Success story

When you listen to others you can learn so much.  I do that every time I’m in the fitness center.  The most enjoyable thing to hear from other people doing their thing (working out) is stories of how they’re progressing.   I want to take some time in this blog spot to tell you about a guy who’s been working his tail off to get to where he wants to at the stand point of good health.
His name is Jeremy, another guy from Mahnomen and a guy I’ve seen in the fitness center I go to for work outs many times!  You find a group of people who are into running, lifting or any type of fitness and it makes your time there a lot more fun. 
I talked to Jeremy again tonight before he headed out.  We were joking with a guy who hadn’t been in to the center for quite some time due to a trip out of country the last month.  He had commented on how Jeremy looks very good and in shape since the last time he saw him.  I’ve obviously seen him at work and accomplishing his goal day by day while attending sessions at the fitness center at similar times as him.  He’s told me many times how much stronger he feels, how much more energy he’s got and of course, how many pounds he’s shedding as the result of his hard work.  I honestly can’t remember when he started this work out regiment, maybe four or five months, he told me tonight he’s down forty pounds.  Started out at 230, he’s down to 190.  The comment he made tonight is so simple, so easy to understand, yet hard to swallow for so many people.  “It’s taken a lot of discipline…a LOT of discipline.”  Mix that with hard work, what do you get?  RESULTS!
When I see him in the fitness center, I know we’re going to have a good chat for a while before, after or in between work outs I have while I’m there.  It’s great though…with the mental aspect of my training.  Hearing him talk about his level of fitness, how far he’s come in such a short amount of time (well, I guess that’d be considered a LONG time for a lot of people) and the excitement he brings for himself and others there.  A true motivation factor for anyone that needs it. 
The best part about Jeremy – he doesn’t compare his fitness and ability to anyone else.  Others may hear him talk about losing that much weight, ask him how he did it and get scared away.  He was determined and has continued to be in order to reach this level. 
Tonight, while I was warming up with a run/jog/walk on the treadmill, I watched as he did some boxing workouts with Chris, the trainer who helps us out with that if we want.  He went four rounds I think to start, then did some other lifting before coming back to Chris after I did four rounds following my warm up to tell him: “I want to go two more rounds, let’s go.”   DETERMINATION AT IT’S FINEST, BABY!!
I’ve got two other friends, Nate & Teddy that come in there sometimes when I’m in.  Two other guys who get their job done, stay focused and get out.  It’s never a comparison between us…who ran the most miles, which ran the fastest pace, who worked out longer than the other.  We all complement each other on the job we do, that’s what makes it fun and keeps you going. 
So next time you hear someone talking with excitement about the progress their making…don’t let it get you down and think that you’re a bad person if you haven’t started to better yourself.  Use it as a motivator, feed off their energy and get started!  Ask that person if they’ll help you get going if you have to.  I bet they’d be more than happy to help you out. 
I look forward to every trip to the fitness center here, no matter what time of day.  I know there will be someone in there that is working hard and will help to energize me to make myself better.  Even if there’s not, I’ll handle it on my own.    Inner motivation goes a long way – find yours and feel the power it will release in you. 
It all starts with your attitude, though.  Tell yourself you’re going to do it then act on it, it will be the best decision you’ll make all day.  Tell yourself you won’t do it and act on it won’t change anything for you.  Change is good.  Everyone wants it at some point in their life…it’s just the matter of when you decide to start and if you decide to stay determined.
In this fitness center, painted right on the wall by one of the machines is the quote “Whether you think you can or think you can’t, you’re right!”  Keep saying “I should” and “I wish I could” – 90% of the time you won’t.  Say you don’t have time, you’ll never start.  Say working out is too hard, you and anyone else hearing it will never start. 
Make a deadline of when you are going to start up your work outs.  Get a plan put together.  If you need help from someone, ask them.  If they can’t or won’t help you, they can at least point you in the right direction of who could get you started. 
I know it wasn’t easy for me to start out, it probably wasn’t for Jeremy or anyone else who’s started out trying to better themselves.  Work hard, stay positive and remember my friend Jeremy’s quote I heard tonight: “It’s taken a lot of discipline…a LOT of discipline.” 
Make it happen now!  Good luck!!

