37: From A Non-Runner to Breaking Course Records: Running Journey Of Jackie Merritt

MR37: In this episode I talked with Jackie Merritt, the overall female winner as well as new female course holder of the Pinhoti 100. Jackie was not always a runner. Since she found running, she has excelled in the sports of running by breaking numerous female course records and overall wins. In this episode, we talk about many different aspect of running with Jackie. Jackie’s running journey Pinhoti 100 Running experience more Some of products discussed during this episode: Milestone Sports Saucony Women’s Peregrine 6 Trail Running Shoe Saucony Women’s Ride 9 Running Shoe Basic CMYK Here Jackie’s Bio: Jackie is a nationally competitive ultra trail runner currently living in Atlanta GA having recently moved from the Northeast region (Delaware) this summer. She holds numerous female course records for trail and ultra races including the Twisted Branch 100K (NY), Stumpys trail marathon (DE), Labor pains 12 hour race (PA), Maryland Heat Race (MD), Santa Barbara Red Rocks 50M (CA),Dirty German 50K (PA), XTerra Big Elk marathon (MD), Mystery Mountain Marathon (GA), and most recently, the Pinhoti 100 mile trail race in AL. In May 2015 she finished 2nd female in the USATF 50mile National Trail Championship race in Ithaca NY. In October 2015 she finished 2nd female in a very competitive RRCA’s PA 100 Mile Trail championship race running the 4th fastest female time in course history. At the end of the Ultrarunning Race Series this past spring, she was awarded 2nd overall female in the MidAtlantic region and 11th overall female in North America. Since moving to Georgia in June, she has won the women’s race of every race she has entered, anywhere from the shorter distance Red Top Roaster 9.9 mile and the Frogtown 10 miler to the Georgia Jewel 50 miler to the Pinhoti 100 miler. She also cinched overall wins at the Snakebite 50K and Mystery Mountain marathon. Jackie is a physical therapist, biomechanist, and neuroscientist at Emory University and studies how our movement patterns are related to our health, function and performance. Both in her clinical work as a physical therapist and in her laboratory research, she strives to help others achieve their goals by overcoming obstacles in their health and movement patterns. She is sponsored by Milestone Sports, a small company that makes a light weight sensor that attaches to the shoe and gives feedback on running form and biomechanics, specifically mechanics that are known to be associated with running-related injuries. Enjoy! MRuns.com @MarathonRuns Music by www.bensound.com Music by http://www.bensound.com