Running For A Cause: Stoneham Woman Running Boston Marathon to Help Theatre Group

Name: Melissa Symes Patalano

Age: 32

Marathon Experience: This will be Patalano’s first Boston Marathon.

Reason for running: Patalano is running for the raising funds for the young company.

Training tips: Patalano knew finding time to run with her schedule was going to be difficult, but she found the time to prepare for the marathon.

“Somehow I have managed to run between 35-50 miles a week for the past four months," Patalano said. "I have run quite a few races, the most recent a 20-mile race that started in Maine and finished in Massachusetts.

“I never in a million years would have ever thought I would do something like that.”

Food/Nutrition: Patalano has been doing her best to keep her eating habits healthy.

“Eating has become more of a job than running. I swear I have people following me around asking me what I have eaten or how much it was,” Patalano said. “My mother even mailed me a box of cheese a couple of weeks ago.”

Patalano admits the running has been the easy part and the nutrition has been the most difficult.

“I'm a culinary graduate and part of my degree is in nutrition so you think it would be easy, too busy to think about it too much I guess,” Patalano said. “When I do my long runs I always have Jolly Ranchers and fruit snacks stuffed somewhere.”

Importance of event: “The (Stoneham) Theatre got involved last year to help honor my cousin Gavin who passed away from a heart attack. His twin brother Weylin is the artistic director at the theatre,” Patalano said. Last year was the first year the theatre was involved in the marathon.

“This year the team is a little more diverse, my cousin Landers and myself make up the family on the team,” Patalano said.

Mindset: Patalano is ready to go and cannot wait for that big day to come.

“I've been ready for weeks now. I ran almost 23 miles one day and asked my friend if I could just run the rest now and get it over with. I have been joking for weeks with members of the team asking if it's here yet,” Patalano said. “I'm excited, a little nervous too, especially since I have been sick with a cold for a week now. The weather looks perfect so far so I guess now we just have to wait and see.”

Patalano knows to take care of herself after the event as well knowing it will be a grueling experience.

“I will be drinking lots of water and icing the injuries. I'm not really sure what I will do with my time once this is over,” Patalano said. “I have a number for Chicago, but training for that does not start until June.”