Erin Pauling
E_Pauling
This week’s pick for East Nasty of the Week is the one and only Erin Pauling!
Like so many of us, Erin is a Midwest transplant to Nashville. She grew up in St. Charles, Illinois, which is the last suburb to the west of Chicago. Perhaps for a better point of reference, her town is just above Aurora, IL, which is the basis of the Wayne’s World skit and movies. For college she went further north, to the land of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. At Carroll University Erin studied Psychology and Criminal Justice, but during her junior year she became interested in studying music. Unfortunately it was a little too late to go switching majors, so she just started singing in bands, writing music, and even took a trip down to Nashville during her Spring Break.
And surprise, she loved it here! So after finishing school she decided to move down South and continue working on her passion for music. At first she worked in the record industry for a couple of years, it was some type of office job for a booking agency. She has since given that up to work fulltime as a personal trainer who meets with clients at home, in office, or even outdoors. She loves helping people get healthy and teaching them the proper forms of exercise. She also continues to work on writing and singing music, which includes performing rockin’ versions of AC/DC’s “Shook Me All Night Long” at karaoke parties!
Erin also helps out with various charities throughout Nashville. For example, at the Country Music Marathon this weekend she is leading a group of people to collect and donate the clothes left behind by the runners at the starting line. She has also rescued two dogs in the past 4 years. The first was Ellie, who she found out by the Natchez Trace Parkway, and spent a full year and some good money helping her get healthy. And recently she rescued Wrigley, who she found in the West Meade area of town.
As far as running, Erin discovered East Nasty through Drew Jones. You see she had won an all expense paid trip and entry fee to the Arizona Rock & Roll Marathon through a drawing at her first 5K, and so she was training with the Fleet Feet group in preparation for a full marathon. That’s right, she went from a 5K to a full marathon! Training for that race changed her mind towards running, as she was forced to commit to the training schedule, which included the time she ran 20 miles on her own past a flooding river, through a rainstorm, and during a tornado warning. And now, like so many of us, she is addicted both to running and East Nasty.