After driving for nearly 3,500 miles within a week’s time, a half marathon or training getting set for such an event doesn’t seem so bad after all. 
A road trip out east to the north shore of Massachusetts seemed to be fitting for the final run of 2011.  I didn’t feel like taking a plane there so driving was the next option. 

The trip started on Tuesday the 20^th at 4am.  I made it as far as I wanted to go, about 1,000 miles the first day to the Cleveland, Ohio area.  After a long day of driving, around 17 hours, it was time to rest and get prepared for the last day of driving to get me out to the east coast.  1,716 miles later, the destination of Danvers, MA was reached around 8pm EST on Wednesday evening. 

On the way I picked up my friend Jessi from Springfield, MA who was getting set to complete her first half marathon with Lisa and I on Saturday the 24^th in Salem, MA. 

Lisa along with her husband Derek hosted us for the weekend at their home in Danvers.  I met Lisa and Derek at the UND Homecoming 10K event in Grand Forks, ND almost exactly two years ago, on October 3^rd, 2009.  She was the last person I passed on the way into the finish that morning.  She came up to me after the race to visit and talk about my purpose of running.  I told her I’d try and make it out to the east coast sometime for a run.  I didn’t know at the time how that was going to happen or exactly when, but things worked out this year to make it happen. 

This would have been Lisa’s second half marathon and she did extremely well finishing just over two hours on a hilly course on a humid morning with temperatures in the mid-60’s.  A little too warm for my liking when it comes to running, but you have to accept the conditions regardless as you can’t control them.  Jessi did good too for her first half, finishing under 2:50 with a final time around 2:48.  I finished this race with a time of just over 2:26, meeting a lot of new people on the route through the city of Salem. 

Prior to the run I stayed in touch with race director Brandi Dion who graciously allowed us into the race at no charge.  Along with that, following the race, two of their volunteers gave me a Wicked Half Marathon glass and extra bag for keep sake and as a “thank you” for coming and running for our fallen soldiers.  I went up to their table to ask how much the glasses were because I wanted to purchase one to have for memorabilia from this run, but a guy that was part of it came up behind me and grabbed my arm, shook my hand and told me “Thank you for your service my man, what ever you want on this table, take one.  It’s the least we can do for you coming all the way out here and running for the guys who deserve it most.”  I explained to him that I never served and as I explained it he was shaking his head and cut me off, telling me that I’m serving those who are in the military, in a way that no one can explain without witnessing it for themselves.  

Before the run started, B & S Fitness (Brandi and her husband Steve) had asked if I would be the flag fixture for the runners during the National Anthem.  Much like the race in Marquette, MI just a few weeks prior to this, I gladly accepted.  Steve directed me to the middle of the road where the runners were getting set for the race and told me to wait there.  Moments later he got on the bull horn and went through some rules and guidelines for all of us running that morning followed by “We’d like to welcome Kurt Philion from Minnesota who is here to run for our fallen soldiers today…he goes around the United States running in events while carrying the American flag you see in his hand right now.”  I had two guys in the crowd of runners walk up to me as this was happening and thank me for “doing what you do” while shaking my hand then slowly making their way back into the crowd.   The people in Salem and throughout the Massachusetts area absolutely loved the patriotism shown Saturday morning.  No wonder their home team is called the New England Patriots.  During the run I encountered a guy on a bike out for a ride that morning come by on the other side of the street yell out to me, “PATRIOTS!  THE PATS!  I LIKE IT!  PATS!”  I thought for a second someone slapped a Patriots sticker on me somewhere, I’m not sure why he was yelling that, but I was the only one around him at that time. 

This course was very scenic too.  Going through the streets of Salem you saw a lot of buildings through a tight street setting.  Cars parked on one side with only a lane to our left for cars coming from both directions to drive through.  It made it a little stressful at times knowing that the cars were so close and some didn’t want to go very slow, but a lot of the drivers were like that from what I experienced this past week/weekend.  They really liked to use their horns too. 

During the race, at points, this became a positive thing.  One guy, with about four cars behind him, slowed way down coming at us from the other direction, rolled down his window and started honking his horn sticking his arm out the window, with an arm from the back sticking out too, all of them chanting “U S A!  U S A!”, and a couple girls in there just plain yelling and screaming.  I did have a car that passed by us very slow with the windows rolled down already with a girl that yelled out “I love you!” while blowing a kiss.  And who says people on the east coast are mean??

