Saturday Spotlight
Name – Erin Hennen
Age – 39
Marital status – Married to Mike
Kids- 3yo Madeline
Pets – Nope
Occupation – Human Resources Implementation Consultant for Paylocity, Inc.
Hobbies – traveling when it’s allowed, reading, baking, hiking, photography, and currently lots of arts & crafts with my daughter.
Hometown – Chicopee, MA
Current Town – Lake Grove
College – Framingham State University, Framingham, MA
Favorite Race – Port Jeff race to the Brewery
Good morning and Happy Saturday!
First, thank you to Lou LaFleur for asking me to do this and for all you do for this community. I am very nervous even though I know it’s silly. I’m usually pretty quiet and run solo most of the time.. so this is a personal challenge for me.
Here we go! I have a long relationship with running.. I have never been the fastest or the most competitive but that’s never stopped me from having fun. I did not grow up running. I was on the HS swim team, lifeguard, and still love to swim for cross training. I was able to swim laps right up til the end of my pregnancy. I cannot imagine living anywhere land locked again as I love the beach and the ocean. The water in some ways feels like home.
My Running really started in college. I ran a little in HS for workouts with the swim team but that’s about it. It never occurred to me to join a team. In college I was running between classes and actually scored a lifeguard job on the weekends. I would run to the gym work and run back to the dorms. A classmate joined me a few times and then asked me to try out for cross country. Well okay, I knew Nothing about it but decided it was worth trying. I never loooked back. I ran DIII for the Rams 2000- 2003. My team also volunteered for the Boston Marathon. The course went right by our school. Those were some of the most amazing experiences. If you ever get the chance to volunteer jump on it!
Cross country really taught me so much! I was and still am a back of the pack runner. I have gotten very lost and run more than the race required more than once! But I always loved breathing the fresh air and various surfaces during the race. I love getting messy!
Most weekends, you will find me in Stonybrook in the Avalon Perserve. I have a hiking backpack that my daughter loves and it’s a fantastic workout. She is good for a few miles and we sing songs and chase the deer and butterflies. It’s our special time together.
My Hills journey started last year with the couch to 10k club.
Lea Giodesen really helped me get back into the swing of things. I am a big fan of the 5k course. Lately I have been going in the am before work.
If you are still reading, Thank you! See you out there!