Happy Birthday to Me!

Tomorrow is my birthday.  I'll be 62.  There...that gets it over.

62.  Sixty-Two.  Six Score and Two.  7th decade of life.

I've gone beyond "you look good for your age" to "dang, man--you're old!"

Beyond professorial to doddling.

I have the body of a 20 year old...it's at home, in the freezer.

So what does it mean to be 62 in today's world?

It means you remember what cooking was like before microwaves.  You know what to do to with a rotary phone (or even what a rotary phone is).  You remember when there were 3 channels and always got mad when a Presidential address pre-empted all three channels.

At 62, you're a member of the Baby Boomer generation and proud of the work ethic that it seems to imply.  You might have gone through hardship but probably not too much.  Your parents made sure of that.

62 means that you aren't bothered as much by the senior citizen discounts or the constant AARP solicitations. 

62 means that you have no more time to waste in getting healthier.  The Grim Reaper now knows your name.  It means that you have no claim whatsoever on the term Middle Aged.

Oh, I don't feel so old.  I still ride my bike farther and faster than pretty much everybody around here (no disrespect David, Steve, Emil, Trent, and Barry-all of whom can kick my butt any day, any time). 

I have held up pretty well, if I do say so myself.

I still do 2-3 CrossFit workouts a week with buddies, most of which are quite a bit younger than me.  You'll have to ask them what it's like to keep up with the old man.

Biking, hiking, backpacking, paddleboarding, fly fishing, writing, painting, stained glass, gardening, farming....my interests are all over the place.

So what's next?

I still love my job, so retirement is still way off in the future.  I do want to travel more.  There's some places I haven't seen yet that are on my bucket list.  I still study and read constantly-fearful of growing irrelevant.

I've come to a better understanding of all those Gen Y's and Gen X's that now make up most of the work force.  The fact that they don't mow their own yard and cook far less often does not mean that they are lazier or less driven than we were.  It simply means that their values are different.

They value their personal time, their family time, and their down time.  My generation doesn't know what to do with down time. Or if we do, we just lay around and get fat.

If the 20-somethings and 30-somethings do something, they do it well.  They're smarter, better educated, more innovative, and much more likely to change the world. 

Sounds like a formula for me to follow for the next 62 years.

Hopefully you can teach an old dog new tricks.

Sunny Side Up!

I got called out again.  My piece a couple of weeks ago on my negative side (things I just don't like) generated some healthy discussion.

And since it's just not my nature to remain negative about anything, it was suggested to me by friends that I tell everybody about what I do like. OK.

I like Sunday mornings and pickup trucks.   The smell of coffee and the feel of a spring breeze.

I like long bike rides and piddling with my blueberry bushes. 

I said I didn't like shopping but that isn't entirely true.  I love shopping at Boyd Thomas Clothing.  Bill Womac is the style guru!  And Cycology/Little RIver.  They blow up my credit card every month. And The Market. 

I like dugouts when you're ahead or at least when you're the home team and know that you've got one more at bat.  I like parents that let the coach coach.

I like good restaurants but really like it when the owner is in the kitchen.  I like Benton's bacon and Cruze Farm milk.

I like curvy roads and long descents.  I like listening to my buddy talk non- stop on the bike even though it doesn't matter much what he has to say.  Or it does.

I like movies that tug at the heartstrings although I don't want to admit it.  (If you think I'm going to admit to liking The Notebook here in public, well you don't know me:  I'm not gonna risk losing my man-card.)

I like football jamborees and state championships and everything in between. 

I like Friday nights right before kickoff.  I like it when I walk into the coaches office and the boss yells "JoeBama."  He does stuff like that. 

I like riding home on the bus from a football win and listening to two of the best coaches ever dissect the game. 

I like seeing that kid on the team who is struggling, that needs a little pick-me-up.  Maybe it's a Starburst or a word of encouragement.  I like being that guy that maybe knows what they need and when the need it.

I like meals that include Jim Gaylor regardless of what's on the table. I like canoeing with friends and hiking with my wife. 

And speaking of my wife, I like coming home to her in the evenings, waking up with her in the mornings, and fixing breakfast for both of us.  And then cleaning up the kitchen.

I LOVE Spotify and listening to local artists like Robinella and Logan Brill.

I like having adult children and a family that is inclusive enough to embrace family members that aren't really related to us.   Of course I especially like all those grandchildren.

I like having a job that when the alarm goes off, I can't wait to get there to see what's going to happen.  I like being the person that people come to when they need to get healthier.  And I even like being stopped in a restaurant with a question related to that same thing.

When that sort of thing begins to bother me, it's time to quit.