Of the four half marathons for 2011, the final three (Duluth, MN; Marquette, MI & this one in Salem, MA) we had the chance to run next to water.  In Duluth & Marquette next to Lake Superior…this time…the Atlantic Ocean.  This type of year makes for a memorable experience no matter who you are running or for what purpose.  

I can honestly say this year has been yet another great chance to take part in some very well run events.  From 5K’s to half marathons…a 25 mile specialty run in June…and a run to remember another fallen soldier from his funeral location to the burial grounds the end of August from Fosston to Lengby, MN – there so much to look back on and realize you might be making a difference in someone’s life by doing this. 

Each event gives you something special to remember.  Some things you’d never want to see, such as a young kid standing on the side of the road with his dad during that memorial run for Sgt Matt Harmon, watching as we passed he takes off his hat and puts his hand on his heart, with tears in his eyes.  To an instance of a nice lady in Salem coming up to me after a race asking how she can help out in any way to support the organization I’m aligned with to help out war vets.  That along with war vets coming up to me, telling me their stories that they wouldn’t tell anyone else.  Meeting the friends and family members of other fallen soldiers throughout the United States in Minnesota, North Dakota, Wisconsin, Michigan and now Massachusetts.  Talking to truckers (who make very long road trips all of the time) at a rest stop in Indiana about your trip: where you’re going and why you’re going.  Hearing them wish you good luck and telling you to keep up the good work.  To meeting a stranger who you soon find out is part of a missionary group called Varsity Catholic out of Madison, WI.  I got an email from Blake prior to my trip out east that simply said this:
“Hey Kurt, just wanted to let you know that my team is praying for you on your journey. If you are going to stop by in Madison anytime, just let me know and we can grab a bite to eat.”

Just a guy willing to support you in some way during all of your trips, training and running events.  To some it might not mean much, but to get a message like that from a guy I met at a gas station in Wisconsin on my way home, and thanks to my KC Chiefs hat, talked to me for a while asking “So, you’re a Chiefs fan, huh?” – turned out to forward on to continued communication with someone that is interested in knowing how the running is going.  You just never know who you’re going to meet when you’re on the road. 

The last thing I’d like to do in this blog is thank those who have once again supported me throughout the fifth year of my journey of running to remember our fallen soldiers.

My family – my friends – my trainers (Chris especially) – my sponsors – my hosts (Heidi & Paul in Duluth; Hank, JoEllen, Crystal & Jason in Michigan; Derek & Lisa in Massachusetts) for your hospitality and generosity.  To the media (KRJM/KRJB Radio, The Gazette of Red Lake Falls, MN; WDAY in Fargo; FM Spotlight;  Fargo Forum; Grand Forks Herald; Duluth Tribune; Hillsboro Banner; Fox-21 of Duluth; ABC-Duluth; Farmers Independent of Bagley, MN; NBC-6 of Marquette, MI; Salem News paper) and any others that I may have forgotten that have contributed print, audio or tv packages about our cause.  These soldiers deserve to be recognized.  They deserve much more than that.

Along with the fallen, I also dedicated the 2011 running year to a fellow runner and friend who couldn’t take part in the remainder of his running for this year – and won’t be able to make it to his goal location: the Boston Marathon.  After qualifying by twenty-one seconds with a time of 3:14:39 at a race near St. Cloud, MN on May 14^th, 2011, Paul Melby of my home county (Red Lake County) in Minnesota, Paul accepted his medal and shortly after that collapsed and was not able to be revived.  He died at the age of 35 leaving behind a wife and three kids.  Paul told me last summer after a 5K he won in his home town Oklee, MN to set goals and work hard to achieve them.  To never give up no matter how tough things seem.  To keep doing what I’m doing for my friend and all of the soldiers we run for…followed by expressing to me his goal to qualify for the Boston Marathon someday.  I got the chance to tour Boston last week on Thursday.  My final run this year took place just twenty miles north of the famous Boston Marathon where Paul should be running this coming April.  I didn’t know him well, but I came to find out he was a big supporter of what we do.  He told me to keep blogging because he liked reading the stories, the quotes and “motivating material” as he put it following each run or certain times during training I post.  Therefore, it will continue.  As it’s stated on the white band that wrapped around my right wrist this year for the majority of my runs, “RIP P.M.”  -- Rest in peace, Paul Melby.  Watch us now and in the future in a special seat next to all of the fallen soldiers with you up there. 

Thanks for reading, thanks for supporting! 

I’m going to rest now…but not for long.  I’ll be back in the gym before you know it.  They can’t keep me away for too long! 

Motivation – Inspiration – Preparation – Deterimination
We run to remember
We’ll never forget