Happy Tuesday guys! I have a fun post to share with you all today thanks to the team at Brooks Running.
Did you guys know that the Olympic Track & Field Trials take place in just a few weeks? My friends at Brooks thought it would be fun to give readers the opportunity to get to know some of the Brooks Beast athletes who are competing. I was thrilled to interview Megan Malasarte, a professional runner with whom I have a great deal in common. We both graduated from the University of Georgia, spent our days in between the hedges cheering at football games and burn off steam in the same way. She is an accomplished runner, placing 4th at the 2014 NCAA Outdoor Championships and is the indoor and outdoor record holder for the 800 meter at University of Georgia. From the email exchange alone, you can tell that Megan is a wonderful and fun runner. I can’t wait to cheer for her next month in person while spectating the Track & Field trials with Brooks!
What does your typical day look like right now, at the peak of training and competition?
o Let’s say it’s a typical Monday. We will almost always meet at Brooks HQ at 10 a.m. and run to Green Lake from there to then do some technical drills and strides on the turf fields. Mondays are our easy days but are just as important as our workout days which are on Tuesdays and Fridays. Those days are the longest because we’ll have a workout in the morning, eat lunch, then get in our lift shortly after. On average, our practices can range from at least two to four hours every session.
What is the your favorite piece of Brooks gear?
o My favorite piece of Brooks gear, which is totally a tough question because I have several favorites, is the Women’s LSD Running Jacket in white because it’s pretty versatile for most of my running outfits whether it’s 50s and rainy or 60s, slightly cool and windy. Bonus: it can pack itself into its own pocket in case you get too hot during the run!
What do you to release stress?
o Not to seem too cliché, but retail therapy usually releases stress for me and sometimes that may just even mean going to a store to look around. I find it relaxing and enjoyable because I really like fashion and clothes. A more economically savvy way for me to release stress is going for an easy run around Green Lake.
As a fellow UGA graduate, how did collegiate sports influence your time in Athens at the University of Georgia?
o Being a student-athlete at UGA completely shaped my college experience but in the best way possible. There may have been some events or experiences I missed out on by being a student-athlete but with that, I was able to travel and compete in places I had never been before, meet some of my best friends, and most importantly, it opened the door to professional running for me. So, GO DAWGS!
How did you make the decision to go from collegiate to professional?
o I decided to continue my running career post-collegiately because I felt as though I had some unfinished business to take care of and then I was presented with this rare opportunity to run for such an awesome company. Opportunities like this don’t come often so I went for it! It would have been pretty difficult for me to conclude my running career after college because I love it so much!
What was your major at UGA? What do you miss most from your college days?
o I was a Digital and Broadcast Journalism major with a minor in Communication Studies. Oh man, I’d have to say I miss tailgating and going to football games the most because it was the real deal at Georgia. We would have long runs those mornings but it was always so fun because we’d run through campus and see everyone tailgating at 8 a.m.! A perk of being a student-athlete was getting into the sporting events for free including football games where the student-athletes had a certain section they got to sit in, right underneath the scoreboard behind the field goal.
What food do you eat every day?
o It’s not the cheapest everyday food yet well worth it for the nutritional value, but I try to eat an avocado a day.
What has surprised you most about being a pro runner?
o The most surprising thing about being a professional runner is feeling as though I knew enough about running leaving college and then realizing as a pro, I know nothing. It’s like starting from scratch. I thought that once I turned running into my lifestyle and dedicated all my time, energy, and efforts into it that I’d see the results of that right away but that wasn’t the case. There’s this transitional period you have to experience and to trust the timing of it all.
Many women deal with body insecurities regardless their size. There are hashtags like #ihavearunnersbody which helps break through stereotypes. Even though you are an accomplished athlete and runner, what is something that you have now embraced versus being self-conscious of it and what tips would you give to people?
o At this level, it’s so easy to fall into comparing your body image to others because everyone is so fit and toned. It turns into ‘who is the fittest of them all?.’ I’ve had insecurities about my stretch marks and my stomach but in time, I’ve learned to embrace them because they’re not qualities that hinder my running ability but more so, qualities that set me apart from the other runners. If I could give one tip to people, I would say own what you’ve got because people will take notice, not of insecurities, but in your self-confidence. Embrace you and all of you!
Be sure to follow Megan on Instagram and Twitter to be inspired by her on a daily basis!
Thank you to Brooks for providing me with this opportunity as part of the Brooks Run Happy Ambassador program.
