August Runner of the Month: Erin Conlon

Erin joined NBR in the Summer of 2019. She had been running and training on her own for her first 5K and Half Marathon races, and claims she had no idea what she was doing. “After months of that, I realized that I was 1.) Super lonely and 2.) Literally only knew one route that I had exhausted. I joined the google group in January (lol), didn’t show up to a run until probably June because I was too scared, and the rest was history.” You can find Erin co-leading at Monday Morning Easy Run and Wednesday Doves, as well as being the mastermind behind NBR Newsletter!

What do you do when you're not running?
Whatever I can to give my 2 cats a good life.

Best running memory?
Recently being the first woman finisher in a local 5k near my hometown! I went out just hoping for top 3 in my age group, so I was very pleasantly surprised. Hearing people cheer "first lady" at me felt very special and surreal, especially from other women on and around the course.

Favorite running route in NYC?
Love the West Side Highway/Hudson River Greenway, hate everything it takes to get there. And masochistically, I love any Doves route that cuts us through midtown Manhattan—at 6 am it’s actually nice.

What has running taught you or changed about you?
Running has taught me what I’m capable of! I grew up with a not-great relationship with my body and after years of therapy it’s super exciting to be able to put it to use for good. I never thought I’d see exercise, much less running, as anything enjoyable or not a form of punishment.

Favorite post-race food?
Lying down.

What do you think is the worst part about being a runner?
My laundry basket is a form of biological warfare.

Best advice to running newbies?
Ignorance is bliss — don’t overthink it. You don’t need tons of new expensive gear and clothes and gels and intense training regimens or to know your tempo pace or whatever. That can all come later.

Current running goal?
A 6-minute mile or even sub-6 (a girl can dream). I’m also training for the, albeit random, Atlantic City Marathon in October, so I’m looking forward to seeing how that goes as it’s my first training cycle that includes consistent strength training.

Any other fun running facts about you?
I puked on the finish line of the NYC Marathon and it was immortalized in photo and video.