Interesting facts - sickness & health

Is January already 2/3 over?  That's what I've been hearing.  It shows it on my calendar too and on this blog post.  January 22nd, 2011 - time flies when during training fun.  Or is it when you're having fun?  I don't know, it's all fun to me I guess in that scenario. 
I've been seeing the last few weeks a lot more people sick, whether it'd be for a couple days, or even a few weeks!  I had mine hit mid-December right before the holidays.  No better way to cure the winter time sickness than lots of food and sweets, right??   Alright, so maybe that's not the best way to go, but it sure tasted good when I could actually taste it.  One of my co workers was down for the count today.  Literally - he was laying on the floor at the radio station, face down when I left this morning.  I felt sorry for him knowing that I was in a similar position (not lying like that) of sickness just over a month ago.  There was one day I was so run down, I didn't even remember most of the time I was up at work one Saturday morning.  Have to love that feeling...or not.
I've been great ever since the sickness has faded away.  One thing I wonder is how many drugs (legal drugs) people actually try while going through a sickness.  In that time frame, I was getting to the point I wanted it all to be done with RIGHT NOW.  I was getting impatient with it, which usually doesn't happen with me.  But it was getting extremely sickening (no pun intended).  It made it very tough to run without hacking up a storm on a treadmill, which I didn't feel comfortable doing...not for the fact that it made it tough to run...but more so the fact that when you run, you don't want to extend your arm to cover your mouth, you just let it fly.  Germs all over the eletronic board you use to get that thing going, not a good situation.  So I stayed away from the gym for over a week.  Since the start of January, it's been at it about five days a week, mixing from mornings to evenings, depending on the schedule.  I've stayed steady with my training schedule for the most part, only missed one day due to a scheduling conflict, which I made up for by packing two days into one when I had more time.  Something I wouldn't recommend, but I've been put through it before, so my body just takes it and is always rewarded with a day off the next day to get complete rest that it needs. 
Running is something you never do alone.  Even though you might go to the gym by yourself or run on a treadmill and not talk to anyone in there while you're focused on your workouts, you still need to go it with the help and communication from other people that know health and wellness.  Luckily for me, I've been able to surround myself with excellent helpers and supporters.  One in particular, my chiropractor has taught me a lot about both physical and mental health when it comes to running and exercise.  He writes every once in a while too, and throws in some posts on some social networking to keep people informed about new health trends and even edcuational things that maybe you have heard before but don't really believe.  He knows his stuff!  I posted his most recent article on my website which can be found by CLICKING HERE.  The blog post is titled: 'Spinal Column: The Fever'.  It talks about some interesting facts in regards to fevers and how you can over come them the right way. 
Today was a great day of work outs: Nine miles completed, ten minutes of kettle bell work outs, abs with the medicine ball and "big ball".
If you're a Twitter person, you can follow me on there with posts, information and updates: http://twitter.com/freedom_team 
I've been hearing about more people making the resolution to run in Fargo this year, good news!  I hope your training is going well if you've started already, if not, once you get to it, stick with it, you'll be glad you did!

