Erin Poirier on Running Across The Gambia

This is a conversation about determination. Erin is a badass runner, fellow coach, mother, and nurse. She has won races outright, but she works hard to keep performing at this level, and it shows through in everything that she does. One morning she casually dropped that she ran across an entire African country, and I’ve always wanted to know more about that, so here we are.

I’ve known Erin for many years now, and I always enjoy getting the chance to catch up and talk with a fellow running coach. Before I moved away from the city, I enjoyed our 5:30 am Friday morning runs where we would get the chance to talk about all things running and coaching philosophies.

Back in 2011, Erin took a trip to Africa and ran across the country of The Gambia, and she fundraised for the Nova Scotia Gambia Association. This was an undertaking of epic proportions. Having never taken on a stage race or ultra before, this was way outside her comfort zone. We get into all of the details, from how this idea was conceived to organizing and planning it all to make it a successful run.

Fast-forward a few years, and Erin has had two kids. She has been running faster than ever, but her body is not cooperating. She is dealing with something that is not talked much about in running circles or running forms on the internet. She has an injured pelvic floor.

It has been a long road for her over the past few years, rehabilitating her body and getting back to a place where she is healthy again. Erin has been very open about this injury, and not only did I want to educate myself as a coach on it, but I truly believe that getting stories just like this out there. So that other women in similar situations have some information to point them in the right direction with their recovery.

This conversation is jam-packed with tons of knowledge and insights, and I know you will love it as much as I enjoyed having it.

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