Resolutions

It’s hard to believe the last week of 2010 is already here.  By Saturday, we’ll be into another new year.  This is always the time that people come up with their new year’s resolution.  I had a friend tell me recently after asking “So do you have your new year’s resolution ready for 2011?”  I had told him my plan, what I’m going to discipline myself to do, then asked him the same thing.  His answer: “My resolution is to stick to my resolution.”   He added that it’s always that first couple weeks that the energy is there to accomplish what he set out to do, but with no one physically there to motivate him all the time, it’s tough to keep it going.  I told him it’s a lack of self-discipline, which he agreed with. 
Asking for pointers on how to keep a resolution longer than two weeks, I went through some things with him.  His main resolution much like many: get to the gym and get in shape. 
Reading is one thing that has helped me a lot.  My friend also mentioned that he’s logged on to my website (www.philcosfreedomteam.net) several times, especially at the start of the year and kept track of my weekly blogs, which seemed to help motivate him at that point.  But not many gyms have the accessibility to bring a laptop you can set somewhere while you run on a treadmill or lift weights I guess. 
“I wish you lived closer” & “Mahnomen’s too far to drive for me to go work out with you consistently” are two of the comments I heard from him when we chatted.  I tried talking to him on the phone about certain things and how to stay motivated – the inner motivation, not external where you actually need someone right beside you all the time when you work out. 
The question of,  “What gets you going and would keep you going?”  There’s got to be something…there is for all of us. 
The conclusion I found out about my friend, which may be true for you reading this too, is that no one can force you to do what your mind doesn’t tell you to.  When you set your mind on the fact that “I’ll do that later,” or “I’ll just start next week” you’re instantly setting yourself up for trouble. 
Everyone is busy.  No matter when you try to schedule something, there’s going to be conflicts sometimes.  What it comes down to is another tough thing that people don’t like to do: sacrifice. 
In order for me to schedule time for working out, I need to sacrifice at least some time from other activities to accomplish it.  I learned this from a mentor of mine that I’ve never met in person, but have heard him speak at a conference and read many of his books.  His name is John Maxwell.  Again, much like motivation – your mentor doesn’t need to be right next to you pointing out what you’re doing right or wrong; what you want to change in your life or how you want to do it.  That has to be done by you!   Others can only offer a helping hand momentarily or give words of encouragement.  They don’t have to be spoken either.  They can be in a book that you set time aside to read. 
Some of the things I cut out when it comes to focusing on training include less TV, computer time (Facebook especially) and if need be, some sleep.  I’d go for the first two long before sacrificing sleep. 
I don’t know what the average person watches when it comes to TV in a week, but say you watch it for seven hours a week – that’s one hour a day.  For many, that’s probably a low number!   So let’s say two hours a day, every day.  That’s fourteen hours per week.  If you cut thirty minutes out of each day from watching TV to work out, that’s still ten and a half hours of TV time and only three and a half hours of working out.  There you go, you’re still getting way more time of watching those awesome shows, movies or sporting events that help increase your stamina, improve your train of thought and make you feel better about yourself.  Or wait, no that’s the three and a half hours of working out that make those possible, I’m sorry…
Nutrition is important too when it comes to starting out in training.  I just weighed myself tonight for the first time in two weeks.  Since the start of Thanksgiving to today (12/27/2010) I’ve gained just over eight pounds.  I thank my parents, grandma and everyone else that made me any type of treats this past month…you’ve helped contribute to the Make Philco Plump-a-thon!  It’s hard to resist though, and I know I’ll burn it off once I really get into training now.  I’m 5’8” and now 181.  My run weight I want to get to: 160.  Will I get to that point?  Of course I will.  I’ve already got my plan ready, just not typed out yet like I tend to do.  Anyway, about the nutrition, when I lost twenty-one pounds two years ago in three months, all I did was three things.  Were they hard to do you are probably asking?  I’d say one of them was.  Well, all of them at first were, but once I got them going, it was simple. 
1. Cut out pop/soda.   Diet pop is just as bad for you as regular pop that has all the great sugar that settles in your body, giving you those sweet ‘love handles’.  
2. Cut out sweets/candy.  The one sweet I kept in my nutritional supply periodically when needed, was Snickers.  I’ll never leave my Snickers hangin’.  The rest is very temping, but once you stop eating it for a while, your body responds in a positive way.  Same with the pop.  Give up pop for a month, then try it again after a month.  It doesn’t have the same taste as it did before.  I’ve done it, so can you.
3. Train/workout CONSISTENTLY.  You don’t need to do it every day.  If you’re just starting out, do it 3-4 days a week.  What I mean by consistently is do it for more than just two weeks.  Losing weight takes time.  Like my chiropractor had explained to me in a conversation we had a while back about people asking about weight loss and hearing their stories, “You don’t gain weight over night, don’t expect to lose it that quick either.”  It may seem like you gain weight quicker, which may be the case when it comes to shagging those unwanted pounds, but stay steady.  Don’t give up just because you don’t get the results you want in a short amount of time.  When I lost twenty one pounds back in 2008, the first month I lost four pounds.  That means the following two I lost seventeen.  Thank goodness my dad was a math teacher!  Made that equation soooo easy.
So of those three, the last one was the toughest.  Keeping steady, staying consistent with your training.  The thing I had to do was remember why I was doing it.  What I did when I went to the gym….brought a shirt that had the reason for my running.  You ready for this?...