A strange, but delicious way to break down a run

One of my favorite stories I heard from another runner (a marathon champion infact) was the explanation of how to break down a race.
Seeing him a night prior to a marathon event, I asked him if he had any good pointers for a "so-called-runner" like myself, as I put it to him. First thing he asked caught me off guard a little bit. "Do you eat pie?"
It was really hard not to laugh. So hard, that I actually broke out laughing before I said, well, that depends on what kind of pie we're talking about! All I could think was why would this guy ask me if I like pie??
He responded, "Just answer the question." I guess he was being fairly serious. I told him yes and he went on to say, what ever kind of pie you like best, think about it right now. Think about how you eat that pie. He went on to ask, have you ever taken a pie whole and tried to eat it without a fork?
I was starting to regret asking for tips. I told him I'd never tried that.
He tells me that you cut a pie usually into eight pieces. When you cut it down, you take out a piece, put on a plate and you still won't eat that piece whole (at least you'd hope not). Using a fork, you break off a small piece of that portion of the pie. You still break it down even more by putting it in your mouth and chewing that very small piece of the pie to the point you can swallow it so it digests easier. The point he had I guess, was: Don't ever try to swallow the entire pie at once.
He told me how to break down a race, explaining that each mile is like a slice of the pie. Even then, you still have to complete that mile to get to the next, then the next and so on until the finish line. Stride by stride, step by step, each breath you take all very important to your initial goal: 26.2, 13.1 miles, or whatever you're working to finish.
He said to break down the race to the smallest of portions as possible MENTALLY, in order to finish the entire race PHYSICALLY. When you get past the first mile, he said to tell myself "Alright one mile down, one to go....two miles down, one to go." It makes your body think, ok, one more mile won't be so bad. Eventually, you're to the finish line, maybe sore and tired, but mentally strong knowing you accomplished your goal.
So next time you eat your favorite pie, compare it to your marathon running. I do every time I eat pie now. I think about what this crazy marathon champion taught me about how to break down a run so it doesn't seem so bad afterall. Plus, it was a humorous way to think about it, that might even put a smile on your face like it did for me.
So many, including myself when I first started to train, look at the big picture of things. We look at the total miles we must go that day and approximately how long it's going to take to get that done. Others think "Oh wow, he's going 13 miles...that's like running from here to Crookston!" That guy's got to go 26 miles?? That'd be like running from here to Grand Forks!
No matter how far you run or how it's done on your part, the main thing is you DO IT! There might be points you want to give up. You'll want to throw in the towel and quit. The stronger you can get your mindset prior to the race, the better off you're going to be in the long run.
I was asked recently how I can train so much without getting discouraged. My way and purpose of running is different than yours. My purpose is to honor a friend that lost his life for you and I serving the United States in the Army National Guard. How could I get discouraged thinking about what he did for me? How he selflessly lost his life for something bigger than himself. I am driven to keep his name alive and run for all of the fallen soldiers. I wanted to give up during a full marathon I ran in Fargo back in 2008. At mile 18 I thought my time was up, it was time to quit. I layed in someone's yard who's kids got me some water and gatorade to help hydrate me while I stretched. Have someone pinch your calf muscles and hamstrings as hard as they can with their index finger and thumb, maybe even step on your legs for a while. That was what my legs felt like at that point. I had never felt that kind of pain before in my life. But as I slowly departed that house after grabbing the flag from the kid who held it high in the air while I stretched, I remembered why I was running. I wasn't discouraged anymore and my thought of quitting was lifted. I knew I'd make it no matter how much pain I'd sustain doing it.
When you're in training or the actual marathon event, don't ever look at the current situation...you might not move forward and do what you never thought possible. Take it one piece at a time (or should I say, one "bite" at a time) and you'll make it to that finish line!
Work hard, train hard...stay warm, stay hydtrated and stay consistent!
Good luck in your training this winter and spring!