And maybe most of all I like walking in the door and a grandkid yells "Joesie" or "Daddy Joe" and comes running and jumps into my arms.  It doesn't get any better than that.  

Taking Risks

I recently shared a photo of a buddy and I descending The Dragon on our bicycles.  Among the kinder comments was one from the wife of one of my college buddies who questioned my sanity for being on The Dragon, suggesting that I address those risks in a future column.

OK, here it is.

But first, let me talk a little about taking risks.

I believe that we are made to live full, robust lives.  I also believe that every time we get out of bed in the morning, we take risks.

Just think about your daily routine.  For many of us, our morning routine involves a drive somewhere.  Maybe it's to work or taking the kids to school or meetings or appointments or...you get the idea.

Now you may be a perfectly good driver with an impeccable driving record.  Always stay within the speed limit.  Always alert, practicing defensive driving. 

But along comes a 16 year old that just got their driver's license and they just HAVE TO answer that text message that just came through.  So they're driving a 3000 pound machine going 50 miles an hour when they fail to see that the light turned red.

They t-bone into your driver's door and you wake up in the emergency room.  Or not at all.

Risky?  Sure.  Scares me to death.

Or your travel is on an airplane (which, by the way, is one of the safest forms of travel that we have).   That airplane might weigh 735,000 pounds fully loaded.  That's 367.5 tons.

And those two engines, each about as tall as a man, is going to get this thing off the ground in the span of the typical runway?  If you understand that then tell me how a bumblebee flies.

What about singing in front of people.  Think you can do it?  Try it. 

Anytime you put yourself out in front of people to be scrutinized, to be judged, it is scary.  But you take that risk and move on or you don't and miss an opportunity.

Jump out of a perfectly good airplane?  Not for me.

These videos of a narrow path etched into the side of a cliff in some foreign country?  Scares me just watching them.

You see, life is full of risks.  Some calculated.  Some beyond on our control.  Some forced on us and there's nothing we can do about it.

The Dragon gets thousands of visitors on weekends, spring through fall.  It is a gorgeous drive and a fun road.  But it also has to be respected.

Descending that road on my bicycle, I'm going about 30 miles an hour, barely creeping for some of the motorcycles.  Risky?  Maybe.  But a life without some risks is boring indeed.  And besides that, it is a ton of fun.

The Efficiency of Running

My buddy Cecil had been off the bike for 7 months when he joined us last weekend.  It really wasn't anything but life getting in the way for him.

The bicycle takes a lot of time.  It's part of the reason that you see a lot of older folks on bicycles.  It's a lot easier to get away if you are an empty-nester.

There's no way I would ride as much as I do if I had children at home.  It's not only time with the kids but it's all the other things that you are responsible for. 

And that's what happened to Cecil.  He told me "I can run for 30 minutes and get about the same amount of exercise than biking for 2-3 hours."

That's actually quite true.  On the bicycle, if you're going to be good, you've got to spend a lot of time.  Too much time, actually.

Running may be the most efficient way to get your exercise in. 

It probably is the simplest too.  No equipment.  No schedule.  Just put on your running shoes and head out the door.

Just this morning, I saw two groups on my way into work; a group of three males and another group of four females.  I'm pretty sure they are the same groups that I see regularly on the Greenbelt.

Speaking of which, there may not be many better places to run than on the Greenbelt.  The track at one of our schools is OK but is there a prettier place to run than the Greenbelt?

It connects our parks, travels for much of its length along Pistol Creek, and yet has very few road crossings from one end to the other.

Turtles, ducks, geese, osprey...really in the heart of town you can see all kinds of wildlife. 

Originally created as a bike path to connect our communities, it has become a true local treasure for a lot reasons.  And a great place to go for a jog.

Back to that running thing:  About all you really need is that pair of shoes.  I recommend being fitted for good shoes made specifically for running and selected because of your foot.  You will need to visit a shoe store that knows runners and their feet to get all that.

The right shoes can make it a joy.  The wrong shoes can make it misery.  Running shoes are definitely not all the same. 

Contrary to popular opinion, you don't really need to stretch much before you run.  Stretching is best done after you run.  Just start out at a slow jog to get warmed up before you get up to cruising speed.

If you are over 40 are have any health issues, you really need to get the blessing of your primary care physician before starting on any exercise program.

Start slowly and build mileage very gradually.  The biggest problem I see in the clinic is when people try to go too fast or too far.  Like every exercise program, be smart about it.

Not at first, but before long, you will be looking forward to that run and the health benefits that go along with it.  

Meet (Old) Joe Black

I once did a column where I interviewed a much younger Joe Black.  Today, I get to interview Old Joe Black (OJB) at 90.