The final thing I can leave you with is something I think about a lot at this time of year.  Find a purpose to run, don’t just do it to say you did it.  Whether it’s with a group, for a cause, a challenge from a friend or co worker, maybe even a family member.  Make it fun! 
I never thought I’d do anything like this in my life.  Before December of 2006 I told many people that my sister was crazy and that I would never run anything more than a marathon relay with family or friends.  It’s amazing what the loss of a friend can do to you.  The loss of a friend who sacrificed for not only me, but you too.  This friend of mine, Corey Rystad who was KIA (killed in action) in Fallujah, Iraq back on December 2^nd, 2006, would be 25 years old this coming Friday, December 31^st.  Pretty sweet birthday, isn’t it??  He was killed before his 21^st birthday.  Every time I run I think about how much of an impact he’d have on so many people back in this area.  He’d be back in school now, possibly finished by now after exiting the National Guard.  Instead, when his family and friends want to visit him, they have to drive a mile out of my hometown, Red Lake Falls, MN to a cemetery where he’s resting.   It’s painful to even think about.  Not physically painful, but emotionally.  To know his family doesn’t get to have him around to hear him laugh, hear his stories and jokes, and just his enjoyment of everyday life. 
My purpose is to keep Corey’s name alive.  Every time I hear of another soldier killed, it’s like adding gas on a fire that’s burning all the time in me.  It’s keeping the engine running.  A little something called inner motivation.  He’s with me every single day, training or not.  Running in an event or not, he’s with me.  I’m reminded of him before every game I broadcast – right before that Star Spangled Banner starts up, I open my sports folder that contains a picture of Corey and Bryan McDonough who was also killed in the same blast.  I keep that with me because Corey had told me his senior year of high school that when he got back to save him a spot next to me at games so he could join me.  I have done that.  He’s with me at every game now.  Staring at that flag, listening to the singer, band or CD blaring that song, everything else just fades away and I see that picture of Corey that’s on my shirt during every race.
                                      
I hope you find a purpose in 2011.  I believe you will!  Much like my sister believed in me to run my first half marathon, first full marathon and many other events, I believe you can do it too.  Even when I didn’t believe in myself, someone did.  Know that there are people out there ready to encourage you every step of the way.  But it starts with you and that first step.  That’s your part!  Get out there, get the ball rolling and take that first step now!  Let the journey begin and enjoy the ride!
“One of the greatest discoveries a man makes, one of his greatest surprises, is to find he can do what he was afraid he couldn’t”
– Henry Ford

Battling the sickness

The popular thing this time of year seems to be catching a nice head cold that brings forth sinus pressure, stuffed up nose, hacking cough and fatigue.  Or maybe it's just happening to me?  It has been the case for the last few days and it's not that fun.  Not only does it affect your daily routine, but of course it will affect your running ability to a certain extent too. 
This is one of the main reasons I add a couple weeks to my running program each year incase of injury or sickness like this.  I've never been recommended so many different (legal) drugs that I don't know which direction to go.  I decided to use a couple that have worked in the past, or have seemed to, along with getting a lot of fluids and rest.  It's tough to sleep when you can barely breathe out of your nose.  I shouldn't say it's tough, just really annoying when that's the way you're used to breathing at night and instead have to try and breathe out of your mouth. 
The first attempt at working out with a sickness didn't go so well.  Able to accomplish about 60% of the work outs you set out to definitely gets to your mind.  You want to do it but know using common sense it's not good to push yourself when you feel light headed, are coughing while trying to keep a good stride running and have a harder time breathing than usual.  I make that sound so horrible, it really wasn't too bad, but to me I don't like it at all.  Going to a gym for thirty minutes knowing you can't get what you want done in that amount of time.  Health is a little more important to keep in check, especially when you're working on getting over sickness. 
If you're battling a sickness during your training, don't ever let it get you down.  It might happen and when it does, take it one day at a time, use some common sense (as in, don't push it farther than you know you can under the circumstance) and take care of your self.  Get good rest, drink lots of water, increase the vitamin C intake and take it easy.  You won't lose too much ground trust me.  If you were in any kind of shape prior to it, you'll jump back into your training with very little problems, if any! 
Keep up the good running!!

