Philco's Freedom Team
History of Philco's Freedom Run
I've been a runner the majority of my life. Not major distances like a half or full marathon, but distances like the one and two mile run in track, and also a little cross country for longer distances. I was also involved in basketball & football back in high school.
Running whether you believe it or not, is relaxing to me. It's a chance to get the blood flowing and help brain function so you can think different. Better.
I use that to my advantage by thinking about many things while I
run longer distances, especially for half marathon and marathon training. It also gets your mind off of the questions like, "How much farther do I need to go?" or "When can I be done for the day?".
I seriously got into the longer distances back in 2005. My sister and I joined our cousins over in Minot, ND and ran in the Tressel Valley Marathon Relay. Team Coxy. We all wore (and still do) wear long sleeve white shirts with the number 22 painted on the front, in memory of my cousin Sarah's late husbad, Caley. We continue to do this run each year over in Minot, as it's an annual thing. Usually the last weekend in April.
After that very first relay Nikki and I did, I got the itch to do some more longer distance running. It was just plain fun, running part of a team and being around other runners that were very positive and having fun as well. On the trip back, which allows plenty of time for conversation as it takes just over four hours one way from here to Minot, my sister and I were talking about the first annual Fargo Marathon that was coming up. Nikki was signed up already to do the full marathon, which would be her first. She said we should get a team together and do a relay. She would do the first leg, then three others would just do our legs, as she'd just continue on, since it was the same course for the full marathon and the relay teams. Worked out great. I was pumped and ready to go for it. So Nikki, my parents and I formed a four person team and accomplished the relay! It was a lot of fun. A lot of people were there for the event which gave me the energy to keep training throughout most of the year for upcoming runs, which eventually would again be the Minot T.V. Relay and again, in May of 2006, the Fargo Marathon Relay with my parents and my sister with the same scenario, Nikki starting and continuing on to finish up the full.
It was after that relay we did, Nikki asked me the question I really didn't want to hear, but just had a feeling she'd bring it up. "You going to do the half next year?" I was thinking up of every excuse I could, but then thought, it's my sister and I'm not going to lie to her or try and make up something just to get out of a longer distance run. I straight out told her "No, probably not." Probably was the key word there...when she heard that, she asked me a couple more times before we left if I'd consider doing anything more than just a relay. The third and last time, I said if there's good reason to, I will.
I continued training throughout the year once again, having a good time with it and staying in good shape. I think I've been in better shape outside of high school, dispite being in sports and other activities, than I've been in my life.
The following is the main reasoning for this website and a lot of things I've done with my running in the last two and a half years...
On December 2nd, 2006...that night I got a call from one of my friends. He asked me if I'd heard "the news". When you hear that, it's either really good news, or really bad. In this case, it was option two. "Rystad was killed today." Even though there's more than one Rystad, he went on to tell me it was Corey Rystad, who was over in Iraq. He was part of the 2nd Battalion, 136th Infantry of Minnesota's National Guard, fighting for and defending the United States of America with 1,000's of other soldiers. The vehicle he was in was blown up by an IED in Fallujah that day.
You never think that's going to happen to someone from your home town, especially when your hometown's population is just under 1,600 people.
His funeral was the following week at St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Red Lake Falls. I had never been to a military funeral until that day. I was in the basement of the church, where they had a projector and screen of upstairs, as they needed extra room to accomidate everyone. They also had to have a projector and screen at the community hall, which was just down the block.
I think it was a week, maybe two after the funeral...which at that time would have been around Christmas time, the idea came to me. Nikki's question I heard back in May came back to me and I had a different answer I could only say to myself since she wasn't by me. I said 'yes' to doing something more than a relay at the next marathon event (besides the Minot run, that's always a relay for us). I think I let Nikki know when I saw her during the holidays. I'm pretty sure I didn't let her know my plan of doing a little something different than just a run.
I had never prepared for a half marathon before. I found a program that seemed to work out good, and I was definately in good shape for it. But my true thought of doing what I really wanted to do, didn't seem realistic. Didn't even seem possible. So I didn't do what I initially thought I was going to. Instead, I only did it for three of the 13.1 miles during the Fargo Half Marathon. At the 10 mile marker of the run that May of 2007...I was handed a 3' x 5' American Flag by my friend Liz, as she was volunteering with her work group to hand out water there. I had it rolled up. I unrolled it, put it on my shoulder and took off to the finish line. Those last three miles were awesome. It was unbelievable the response I got from people when I ran by them. If you've ever played sports and been in a big playoff game or just a rivalry game...you get that adrenaline rush when the game gets intense. That's the same feeling I got once again, in those last three miles when I'd run by a big group of people. At the finish line, I was met by a lot of people cheering me and all the other runners on...the finish was right in the FargoDome. Pretty sweet finish. You come through the garage where the team buses go for games there. They open it up and you run through to the finish line that's about 50 yards past that door. Going through that last three miles, I thought there's no way I can't do a half marathon the entire way with the red, white and blue!
Later on in 2007, I participated in the Dick Beardsley Half Marathon in Detroit Lakes, MN. That was in September. I remember that well, it was rainy, cold and not fun conditions. I did some more preparation thinking it would weight on my arms to hold Old Glory for the full 13.1 miles. It really didnt. My legs hurt more than anything because I wasn't used to running in cold rain. I had to stop at the 11 mile marker and warm up in a port-a-potty because I didn't think I was going to finish with all the cramping. I made sure I did, it took just under two hours and thirty minutes (2:27). I got some good coverage there with that run, with my main idea behind it being to remind me people why they enjoy the freedoms they do in the United States. In the first two half marathons I did, I wore a shirt, with on the front the words read: 'Land of the free, because of the brave' - with a picture of my friend Corey Rystad below it and 1985-2006 below that.