JB:  Ninety.  Did you think you would make it this far?

OJB:  Actually I did.  When my dad had his first heart attack, I dedicated my life to living long and living well.

JB:  About that living well thing, how has it worked out for you?

OJB:  I don't know...I'm still around.  Can't hear worth squat.  I do lose my keys about every other day but then my daughter thinks I shouldn't be driving anyway.  Especially not on my motorcycle.

JB:  Speaking of that, are you still on the bicycle?

OJB:  Oh yeah.  Still out there with Steve and Emil although we can't keep up with Kadena and Maysoun anymore.  They're only in their 60's. 

JB:  When your own kids were growing up, you coached pretty much everything.  I always thought you would coach your grandkids.

OJB:  Well, I realized that was a parent's job.  Or maybe it was that I realized that the lessons that a parent can learn from coaching other kids is too valuable for my kids to pass up.  Or maybe it was something else. I forget.  I do that a lot lately. Forget things, I mean.

JB:  You used to play basketball all the time.  Ever shoot hoops anymore?

OJB:  Shot free throws just last week.  I won't tell you how many I hit (mainly because I can't remember).  I thought it was pretty cool that David Marsh's great-granddaughter just took over the girls basketball program at Alcoa. Always a Marsh. 

JB:  What about your diet?  Still on that low carbohydrate thing?

OJB:  Absolutely.    It's part of the reason I'm still here.  Although my Benton's Bacon intake has gone up.  Three mornings a week, like clockwork.  Allan Benton is still the king.

JB:  What about our grandkids?

OJB:  They're all out there in the real world.  One's a doctor.  One's a lawyer.  We've got one still racing motorcycles.   I think he's going to end up as a stuntman. The artist is still trying to decide whether to paint or design clothes.  More money in the latter, I think.   I'm pretty sure there's a CEO in one's future.  And then there's the one in the NFL.  Randall Cobb is his coach, you know.

JB: I didn't know that.

OJB:  Yeah, they won the Super Bowl last year. 

JB:  What would you have done differently?

OJB:   I wish I had taken up fly fishing earlier.  I really enjoy that.  Rusty  Humphreys got me into it way back in 2015. 

JB:  Any regrets?

OJB: Well...there was the time that...well, not really.  But then there was the time that...no, didn't really regret that either.  Nope.  No regrets.

Shedding the Rose-Colored Glasses

I got accused of doing the rose-colored glasses thing again last week.

A couple of years ago, I wrote about someone that just found me too positive, too cheery all the time.  Told me I was always looking at the world through rose-colored glasses.

OK.  Maybe.  I do always try to be positive.  The way I figure it, there's too much negativity in the world anyway.

Oh, I get my barbs in sometimes.  Most of it is hidden but not too deep. 

But I do have things that I really dislike.  So today, I'm gonna try and write about negatives...things I just don't like.

Like long fingernails on men.  Just can't stand it.  I guess it's just a personal grooming thing but I think it is partly just plain ol' laziness.

And reality TV.    I don't like Lima beans but I've learned to like Brussels Sprouts. 

I hate cancer or heart disease and wish no one had to suffer through either.  I don't like cigarettes but I do understand it is an addiction.

I hate cars that try and scare me on my bike and I've really not gotten a clear understanding of kale.  I don't like long lines, traffic, or bad service in a restaurant.

I don't like airplane delays, shopping in person, pretentiousness, or paperwork (and goodness knows that I do enough of that one).

I definitely don't like prejudice.  (Oh yeah...there's a big one for me.)

In today's world, I just don't see how it can continue to exist.  I cannot understand for the life of me how people can judge one another by the color of their skin.  Or their religion.  Or their culture.

But it happens.  A lot. Just ask someone that is in any kind of a minority what it feels like.  Or visit another country yourself, one that differs significantly from your world.

I believe in the freedom of expression but there are those that fly the Confederate flag for all the wrong reasons.  I have a friend even more southern than me that talks about the War of Northern Aggression  and we all laugh about it.

But more often than we want to admit, flying those stars and bars is a racist expression.   And so in my world, there is no place for it. 

I guess I just don't understand prejudice toward gender.  I raised my daughter to believe that she was not limited to things just because she was a girl.  Honey Boo Boo is the antithesis of my child-rearing philosophy. 

So, there you have it.  Things I hate. My first negative column. But don't expect it to be a regular feature.  I really hate negativity.  

2015 Sports Physical Therapy Section Election

This is quite a deviation from my usual blog. 

For one thing, it isn't taken directly from my weekly newspaper column.  This one is written for just one place--this blog. 

