Last month, Brooks gave me the opportunity to outfit one of my running inspirations from head-to-toe in new Brooks gear.  What a fun surprise and opportunity to share the gift of new gear with someone! There are so many people who inspire me to work towards becoming a stronger runner on a daily basis. How could I choose just one person?

I took some time to jot down a list of people who help me find the energy to run, even after a long day, or push through a tough run. I thought of the people who make time for running while balancing far more than I balance. Then I thought about the people who inspire me with their speed and strength, often making sub-8 minute miles or long runs look easy. I thought about all the people who have been logging an increased number of miles each week, leading up to their next marathon.

But, at the end of the day, I chose someone who inspires me not from afar or via social media. I chose my friend Melissa, with whom I’ve been running once a week for the past few months. During the week, Melissa’s work schedule forces her to run before 4:30 AM.  Since her return to running after giving birth to her son Calvin, she has trained smart and has recently started running her fastest paces ever due to consistent cross training and efficient running workouts.  During our runs together, she has the ability to make me forget about the heat, humidity or weekly stress. Instead, her candor and dry humor leaves me laughing as we she everything with each other during those 60-80 minutes.  She has quickly become what the women on Another Mother Runner call a “best running friend.”

When I asked her why she runs, Melissa said that it is helps her find balance. While that may sound ironic to some, since it’s just another thing to fit into her busy mom schedule, it’s one of the only times during a chaotic week that allow her with moments to clear her mind and feel stronger and healthier.

Since Melissa is ready for cooler weather, she opted to choose items from the new Brooks fall line. The pieces will be perfect as she transitions to running and working out in cooler weather and, as she pointed out, many of the pieces can be enjoyed beyond running. The outfit, as styled here, can easily be worn for running errands, going to the park with her husband and son, or relaxing at home.

• Top: Array Long Sleeve (Melissa said that she loves the top because it’s lightweight and the open back detail makes her feel more stylish than normal.) 
• Bottoms: Formation Crop (She picked these crops because they are a great transition item for cooler weather. Plus, she was looking for a fun pattern to add to her almost all black pant rotation.)
• Bra: Just Right Racer
• Shoes: Pure Cadence

Thank you so much Brooks for letting me gift Melissa with a new running outfit as a way to recognize and thank her for the running and mom inspiration she brings to my life daily!