Countdown to Boston: Fulkerson ready for her first Boston

Name: Melissa Fulkerson
Age:33
Hometown:Lynn
Occupation:Ebook sales director for scientific research publisher
Q: Have you run a marathon before? If so, how many, and which ones?
A.Yes, I ran my first marathon, the Walt Disney World Marathon, in January 2015.
Q. Are you running for a charity? If so, which one, and what does that mean to you?
A.I am, and that?s been the best part! I’m one of 50 members of Team Eye and Ear, and we run for the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary. MEEI’s mission is to find cures for blindness, deafness and diseases of the head and neck. I was a patient there, and I saw the amazing work being done by MEEI. Also, a good friend of mine, Kristin Murner (who is from Wenham) has a 10-year-old son with Stargardt Disease, a form of juvenile-onset macular degeneration. He?s being treated at MEEI. Team Eye and Ear allows runners to designate exactly how their fundraising dollars are allocated, and I’ve asked that mine go toward research into Stargardt Disease.
Q. How many times have you run the Boston Marathon? If this is your first time, why this year?
A.This will be my first. The bombings in 2013 were what inspired me to start running again…A few years earlier, I?d been running 5ks, but after having a baby I stopped completely. I was one of those people who wanted to prove that we weren’t broken as a community because of the tragedy. I volunteered in 2014 and was able to see every runner in their first mile. The emotional impact of seeing all those strong people was so powerful to me, so I decided I?d find a way to be there in 2015 no matter what.
Q. What are your thoughts going into the marathon?
A.Mostly I’m excited, but training for a marathon is emotionally taxing and physically exhausting. I’m nervous because it’s such a difficult physical accomplishment, and I want to prove myself worthy of being on the same course as elite runners. I am also proud, because running for a charity, I know that the work I’m putting in is having a direct impact on the Boston medical community. Lastly, I’m proud of the example I’m setting for my son (who is almost 4), to be showing him from a young age that it’s important to practice self-care and make physical fitness a priority in life.
Q. What was your training regimen like?
A.My training has been unique. Since I ran my first marathon in January, which is very recent compared to what a lot of people do, I had to factor in time to recover before I could start training again. I had to take a full month off from running. I didn’t start formally training for Boston until late February, and had to catch up to my teammates. But I feel healthy and strong, and have so much emotional support from my family, friends and team. I know it’s going to carry me through to the end.
Q. What is something you’d like non-runners to understand?
A.I was never an athlete in my youth. But I found running at the right time in my life and it just fell into place naturally. Running isn’t for everyone, but if it’s something you want to try, I promise you it’s possible.
— By Katie Morrison