Secondly, it isn't intended to inform, educate, or enlighten.  It is intended for the small audience of physical therapists that are members of the American Physical Therapy Association's (APTA) Sports Physical Therapy Section (SPTS) in an effort to convince those members that I am the best candidate for Secretary of that organization.

Oh...I didn't tell you?  Yeah, I'm running for an office in an organization that is dear to my heart.  More on that later. 

Let me tell you about how I got involved with the SPTS.

A long time ago, when I was younger and not so gray, I made friends with Danny Smith.  Danny is a physical therapist and athletic trainer based in Elizabethton, Tennessee.  I really don't recall exactly where or when we first met but it does seem like we've always connected.

We have been great friends many, many years.  We've shared good times, bad times, and too many meals to even try and count.  He's one of those guys that has always been there for me. I can only hope that I've been that kind of friend to him.

About that same time, and mainly because of Danny, I became friends with some really great people that just happened to also be sports physical therapists.  Among those are Tab Blackburn, Mike Voight, Barney Poole, Skip Hunter, Tim Uhl.

We would go to meetings and hang out together, usually rooming together.  In the early days, the Sports Section would get a suite for the big meetings and the guys would crash in one room and the girls in another. 

You can imagine the bonding that came from that.

Along the way, my circle of SPTS friends grew.  Barb Sanders.  Barb Hoogenboom.  Pete Zulia.  Joe Giorno.  Bill Prentice.  George Davies.  Kevin Wilk.  Ron Peyton.  Bob Mangine.  Terry Malone.

Now think about it....these are the elite in our profession.  These folks teach, write textbooks, are widely published, speak internationally.  They've served at all levels from professional teams to 

Olympic teams and everything in between.

And they let this country boy from Maryville, Tennessee, who spent his time in a small private practice and on high school sidelines become a part of what they had.

What they had was phenomenal.  They had a network of contacts and practices that were perpetually cutting edge.  They were the first to know and do everything.  I mean, George Davies practically invented isokinetics.  Most physical therapy students today study a Bill Prentice textbook.

Mike Voight travels the world teaching about sports physical therapy.  Kevin Wilk is...well, Kevin Wilk!  Jim Andrews' right hand man!

The SPTS Hall of Fame Award is named after Tab Blackburn, for goodness sake.

Along this journey, my circle of friends kept expanding.  John Stemm.  Allen Hardin.  Gordon Eiland.  Tim Tyler.  Mark DeCarlo.  Gary Derscheid.  Walt Jenkins.  The list goes on and on.

I'll stop there because I will miss somebody but let's just say that the list just keeps growing.  That's the thing about the SPTS--it is all about inclusivity.  We bring everybody in and take them along for the ride.

Oh, along the way, I've done a lot of good things.  The '87 Pan-Am games. The '96 Olympics.  Speaking engagements of my own both far and wide.  Getting elected to a national office at the APTA.

The bottom line:  My association with the SPTS has given me opportunities and opened doors for me that when I was a physical therapy student in 1976 and joined the SPTS, I could only dream about.  I alluded to that in my campaign statement (https://www.spts.org/elections-2015/joe-black-secretary) but now you know the whole story.

And about that joining the SPTS as a student.  When I inquired about it, I got in big trouble with my program director.  Got called into her office over it.  "You're NOT going to waste this valuable physical therapy degree that we're giving you by working with athletes."

Uh...yeah.  They get injured too.

So I've built my career around it.  I still see patients three days a week, mostly athletes.  I still walk the football sidelines at the high school I've been at since 1982.  BTW, we win more than our share.  Since 1997, we have played in every state championship game except 2, and have won all of those that we've played in except three.  If you're counting, that's 12 state championships in 15 appearances over 17 years.  And I work for the winningest high school football coach in America (George Quarles--look it up).

Yes, I've worn a lot of hats for the SPTS but I've never ran for an elected office.  Until now. 

I've said "it's time to give back" but it's more than that.  Those opportunities and experiences that I've had through these years has given me a skillset that I truly believe can help our Section continue to grow and evolve.

Don't get me wrong--we have the best Section in APTA.  No doubt.  3 publications.  An engaged membership.

But we can be bigger.   Better.  Stronger. 

I'll close with my favorite line of poetry from Browning:

    That low man goes on adding one to one

   His hundred's soon hit:

   This high man aiming at a million

   Misses an unit.

I believe the Sports Physical Therapy Section should aim for a million.  We have the shoulders of giants to stand on so the path is already there.

Vote for me and I'll do everything I can to see that we get there.

Joe Black, PT, DPT, SCS, ATC