Mixing it up

Almost two weeks into it. Training is going very well. This is not just running, this is cross training too. It's not just physical work outs, but gaining mental strength each day. It takes a desire, a discipline to accomplish any kind of goal. I've come to find out the harder you work, the more you want to show yourself that you can improve as a person. Sitting there after a workout the other night that consisted of an hour long boot camp that I mentioned to the instructors "this is a nice warm up for my four mile interval run I need to do now." One of the instructors knows me, the other it was the first time we met. He was talking with someone else when I told Chris that. He turned around and said, "This is a warm up for you??" It was a boot camp that incorporated a lot of cardio and some strength training. Anything from jump rope, to medicine ball workouts, figure eights, balancing exercises, ab work and the warm up to get you going, laps around the conference center room. This was my first experience to this boot camp. I had been invited to every single one by my friend/trainer Chris but it's never worked out for me to attend. This time it did and I'm glad. There was about 30 people in attendance, ranging from younger kids to mature adults. I'd consider myself one of the adults, minus the mature part. Although, when I get in a gym like setting or boot camp, this is business to me. It takes a certain kind of focus to get your "work" done. I could feel it burn a few times during this session. I started questioning myself whether I should tame it down a bit so I could get my entire work out done...but when you get down to business, you want to do the job to the best of your ability and that's what I tried for. I still wasn't satisfied with my own effort, but I don't think I ever am.
Following the boot camp, it was a short jaunt from the event center to the fitness center less than a block away. Having to walk outside in the Vibram Five Fingers got a little cold on the feet, but they warmed up quick when we got inside. I got there right before Chris came in the door. Fired up he asked how I liked the boot camp. I mentioned it's a great thing for everyone that can come, plus it's free. Even if you're not a member to the gym. Can't really go wrong with that!
I ripped those tear away pants off, luckily I did remember my shorts this time for the workouts. There was a time once I forgot to put shorts on prior to a work out and fortunately wasn't as energized starting up that workout...so I took them off slowly to realize...whoops! Looks like I'll be right back....I don't think they'll appreciate a guy working out in his underwear at a public gym. That was back when I was young and stupid....(Last year)
I hopped on the tread mill and got ready for my 12x400's that I had to do. Intervals: 12 400 meter runs at 90 seconds faster than your anticipated pace for the marathon. It's not so bad, you get a 90 second break (light jog) between each one. You get done with the first three and think this isn't going to be tough at all. The fourth through the eighth are the worst. That's when your body pipes in and says, "Hey buddy, could you quit hurting me like this...I'd like a break. Please! Seriously, I need to stop..." Once you get past eight, you think, "Ah, I've only got four more to do, now I'm in the groove!" Then you just sail right on through the final runs and feel excellent afterwards.
The cool down is probably the coolest part of the work out. Maybe that's why it's called a "cool" down? It's the point for me to walk, think back to the start time of the boot camp, the exercises you were put through, the intervals that were completed and relax the mind and body before a stretch and departure back home.
I was told about a three days a week run program which I'm trying this year. So far, I like it a lot. It's three days of running, two days of cross training and two days of rest. I like the days of exercise mentally...my body loves the two days of rest. I was told this would be more intense than other running programs. I believe it now after just 10 days of participating in it. It not only works for someone who's done several runs before, but anyone at any level of exercise. I'd highly recommend it to anyone that wants to get a program started.
Stationary bike, kettle bells and one my favorite cross training tools: boxing! It's a good thing Chris is a retired pro boxer, that brings not only knowledge of how to jab and punch, but he's one of the most intense guys I've worked out with before. He also introduced me to the kettle bells which have been instrumental to my running.
So many think exercise is "work". It's tough, but once you get going with it, you can do so much that it's a variety and that will make it fun. I believe it depends on who you surround yourself with when you work out too. Be around people that don't like the pain and soreness, you eventually won't either. Stick around the ones who encourage and tell you that you're doing good, looking strong and to keep working hard, it makes a big difference.
If it's been your decision to work to get stronger, run faster, lose weight or just to step foot in a gym...don't just have at it, KEEP AT IT TOO!! You won't see the results you want in a month's time...but come two or even three months, things will start to become visibly better for you personally and others will start to notice as well. Get on course, stay on course and stay positive.
"You can make a decision or you can make an excuse, but you can't make both." -- One of my mentors, Larry Winters