Matt Bradley, the guy who was doing the tv package from channel eleven, asked me off the air if I was going to do a full marathon anytime with the flag. I told him I just finished a full marathon, it just took me four months to do it. It was a joke of course...but I told him that I most likely would. I didn't think it would come so soon though.
A month after that Beardsley run, I remember telling my sister, I'm going to run with you in May. That meaning, I was going to do the full marathon. I asked her if it'd be alright to run with a friend joining us too. Physically he wasn't with me, but I had something that, when I see it, everytime, I think of him and others. The American Flag. When I have that on my shoulder running, I think of it as Corey there with me. He can't run, but I can carry him the distance. It's only a silver pole, with the Golden Eagle on the top, and the 3' x 5' Red/White/Blue nylon flag on my shoulder.
I was ready. Mentally...physically for this run.
It was a windy day. Very windy. The last 14 miles of a 26.2 mile run was into the wind, or at my side. Honestly, I liked it blowing at me instead of at my side. When it'd get to the side of me, that'd force the flag left or right, and off of my shoulder. That's when the arms came into play. It messed with my breathing pattern and messed with my running stride. It never messed with my mind though. I kept remember the one thing I needed to while I participated in that full marathon. Not "how much farther" or "when will this end"...but "why am I doing this?". Of the five W's (Who, What, When, Where & Why) always remember only one when it comes to your goal. 'Why?'. As long as you know the answer, you'll accomplish it.
The best part was, I finished. I didn't finish in the amount of time I set out for (4 hrs./30 min.) but I finished. I doubted my self twice during the run. Once at mile marker 9...the other at marker 17. I had to stop once and tell myself this wasn't for me...it's for Corey. Some lady asked me if I was hallucinating (sp?)...I guess I was saying "this is not for you, it's for Corey!...remember why you're doing this!" I didn't want to give up...but more important...I didn't want to let Corey down. I was helped at mile marker 18 of that race by three high school kids from Moorhead. I remember they told me they run track for Moorhead High...and about thirty seconds later I asked them where they were from. They thought I was kidding, unfortunately I wasn't. I asked one kid if he could get me some water while I stretched, since the next water stop wasn't for two miles and I was getting dehydrated. He brought me both gatorade and water, which was awesome! While I was stretching, I had one kid hold the flag for me. He asked me how tough it was running with it. I told him not as tough as losing a friend who fough for you and I to defend this country. The other kid next to him looked really nervous so I asked him how he was doing, he said, good, I'm glad you're doing alright and I'm glad you made it here before our practice. He told me he saw the tv story about me back in the fall and somehow heard I was going to run the full thing in Fargo. He told me he wanted to see me run and see how big the flag was that I carried and I guess he got that chance.
The last six miles or so, two nice ladies told me they'd finish with me since we were going about the same pace. Tanya and Carol were their names. There's pictures on my facebook page of them in my album.
Then at the end, because of a surgery my sister had in February of 2007, I couldn't run the full with her like I planned...but she recovered good enough to run the half. Then she met me at mile marker 25 and did the final mile with me. She's always been great about supporting me and continued to do so that day. I wanted her to finish with me, and I got my wish. Along with her, a guy by the name of John who is in the military now, finished with me as well in his PT uniform. I got escorted in by two great people.
You don't know how great it felt to turn that last corner by the FargoDome and know that you're only about .1 miles away from the line you set out to cross. I came down the ramp, crossed into the Dome and it was staring right at me....FINISH I made it! Forty yards before the finish line, I made a plan to talk to a couple people before finishing. I did like we always did before football game with Coach Drex...took a knee and prayed. I wrapped the flag around me, thanked God for giving me the strength, both mind and body to accomplish another huge goal...then talked to my friend Corey, thanking him for his service and dedication to everyone in the United States. For defending our freedoms, and fighting for the country he loved. It was emotional for me personally. I did something I told myself I wasn't going to...but my friend Dan Clark says it best in his book Gladiator: "Big boys don't cry, but men do." I guess they were tears for a lot of things...excited I made it...sadness for my friend Corey and his family of what they had to go through and a lot of other mixed emotions. I walked across the finish line with Nikki and John. I gave Nikki a hug after we got a little bit beyond the carpet. I thanked her for her support and inspiration she's provided for me. There's four keys you need to do something like this. They're Motivation...Inspiration...Preparation...Determination. You got those four, you'll get the job done!
Now you know.
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If you'd like to join my team, and have a favorite event that you take part in where you live, let me know. I'd love to come run with you, too. Even if you're not a runner and would like to see Philco's Freedom Team in action contact me. My goal is to run in as many different towns as possible, especially in Minnesota!
I keep it in the numbers though. Philco's 4:13...Four (4 races) half marathons (13.1 miles each) in memory and honor of my friend, Sgt. Corey Rystad of Red Lake Falls, MN.
Interesting tidbit: Corey's number in hockey back in high school was 4. My number back in high school basketball was 13. That's where Philco's 4:13 comes from.
That doesn't stop me from running in other events such as 5K/10K races and other special events that the Freedom Team is invited to!
I support and promote a great group and cause. For more information about that, check out the Sponsors part of this site. If you're able and willing, I encourage you to support this Minnesota based organization. They're here for our troops...and obviously, our troops are defending us!
Thanks for checking out my site!! I like to hear feedback and comments as well. Send me an email anytime!
