Proud of These 3

For the last 4+ years, I’ve been proud to call myself a Fleet Feet Savannah employee; I’ve been proud to help folks reach and exceed their running goals through both gear and training tips, and I’ve been proud to do my small part to continue Robert’s vision of seeing running, and therein better and healthier lifestyles, explode in our small town.  So, in many ways, that means I’m proud of you, Mr./Mrs. Reader.  Thank you for doing your part.

But I’m also proud of a few folks here, within the Fleet Feet Savannah family; some folks I’d like to draw attention to because they’ll never do it themselves.  People that deserve our heartfelt well-wishes and support, not simply because they’re doing an awesome job in their own training, but also because of what all three have done for so many others:

Melissa Ramsey and Joey Morcock – Despite logging more hours and putting on more programs at work than she ever has before, Melissa has also been logging more miles than ever in an attempt to qualify for the Boston Marathon.  It’s a wonder she has the energy to get out and run at all, but each and every race seems to come easier and faster for her (as they are for the oodles of you that she has helped to train, a glowing testament to a job well done in and of itself), and she’s getting mentally tougher all the while (which is certainly necessary for all the essential ribbing we give her).  Now if we can just curb her trashy TV habit (“but they help me wind down!”), she’ll be good to go.  Bow-tied teacher (and occasional shoe salesman) by day, long-haired runner by night, Joey continues to mold Savannah’s runners each and every week, somehow still finding the time to mold himself into “heck” on wheels as well.  After a near-miss at Rock ‘n Roll Savannah in 2014, Joey is back with a vengeance this training cycle, with a trip to Boston 2016 on the horizon (we hope).  Both Melissa and Joey will be venturing to Duluth, Minnesota to tackle Grandma’s Marathon in a little over a month (June 20, to be exact), and I couldn’t be more proud of them; sure, there’s been a little bit of grumbling and self-doubt mixed in with all the success along the way, but that only works to humanize their endeavor and make the final result that much more worthwhile.  So please join with me in congratulating both Melissa and Joey on a job well done thus far…and offering a supportive pat on the back for the next few nerves-filled weeks they have remaining.

Robert – Apparently, Robert decided that his regular 5:00 AM wake-ups to run weren’t sufficient, so he decided to start getting up closer to 4:00 AM to throw swimming and biking into the mix.  And then he broke his scapula.  And punctured a lung.  And then he broke his other scapula.  And hit his head.  But just like the bull he’s often been likened to, he’s worked up too much momentum and is far too stubborn to stop his triathlon training.  Oh!  And did I mention that he’s lost 20 pounds and has never been faster (at least not in 10+ years), and has rekindled his love for competition along the way?  I should probably also mention that Robert continues to volunteer his time at most races around town, still works 40+ hourseach and every week at the store, and never stops striving to help running within Savannah and the surrounding counties grow and evolve.  On September 20, Robert will be zipping on, strapping in, and lacing up for Ironman Lake Tahoe; please join me in wishing him the very best in both his training and the race itself.

In short, I’m—we’re—very proud of you, Melissa, Joey and Robert.  No matter your eventual results, that will never change.  Well, mostly; getting to claim that we just had two employees qualify for Boston and one owner qualify for Kona would be pretty cool, after all.

-Chris Ramsey, Manager and Huge Fan