Go to it

One week of actual training is complete.  This first week of the year is always the toughest stepping stone to getting to that next level.  Sometimes you feel that your body is questioning you as if you’ve never done something like this before.  Telling me to eat more of those delicious sweets that we packed in over the holidays and the other stuff that just doesn’t do you any good.  In just a week of cutting out most of the “junk” my body is responding a lot better.  I like to be a guinea pig to my own studies sometimes, to see how bodies really react to certain situations.  I did that this year.  I took times throughout the fall and into the early winter to stop running and take some weeks off, just to see what it was like.  I can explain the feeling you have when you’re experiencing it in two words: It sucked! 
My breathing was worse, strength was awful and when I got back into an actual fitness routine, it took over a week to get settled in to a comfortable (if you want to call it that) situation that my body would finally respond to in a positive way. 
If you’re a runner, or just someone who likes to be active, don’t ever try that.  Just like that old public service announcement said: “You can learn a lot from a dummy….”  I think that was about safety belts, but you can learn a lot from not being responsible when it comes to your health, that’s for sure. 
I recently got a physical done, right before the new year and heard a couple of good compliments that at first I was a little nervous about hearing the nurse say, “Oh my….” After taking my pulse.  She checked it once, then had to check one more time to make sure she counted right I guess.  After the second time, she asked, “You must be an athlete?”  I responded back, “Nope, just a runner, kind of…”  She mentioned that I must run quite a bit because I had the strongest heart (lowest count for resting heart rate) she’s ever seen.  After she told me the count I asked “Does that mean I’m legally dead?”   She told me it meant I’m legally very healthy.  I guess this running stuff is paying off. 
Along with the running this year, as you will see at the Fargo Marathon event and if you make a trip to the other runs we’ll be part of, I want to make an impact on people that are in attendance.  Not just the spectators, but other runners, volunteers and anyone else that might be around during these great marathon runs. 
There is one thing I’ve never been concerned about, but it is asked many times…about my finishing time.  I’m never embarrassed to tell people how long it takes me to get to that line, as long as I do. 
When I carry the colors with me, I want people to know what it’s all about.  I stop and talk with people along the route at times.  I make sure my friend and all of the fallen soldiers are represented in a positive way.  So everyone knows the sacrifice they made is the reason why I run these events the way I do. 
Back in the day, I never wanted anyone to look up to me.  I felt that would be too much responsibility for me to handle.  That self-confidence that I lacked might have had something to do with it.  That perspective has changed, along with my attitude towards life.  I want people, especially the younger generation to be inspired by the running I do.  I hope to be someone they can look at as a role model, not just in terms of running, but how you treat people with respect; the same things that my good friend Corey resembled in his life when he was around.  I looked up to him even though he was younger than me.  I didn’t care, he knew what he wanted in life and went out to get it.  That deserves respect and it inspired me, plus it’s a motivation factor now that he’s gone.  I still look up to him (literally). 
I know that at every finish line, he is there cheering me on to the end.  It gives you that added push to keep going.  I would never want to let my friend down, so giving up is never an option. 
I’ve been seeing more and more people setting up their resolutions and now coming into the gym that I work out at.  It’s great to see!  I hope they, and you, stick with it no matter how tough it seems.  When you’re burning, you’re earning!  That’s what I was told once, then I laughed.  I just imagined myself with my clothes on fire running around screaming.  Not THAT kind of burning…you know what I mean! … I hope…
My other hope is to see you at the Fargo Marathon in May.  Sign up and commit!  Get it done.  Accomplish your goals, one step at a time.  Have fun and go to it!

