon plan is all you really need to do. A 50 K If you want to, if you want to finish stronger, you can do. Instead of like the longest distance being like 20 or 22 miles, you can make your longest distance to be the marathon point Cause. Then you know, like the extra five miles you can pull that out on race day. If you're looking, I think it's smart to go and like step up, like start with a 50 K, then move to a 50 miler, then maybe a hundred K, which is 66 miles, and then a hundred miler, which is 66 miles, and then a hundred miler and then moving to the 200 distance. But because that's I think that is the smartest way to do it to reduce the shock and injury.

Speaker 1: 16:01

Some people skip points and that's okay. It works for some people. But I think it is best to like take it step-by-step because as you're growing, like once you do that 50 K, it's easy then to build, keep continuing to build your miles from that 50 K after you finish that race. So then your next race distance would be a 50 miler, so you can keep adding, like more, longer runs in between your 50 K and your 50 miler. And so then when you get to your 50 miler, you're only halfway to 100 miler and they can build your confidence.

Speaker 2: 16:33

She says it like it's so simple to do so. Oh my God.

Speaker 1: 16:40

I mean, it's just, it really is. There's so much magic in consistency. So if you are consistent and you're consistent with your long runs and you're consistent with being like, you're going to have runs where and I still have runs where I'm like I completely bonked, Like I felt terrible, Everything went wrong. And I need those runs because that's where you build that mental endurance to be like, well, it's either walk or crawl, but I got to get back to my car because I'm not calling anybody to come get me.

Speaker 2: 17:09

Exactly so you mentioned like the pain, and I'm curious, when you're thinking about, you know, running those types of miles, what is some of that pain? I mean, is it mental pain, emotional, what is it?

Speaker 1: 17:28

It's both, yeah, it's a lot of both. I think that in the beginning, like your, your just body isn't used to going that far and so I know for me the hardest distances when I was starting out was actually like going from like eight to 10 miles, like just that in my long runs, because I just had like a mental block and a physical block, I think, until I've pushed myself to go past that, to kind of hit like a wall at certain points with a hundred miler, like hitting the wall at mile 80 is really common for any anybody in the race, no matter how much training you've done, because at that point you're like you've done so much but you still have 20 miles to go and it can feel daunting physically and emotionally. And I think for any like emotionally, like that wise, for any distance, it's really easy for those thoughts to creep in from, maybe like people who've been mean to us in the past Cause I think everybody's been bullied and had rude comments made to them or told that they can't do something I think it's really common for those comments from the past to pop up again and say that you can't do this, that you just should quit, you're not strong enough. Why are you doing this? You shouldn't be running this much. Oh, especially this one. Like what?

Speaker 1: 18:49

Like the mom guilt. Like some people will say, well, shouldn't you be spending this time with your children instead of running? And it's like, oh, that thought creeps in. And then you feel terrible and it's like, but then you can say, like, but I spent all this other time with them. Like, look at the time that I've already invested. I'm taking, you know, three hours of one day a week to do this. When I have the, I can still go after this. And we're going to go to the zoo, we're going to go do this, we're going to go do that. Like the mom guilt can be real when running and taking time away from family. The mom guilt can be real when running and taking time away from family.

Speaker 2: 19:22

Yeah. Yeah that's hard, it really is, and it's a balance.

Speaker 1: 19:26

I think it's just a balance.

Speaker 2: 19:27

So I was going to ask you about that, because you're a race director, you're a running coach, you work a full-time job and then you have your kids. How do you balance that? How does that happen?

Speaker 1: 19:43

I make my schedule like two weeks in advance and I live by my schedule. Really, I have to.

Speaker 2: 19:50

I like that. I like that Because I always think about the listeners listening to us talk about this and we always say, well, you got to balance. But what does that look like? So you're saying you actually make a schedule two weeks ahead, and I'm guessing it's probably very structured and very detailed.

Speaker 1: 20:12

Yes, yes, like I know when I'm running, I know what I'm doing with the kids, I know when I'm cleaning the house, I know when I'm like making my meals, like it takes a lot of discipline to know when I'm at work.

