Meet January's Most Inspiring Member: Erin Edlund

Erin Edlund calls Moms on the Run a life-sustaining force. Her journey began in 2011 when she joined the Apple Valley group. She had a stressful job, was a new wife, had just completed her master’s degree, and ended up with a complicated pregnancy. After the birth of her daughter, she struggled to get back into an exercise routine. She also was the first in her group of career-oriented friends to become a mom, and she was feeling alone. Finding Moms on the Run was the perfect solution to the two challenges she faced.

“I was craving accountability and realized Moms on the Run was exactly what I needed,” Erin explains. “But what I didn’t expect was the bond of friendship I would gain. I really liked the women I was running with.”

She ended up having preeclampsia — a potentially life-threatening complication characterized by high blood pressure — with her second and third pregnancies, but, she says, being active with Moms on the Run saved her.

In 2014, her family moved to Farmington so she changed MOTR groups. Once again, it didn’t take long to build new relationships.

“I have a lifelong bond with these ladies, and the women from my former group, that goes beyond running," offers Erin. "A month before I had my third baby, I changed jobs and was struggling physically. These ladies surprised me with a baby shower that lifted me up so much.”
 
As a wife to Jeff; mom to 7-year-old Evelyn, 3-year-old Wyatt and 1-year-old Lolo Grace; and full-time director of marketing for MN State Colleges and Universities, Erin says she wants to give her kids tools to become healthy active adults. “My kids play Moms on the Run, where they pretend they’re running races. They see what I’m doing and want that for themselves.”
 
Erin ran her most challenging race this season, Ragnar Trail Northwoods in Wisconsin, with seven other women from her Moms on the Run group. The heat index was over 100 degrees, one of their team's runners got hurt, and the danger of the trail frightened Erin. “It was the first time I ever mentally locked up. But being with seven other women, watching them challenge themselves, all I can say is runner’s grit is amazing. It was really brutal and really incredible at the same time.”

Farmington owner Amanda Fernelius, who nominated Erin, offered the following praise: "Erin has overcome many injuries but always has the fighter mindset and never gives in or up."
 
Erin is committed to carving time out for Moms on the Run during the week. “It's a dedicated part of our schedule now," Erin claims. She continues: "Running is hard for me, but I like the challenge of it. You get out of it what you put into it. It’s a very personal thing and that’s what I love about it.”