2010 - The year that was

As posted via Philco's Freedom Team
Another great year in the books.  It’s hard to think back and think of one single thing that stood out.  So many things happened in what seemed like a short period of time, even though each year is the same amount of time (with the exception of leap years of course). 
Thinking back to 2010 – with my running season that took place from the end of April all the way through the end of September, again I had the opportunity to meet hundreds of great people.  From runners, to spectators, volunteers and directors of the runs we were part of, it was just plain awesome! 
It all started, like it does every year, heading out to Minot, ND to take part in the Tressel Valley Marathon event with my relatives.  My sister was able to make it with this year which made it better.  That’s how all the madness started back in 2005, so it was good to be back on track.  That run preceded the first trip to the 2^nd annual Scoops for Troops event in Eagan.  At this event I even got to finish along side another man who was also carrying a 3’x5’ American flag.  I remember that race he was way out in front, probably a half mile in front of me during the 5K race and I knew I had to try and catch him so we could make it a colorful finish.  That I did, caught him with about ¾ of a mile left to go.  I met so many great Gold Star families down there, Blue Star families and just a bunch of other people who are major supporters of the military, their families and the fallen soldiers who we run in memory of.
Philco’s 4:13 consisted of the following locations in 2010:  Cellcom Half Marathon in Green Bay, WI; Fargo Half Marathon in Fargo, ND; Gopher to Badger Half Marathon that started in Stillwater, MN and ended in Hudson, WI; and finally the Kroll’s Bismarck Half Marathon in Bismarck, ND. 
Three of those four were first time events for me.  I’ve been part of the Fargo Marathon event since the inaugural event in 2005.  I was asked the other day which of the four half’s I did last year was my favorite.   I have a hard time answering that question.  They were all run so well, the people at each event were very responsive to our cause and purpose, and each location we got a good rep prior to the event with the help of area media. 
It started in Green Bay – May 16^th, 2010.  This event was a Sunday run, starting and ending at legendary Lambeau Field.  We got to start in front of it, run through the tunnel the Packers go out each game, run around the field and then back out that same tunnel, to the parking lot where the finish line was located.  I wouldn’t have known about this event if it wasn’t for another one of my supporters and hometown friends, Nate Patnode.  He had told me about this event a few times in previous years and I finally gave in and guaranteed I’d make a trip out there “next year” – which was this past year.  It was one of the greatest experiences in my running career so far.  With the help of Nate, the publicity for Corey and all the fallen soldiers was made known by the top rated TV station out in the Green Bay area – WBAY. 
The way the story was done, professionally and even down to a personal level made it so easy for me.  Sarah and Jeremiah were the two who came out to do the story right from Nate’s house and close by at a residential street for shooting video.  We had a great chat before the story, after the story and even still to this day, I stay in touch with both through social networking to keep them updated on my running and just other things that are going on.  I just found that really cool that a reporter and camera man from a major market station are interested in my purpose for running and continue to be.  They were both running in the event too, which was awesome.  
About the only thing people liked to give me a hard time about out there, was the fact that I was from Minnesota.   When I informed them I’m not a Vikings fan, everything was just fine and dandy. 
The Fargo Half took place that next Saturday, which made for a quick transition period.   In a six day period, one of those consisted of a ten hour trip back to MN from Wisconsin!  That was the Monday prior to it.  It wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be, but still the stiffness seemed to stick with a little longer than normal. 
The Fargo run as usual was great.  Thousands of people in attendance, new addition of a 10K event made for a longer weekend.  The 5K event was the night before the newly incorporated 10K, the half and full as well.  All of these had new starting times in 2010.  It was definitely a lot to handle for a community bringing in so many people, but well worth the effort.  The Fargo Marathon is one of the best run events in the nation from what I’ve heard that other serious runners had mentioned.  That’s pretty cool to hear, knowing we’re only 70 miles away from this place that no one dares enter during a time like this when the blizzards are around and snow is non stop!
The run in Stillwater/Hudson happened at a perfect time of the year.  It was in August, and it happened the same weekend as the Bryan McDonough Military Heroes Foundation Golf Classic in Stillwater, MN.  That gave me the opportunity to volunteer at this event the day before my run.  Bryan was the other soldier killed in the blast that took the life of Corey Rystad.  That gave me the chance to meet not only the McDonough family, but also a lot of military members that were over seas with Corey during his deployment.  Met another one of the guys who was also in the humvee that got away from the blast with a concussion and a couple scratches. 
The run actually went right by the golf course that I volunteered at that previous day.  I remember running the first half mile and looking over at the course, saying to another runner, “Wouldn’t that be nice to golf that course..”  where he agreed with me.  A block later, we ran past the parking lot I parked in the day before to volunteer at that same course.  Craziness! 
Mark Bongers and the staff with Final Stretch, Inc. that put that race on did a great job that weekend!   I had talked with Mark earlier that year to confirm that it’d be alright to run with the flag there.  At that point, he had invited me to about 15 other runs around the state to do the same thing.  By the time I’m done with my running, hopefully I’ll have participated in a high percentage of his races. 
The last one was another great weekend in Bismarck, ND.  Nate that I talked about previously was a classmate of my sister back in high school.  The family I stayed with in Bismarck – Jon, Carrie & Haley Hoefer – Jon was another one of my sister’s classmates.  That was a nice, relaxing way to finish off the 4:13 schedule in 2010.  The only downfall: it was 29 degrees the day of the race start and it had snowed the day before so people were going nuts when I went to pick up my packet! 
This was September 18^th by the way…
Jon is an Army recruiter out there, so I got to meet some other military guys out there while I was on my mini-“vacation”. 
That last race, which ended up being the final run with the flag I’ve used for four years, I lost the golden eagle at the top of it.  It fell off somewhere between mile four and five of the 13.1 mile half marathon.  I was going to check the top of the pole every mile, which I did until after mile five when the eagle was gone.  It had flown away, or just got knocked off from a tree branch as we ran through a lot of parks and residential area.  It’s alright though, it was still worth it!
In 2010, I also attended other 5K/10K events in Mayville, ND; Oklee, MN; Detroit Lakes, MN; Minnetonka, MN and I think that is it. 
The thing I will remember most about 2010 isn’t even a running event, but was related to what I do with the running.  On November 11^th, 2010 – in Red Lake Falls, MN – Lafayette High School where both Corey and I graduated (him in 2004, I was in 2001).  John Kriesel came to speak to the students, staff and community members on Veteran’s Day.  He also made a trip over to Oklee, MN at Red Lake County Central High School.  John talked about his experience, “the day” (Dec. 2, 2006) and life experiences of how the blast changed his life and way of thinking.  This speech is available on my website, www.philcosfreedomteam.net in the Media section if you have thirty minutes to spare and listen to John’s talk.  Along with that speech, on there is a presentation I gave in front of my alma mater.  I presented my flag to John in honor of his service to our country and respect towards his and my friend, Corey Rystad.  I thanked him for being there with Corey and helping him out in his time away from home while being deployed.  I never got the chance to say ‘thank you’ to Corey when he got back, so this was my chance to say it to a guy who was one of the last to see Corey alive.  It was a special moment that lasted maybe five minutes.  A moment I will never forget.  I was going to shake John’s hand after doing my quick speech, instead, he pulled me in for a hug as we both tried to fight off the tears. 