Speaker 1: 20:25

Like it takes discipline and I have, like my cat, I have a calendar put up right now. But, like in my calendar, like I have a running to-do list, I make sure I have it for the month, for the week, for the day. And then I have, like, my schedule, um, I have motivational quotes in there, I have scripture in there, like I put everything in there. So that way it's all right there for me to stay focused and disciplined.

Speaker 2: 20:48

Okay, I want to. I really want everyone to listen to that, because that's really what helps you and it's funny when you do. I mean, it's not really funny, but when you do that and you're you're on the schedule, I often feel like, wow, I got a lot of time. I mean, I have time for myself, I have time for self-care. I think that when you do that, you are able to balance and make some time for yourself, which is obviously the running and other things and spending time with your kids.

Speaker 1: 21:23

Yes, well, and it also is very beneficial, like I work for myself completely and so I make my own schedule and I don't I I don't have to make it around anybody else, or a boss, or anything like that.

Speaker 1: 21:36

So, you know, the weeks that I have my kids I can do my running when they're at school, so I'm not taking anything away from them, and then I can do my appointments for work around that. I will admit like I often do not take lunch, so I do skim on that, but I substitute it with a run so I kind of justify it with well I might not have a lunch, but I'm running, well I might not have a lunch but I'm running.

Speaker 2: 22:01

Let me ask you this so you are a mental health therapist, right?

Speaker 1: 22:10

Okay, yes, how does that, being a runner, how do those two coincide? I think there's so much overlap because the type of therapist that I am, I'm a certified EMDR therapist. So EMDR stands for eye movement, desensitization and reprocessing, and it's all about using bilateral body movements or body stimulation in order to start the adaptive processing network that we have in the brain that helps with healing and, like our best selves, and so it's, I feel, like the two just naturally go together, because the therapy that I'm using in the running I really think, like my hypothesis is that part of the benefits of running, aside from the neurochemicals that are released for any exercise with running, there is a self-administered EMDR happening because when you're running, you're stimulating one side of your body when your foot hits the ground and then when the other foot hits the ground you're stimulating the other one, and so while you're doing it you do feel better.

Speaker 1: 23:15

Usually, if you're upset about something and you go for a run, you're in a much more calm and regulated state in your nervous system after your run and a lot of times you're going to come up with a really good problem solving strategies and how you want to respond to the situation that might be upsetting.

Speaker 2: 23:29

Yeah, absolutely, that is so cool. I didn't know you did that and I think that's just such a cool thing. And yeah, you're healing through movement, you know, and running is definitely something that can be healing through movement. I love that you're doing that. So what's on the horizon for you, like, do you have any races coming up? Do you have any programs coming up? What's going to happen for you this summer 2024?

Speaker 1: 24:00

I have races so I'm really focusing on. So my the race that I direct, the New River Trail 25K, 50K, and then I added a 10K this year. That race happens on April 13th and so from now until then it's all planning and going into that, with some a little bit of running for me here and there, but not like my big runs. So I'll all my planning and efforts go into focusing on that and then, um, after that race that I direct on April 13th, the following week, on April 20th, I'll run the Blue Ridge double marathon, which is a 52 mile, and the Blue Ridge double it's in Roanoke and it's classified as the toughest road marathon in the country, and so I'm running the double. So I'm gonna run it twice. So I have to start at 1am, finish the first marathon, and then I have to start the second marathon when the regular marathoners are starting, and run it again, and I will get to have done it twice, melissa.

Speaker 2: 25:00

That's crazy.

Speaker 1: 25:07

Melissa, that's crazy. Um well, I, I, I was doing it last year and it got canceled because of a really bad thunderstorm and I was like in top three at the time and so that canceled and like that took away that. So it's like I have to go back and I have to finish that out. So that's my plan and then in May, may 18th, I'll run the Mass of Nutton 100, which is a 100 mile trail marathon that has 18,000 feet of gain, and then in July I'll run the 240 again in Michigan.