"Be motivated, be prepared & be determined...and don't be afraid to be inspired by someone or something...you'll do great things with these four keys."

Congratulations, Fargo Marathon!

"Hard work pays off!"
Ever heard that saying before?  Maybe you've heard it but haven't believed it.  I know someone who takes it to heart and has believed it since he started this event in Fargo, ND -- Mark Knutson. 
I get the magazine Runner's World and sure enough, January 2011 edition, page 83 - one of the top ten places to do your first full marathon....Fargo, ND at the Fargo Marathon!
I remember the first event that was held at the Fargo Civic Center back in May of 2005.  My parents, sister and I compiled a relay team to be part of the first annual event.  Not only did my sister participate in the team event, she started our team out then kept going to finish her first ever full marathon.  I remember the look on her face after the run.  The sense of accomplishment she felt.  So excited, and probably pretty tired after ending a 26.2 mile journey for the first time in her life.  I also remember thinking, wow you're crazy, Nikki! 
I believe it was around 2,600 participants that year.  Not too bad for a first time event.  In six years, that has grown to over 20,000 including a 5K, 10K, half & full marathon along with the relays - four person and now a two person.  To accompany that, the entertainment along the way, the screaming fans in their different colors and business/organization names associated with their cheering section.  The volunteers who are so supportive of all the runners, handing out water, juice, gu and at certain stops, food! 
I have been a part of the Fargo Marathon events since 2005.  Two marathon relays (2005 & 2006), three half marathons (2007, 2009 & 2010) and my first full marathon in 2008.  It's been one of the greatest experiences of my life.  Especially since we get to end now in the Fargodome.  Coming through that garage area where the team buses pull into for the Bison games, entering the Fargodome floor and hearing the fans cheering us on to the finish that is only fifty yards away at that point, there is no better way to start off a morning.  All that you worked for, standing there in front of you...FINISH.
My congratulations to Mark, his staff, volunteers and sponsors who have all made this event such a success!  Keep up the great work and know you're making a huge difference in the life of so many with their health and quality of living! 
We'll see you at the 7th annual Fargo Marathon in 2011!!!!

Beat the cold

Nobody likes the extreme cold, especially when it comes to working out. The out doors exercise is really tough to accomplish and even now with the temperatures below zero, getting up in the morning with it dark and cold doesn't help to spring you forward to head out to the gym either. Busy schedules are always going to be with each of us and now that it's close to the holidays, more and more excuses can come up. The thing I sometimes have trouble with is the whole telling yourself "well if I miss a workout today, it won't hurt." Once or twice is fine, but more than that will get you in to trouble. It's the whole consistency thing. Stay steady, stay positive and keep your focus on the goal. Something that helps out a lot is to write out your goals for yourself and make a copy with someone who you trust to try and keep you motivated. Not to the point they're going to be annoying, but just keep it fresh in your mind. Have the person you give you goal sheet to remind you each day, or every other day of your wishes. What you want to accomplish and when. It's easier to listen to someone else than to try and motivate ourselves to do it. I don't know how many times I've been told in the past that "you can't" "you won't be able to do that" "that will be too tough". Instead of letting that soak in, concentrate on the good that people tell you. The ones who believe in you and your ability. The words of encouragement that will get you to the next level. I remember the first half marathon I prepared for...I had more doubt in my mind than anyone. I didn't need to be reminded that I was crazy, because I had called everyone else that in the past. It only took one person to keep me motivated and focused on my goal, that was my sister who had been there, done that. She was the most positive, supportive and had the biggest influence on my running than anyone else. Find that one person you can stick with no matter how bad things seem. If you need to, call them just to talk. Most supporters (all of the ones I know) are willing to listen and give you advice no matter when you call.
Good luck to you in your running adventures!

