Edwards Haps and Mishaps

When I first moved to Utah, in 2002, I decided to take up running mainly because I had heard about the dreaded “freshman 15” and was determined to not let it happen to me so I thought I’d  pick running as my thing. I never thought I would still be doing it years later but I am and I love it! I always call it my “Prozac” because when I do it regularly life just seems more bearable and depression has a harder time of creeping up on me! I think that is why I have kept with it all these years. That isn’t the reason I was writing this…so anyway…in 2004 I decided to sign up for my first race, a 10K! I’d never run that far before (6.2 miles)! So I got up early on a Saturday in May and drove up Provo canyon and finished my first race! When I say race, I don’t mean I was really trying to win…I always just run to finish and have a good time…not necessarily to “race!” I’m not that fast :)

Sometime within the last few months I found my race shirt from that race up Provo canyon and was so proud that I had entered that race and then I thought about all the other times I had spent running or training for other runs and then I realized that this year would be 10 years since I ran my first organized run! I looked at a race calendar online and found another 10k that was the same weekend as the one 10 years ago so I thought (me being super cheesy sometimes) I would do a run on my 10 year race-iversary. haha. I know. I’m a weirdo.

My sister and I signed up for one in Folsom and I am SO glad we did! This was more of a trail run…which I didn’t think would be all that much different but it definitely had more hills (lots of hills!!), low trees, rocks, etc. to worry about; but it also had amazing views, wild flowers, and was just a beautiful run…way better than running on streets in my opinion!! Another thing I thought was awesome was that we ran most of the race on Folsom Prison grounds!! That’s someplace you don’t go very often…or ever! We weren’t waving at the inmates or anything…we weren’t that close…but it was on the outskirts of the prison property which is on a side of the river that I’ve never been on, so that was pretty neat. Kelsey and I wanted to stop every few feet, it seemed like, and take a picture..and we sort of did haha. I know if I didn’t know us I would probably think we were pretty annoying…but luckily the trails weren’t crowded so we weren’t by a ton of people when we were taking pictures…I think it helped the time go by though. Always looking at the pretty surroundings and stopping to remember it. That’s how I thought of it anyway :)

Okay, I’ve blabbed enough.  The point is, almost every time I run, I thank God that I have two legs that run, two eyes that see, a heart that can pump blood through my body, lungs that breathe in air…and the list could go on and on! I find our bodies to be such miracles! I feel so blessed to be able to have a body and that it can still run after 30 years of life and over 10 years of running!

Crossing onto prison grounds!!!