There’s more to life than just making resolutions.  There’s making things happen, even when it doesn’t seem like the “cool” thing to do.  John knows this first hand after winning the District 57A Representative election and making history by doing it.  There’s doing something you never thought possible in your life, but trying it anyway.  I’ve learned that the more you say “I can’t” the easier it will be to sit back and watch others succeed.  I’ve learned that each opportunity you let pass by, is another opportunity someone else is going to take advantage of.  I’ve also learned that no matter what happens in life, no matter how much things hurt or how terrible you think your life is, somebody’s got it worse than you.  I wrote in a speech I gave on Memorial Day this past year that “as selfish as this may sound, I’ve heard and taken advantage of the quote one man’s loss can be another man’s gain.”  The loss of a friend can gain you a mental strength you didn’t even know you had.  It helped to change my spark plugs (so to speak) in the engine that was running idle for way too long.  The wheels are turning now and they’re not going to stop!  2011 is a new year.  For some, a new beginning…for others, continuing a mission you have set out to accomplish, one step at a time. 
The final thing I’ll leave you with is this.  A lesson I learned back in 2006 sitting in a church basement.
Life is way to short to sit around and complain about how life is so unfair to you.  Complaining is wasting time.  Complaining is sitting there, doing nothing about the circumstance you could change by doing something.  Complaining gets you to one place and one place only…right where you’re at while you sit there complaining.  So really, it doesn’t get you anywhere.  It keeps you in your place that you know you don’t like, but aren’t willing to change it.  It’s harsh to tell people they should get up and do something…but one thing that’s worse is having to witness a loss of a friend and live with it the rest of your life than actually listening to someone else who tells you it’s good to get up and go.    What’s going to motivate you to get going?  Will you take a risk and try to expand yourself to do something more in 2011? 
Whether you do or don’t, I wish you the bet!  Happy New Year!!

       
Following the speech John Kriesel (left) gave at my alma mater on 11/11/2010
John & I raise the flag I've carried with each of my running events the past four years. 
"This is for you, Corey!  Our flag will be in good hands!"

"You can't change your lifestyle until you change your mind set." – http://twitter.com/freedom_team