- Philco

My Motivation

Laying there with my feet flat on the ground, knees up and hands over my head staring straight up to the ceiling of the fitness center after another good workout, I needed to think.  I had just finished stretching my muscles…now it’s time to stretch the mind too. 
It is December 1^st already.  First day of the month that seems to be everyone’s favorite.  It’s a time for holiday cheer, reflecting back on another year and just enjoying time with family and friends.
I do all of that as well.   What I was really stretching my mind to do was reflect back not just on the last year, but the previous four years.   Today, December 2^nd, 2010 marks the fourth anniversary for the passing of a good friend that made the ultimate sacrifice along side his fellow soldier who also grew up in Minnesota.  It was four years ago today that things started to change for me, mentally.  The way I looked at life.  The way I felt when it comes to spending time with the people that mean the most. 
In four years, I’ve also done a lot of running.  Spent a lot of time in that fitness center where I lay thinking about the accomplishments that may not have happened if it wasn’t for the driving force behind it.  There’s a saying on the wall in this fitness center I work out at, that stares right at me every time I’m on a treadmill there.  It says “Motivation is what gets you started; Habit is what keeps you going.”  Let’s sum it up for you…
Motivation can be described for me in three very simple words: a fallen soldier.
I mentioned in a Memorial Day speech I gave this last year that one man’s loss can be another man’s gain.  How unfortunate I felt to have that statement become so true in my life. 
Sgt. Corey Rystad lost his life exactly four years ago today.  I got a call asking me if I had heard about his passing from a friend.  I can remember this night like it was just recently.  It’s weird how it all just comes back to you so quick when the time arises. 
When I walked into the fitness center last night, I felt like someone had tapped me on the shoulder and mentioned to me “remember why you’re doing this…you’re running for a reason.”  Like I didn’t know that already, but it was engraved a little deeper into my mind getting started with the Sprint 8 workout I was about to do. 
Running for a reason – the only way my sister could get me to do something other than the marathon relays we had been planning for future years.  Well, I should say I had been planning for future years.  NOTHING was going to make me run a half marathon.  NOTHING was going to make me run like a crazy person does – 26.2 miles.  It was not only SOMETHING that brought me to this point, but more so, someone. 
When I was lying there, catching my breath, stretching my mind and just reflecting on the good times that have been had since the start of this madness in 2007 – I couldn’t help but think about one thing Corey had told me prior to a radio show we did his senior year.  Off the air, he was talking about some things going on at school.  Telling me this story, he started laughing, uncontrollably.  I mentioned to him that he laughs quite a bit and asked why he does.  His remark was “If you ain’t laughing, you ain’t living.”  Then he started laughing again.  Something he did quite often when we talked.  Then I started to realize last night thinking about that…I wasn’t laughing.  The statement got to me that it’s very true.  You’re wasting your time if you’re not enjoying every moment of life.  Not saying you have to joke about everything and never be serious, but if we take everything too seriously, we’ll miss out on a lot of things that could have been fun by just changing our attitudes towards it. 
Four years already.  Time goes by fast. 
In twenty-nine days, this kid would be 25 years old this year.  What a great birthday, isn’t it??  New Year’s Eve.  Just a big ole celebration it’d be for him.  I wouldn’t call him 25 though, I’d mention to Corey that he’s halfway to fifty so he’d have to dye half of his hair gray so people knew how old he was.  The interesting thing, or maybe more so scary thing, is that he’d probably do it. 
I’m not sure what he’d be doing now if he was still around, maybe back in school, already working somewhere…either way, he’d be enjoying every minute of it.  I know that for a fact. 
I’m glad I got to know him, at least a little bit.  If we were able to get together when he got back, that could have been dangerous.  He might have even tried to get back on the air here, but with FCC (Federal Communications Commission) regulations, he probably wouldn’t have lasted long.   It would be entertaining none the less. 
As I think about today we remember a great person who lost his life for us.  It was two great people – one I didn’t know, Bryan McDonough of Maplewood, MN…and then Corey Rystad, of a small town who’s name is too big to fit across the entire green sign that’s posted on the north and south sides of town on Highway 32.  Red Lake Falls, MN.  On the sign, Red is on top of Lake Falls, with ‘Pop. 1590’ below that in smaller print.  That’s population 1,590.  Everyone from this small town that gets deployed will make it back safe.  At least I thought so over four years ago. 
No matter what happens, you make it through.  You never move on, but you do move forward.  You never forget the people who touched your lives like Corey did for me.  And you’ll always remember the dedication, loyalty, respect and sacrifice he showed to the United States of America.  Not only in stories but by the stone located in St. Joseph’s Cemetery on the edge of town.  Corey John Rystad …December 31, 1985 – December 2, 2006. 
This is why I run.  The flag I carry represents Corey and all of the fallen soldiers that are with him now.  It’s not just a run for me.  It’s my mission.  To keep my friend’s name alive, every step of the way.  Whether people join me or not, I will be there.  My running will never equal the sacrifice that Corey and so many others have made, but it’s something.  I mentioned in a presentation I gave on Veterans Day this year (which you can see in the Media section of this site) that I don’t do this for recognition.  I don’t do it for praise or anything else that might render it as a selfish act.  I honor and pay respect to my friend the way I want to.  A way that takes time, energy and sacrifice to accomplish a goal.  We run to remember…and we will never forget. 

I know you’re with me every step of the way, Corey.  You are a great friend, you’re my team captain and without question, my inner motivation.  May you rest in peace my friend.