It’s not all fun at games at Aravaipa… wait, who am I kidding?! That’s our lifestyle, our motto, and our end goal. We’re committed to ensuring runners get the most out of our events and in order to do so we have a huge team of people who work tirelessly behind the scenes but who are ALSO adventurers themselves. Office Manager, Erin McKnight brings law and order to our office and the piles of paperwork she handles while never losing her cool. Everyone who works with her agrees that she’s the epitome of calm under pressure. She’s also an accomplished ultra runner and triathlete. Here’s her current adventure-update as she trains for San Diego 100:
My husband, Rich, and I decided to register for the 2018 San Diego 100 in the solo division. We generally take turns with long races with the one sitting out becoming a 1 man/woman crew and pacer. Before pulling the Ultra Signup trigger in December 2017 we thought “we can do this solo thing, how difficult can running 100 miles together be?” If this adventure doesn’t test the strength of our marriage, not sure what else could!
Rich & Erin McKnight at Whiskey Basin 57KM finish line
Training was spot-on and I felt highly motivated through Whiskey Basin 57k on April 14th. I felt strong the entire race and managed to negative split the course. Rich and I ran the entire race together and finished with smiles on our faces.
The smiles are evident on course at Whiskey Basin!
The next weekend I ran the 26k at Dam Good Run and something was wrong. Yes, my body was not recovered from the weekend before, but come on I was in the thick of my 100 mile training! The following week my chronic calf issue decided to pay me a visit and my training has been a challenge since.
Dam Good Run
I am not one to make excuses about my training and races. I made the choice to not train adequately for this 100 miler and I will see where the cards fall on June 8th. My goals the next week are to get quality sleep, eat clean and keep a positive attitude. Because as we all know, this sport of ultra running is 80% mental and I’m one tough cookie!
With 26+ ultra marathons under her belt and a 9th place finish at the 2015 San Diego 100 we agree with Erin’s assessment – she’s got the mental fortitude to handle what life – and the trail – throws at her! We’ll be cheering her and Rich on as they tackle the solo division at San Diego in less than 2 weeks!