Speaker 2: 25:35

Okay, so people who are listening to you speak about all this distance and I mean they're probably thinking why would you do it twice? Like so you know in your mind, you obviously you like it, you like doing this, it's giving you something and it's I'm going to say you know it's challenging for you and to accomplish that, like, how do you, when you finish these races, what are your thoughts? When's the next race?

Speaker 1: 26:06

No, I will.

Speaker 1: 26:08

I'm very honest about like my thoughts during these hard distances, because every hard distance and I experienced this last weekend too and I I posted on my like TikTok story and it was I was at like mile 29 and I was tired because it was this last Sunday I did the triple crown on the Appalachian Trail and it's 36 miles, 9,000 feet of gain and it's hard.

Speaker 1: 26:30

And then the day before I did a 20 mile around the New River Trail. So I was tired going into this. And so at mile 29, I made this video and I posted it and I was like I'm in the pain cave, I want it to be done, I want a cheeseburger, I don't want to be doing this anymore. I was just tired. So during it, like there's always that point in these longer distance races, I've I've always have that that mentality at some point, and then I feel better and I'm like, oh my gosh, I'm so glad I did that, that was so hard and it so good. And then I usually am like well, if I can do this hard thing, I can do anything that I put my mind to.

Speaker 2: 27:07

So I was going to ask you for the woman who's listening to this, who's doubting herself to do a trail run or ultra run or any type of run. What would you tell her?

Speaker 1: 27:25

or any type of run. What would you tell her? That you can do it. You can.

Speaker 1: 27:27

I think anyone can do it. If they have the right consistency, if they have the right plan, if they have the right discipline and the right mindset, they can do it and they just have to be patient because it takes time to build that endurance and it takes time to build that confidence. But if you start and you're committed to just every day you're you're moving somewhat closer to your goal, whether that's a three mile run or if it's a rest day or if it's strength training day. Every day you're being very intentional about how it's. This little tiny step, this baby step, is leading you to the big goal that you want. That's really scary. I think that anybody can do it honestly, because I never thought I could do this. If you had asked me when I had my son if I was going to run 240 miles, I've been like that sounds crazy and there's no way that I could ever be. I would never have thought I would be able to do something like that.

Speaker 2: 28:18

That's awesome. I love that you said that at the end. That's awesome. I love that you said that at the end. Yes, absolutely Anybody can do it. And the consistency and the mindset, all of that it has to be there. That's the recipe for you to continue or start the journey. But, melissa, I love everything that you said. I love that you talked about the mental health and the running and the movement and the fact that you've never was a runner. And look at you now and it goes to show you, you know, I think a lot of people think, oh, she must have ran in college or high school and you're like no, I love that. I love that. So anybody who's listening, who's doubting themselves or thinks that, oh, it's too late, or I wasn't a runner when I was a kid, it's never too late. It's never too late to start and you just got to start and just do it.

Speaker 1: 29:16

Right, exactly that's how all of us get to the point is just trying. Like that's the first step is to say, like I think I want to do this. It's really big, it's really scary, but I'm going to try. And then you just put all the pieces together and it happens.

Speaker 2: 29:29

That's it. Yeah, Well, thank you, Melissa. So much for being a part of the show. And where can we find you? I know you're on TikTok.

Speaker 1: 29:39

Yes, so thank you so much for having me and, yeah, I'm on TikTok.

Speaker 2: 29:43

And then are you anywhere else? You got a website. What else is going on?

Speaker 1: 29:54

So I have a website for the race, it's just newrivertrail50kcom, and it's also on Instagram and there's a Facebook group as well. Same title New River Trail 50K. We'll put all those links in the notes. Yes, then, my private practice is Body and Mindfully Healthy.

Speaker 2: 30:06

And you want to get a hold of Melissa, you'll be able to click on all her links so you can connect with her. And again, thank you so much, melissa. Thank you so much Lisa. This is awesome. All right, everyone. Thank you for spending some time with myself and Melissa and until next time, bye.