ENDURE: December 26, 2013

This One Goes to Eleven

Perhaps many of you will remember that famous scene from the mockumentary movie, This is Spinal Tap, where the character Nigel Tufnel gives a tour of his stage equipment and points out one guitar amplifier whose control knobs all have the highest setting of eleven, not ten like standard amplifiers, believing that this numbering actually increases the volume of the amp ("It's one louder"). When asked why the ten setting is not simply set to be louder, Nigel responds, "These go to eleven.”   (Watch it HERE.)

Such is the popularity that “these go to eleven” has become an idiom in popular culture, which has come to refer to anything being exploited to its utmost abilities, or exceeding them.

When I joined Pro-Activity in January I wrote a few goals on the “goal board” in the gym. One of those goals - do ten perfect pull-ups (palms facing away, pull all the way up, lower all the way down) - was pretty aggressive for me.  I was starting at two and never in my entire life had I been able to do more than five.  Run a 100 miles in a day? No problem. Six pull-ups? Not so easy. Ten? Never even considered. But I wanted to try now.

I bought a pull-up bar and mounted it in one of the doorways in my home. Every time I passed it I would attempt a pull-up. And if I couldn't do any I just hung there, getting used to my own weight.

Soon, with the combination of frequent practice and training at Pro-Activity, I was gaining strength and increasing my reps. By March I was able to do six - yeah a new PR!

Unfortunately that psychological high only lasted a short time; I fell while running in the woods and absorbed most of the impact with my elbow. I could barely bend my arm and was forced to stop most of my strength training. I visited our PT-extraordinaire, Amy Weller for ultrasound treatment, which helped in reducing the swelling.... But her message was clear: don't do anything to stress it!  It was definitely frustrating.  I needed three weeks of “rest” to arrive at minimal soreness, not even perfect.

Upper body training was never high on my priority list but I saw that my running and overall well-being was benefiting from it, so I sought to get back into it quickly.

Throughout the summer I kept at it, getting stronger and getting closer to my goal, but then another setback, a major one:  I injured my rotator cuff while competing in a Tough Mudder event. I actually didn't realize the extent of the injury until a few weeks following the race I lifted something at home and nearly screamed in pain. Lifting my arm, rotating the shoulder, sleeping... All super painful. I visited Amy again and she gave me some exercises that were so simple but I could not do them.

I shelved my pull-up goal and told myself that just like everything else I do, I had to stick with this, do the exercises and see what happens. Weeks turned into months and I slowly improved and graduated to progressively harder exercises. But the thought of hanging from a bar was scary - I didn't want to get hurt again.  It took a long time to gain strength and I was fearful of another setback. I continued to train in other ways, all contributing to my pull-up strength, but actually hanging from that pull-up bar was off limits in my mind…until it wasn't.

Every day I walked into the gym I saw my goal written at the top of the board - it was simultaneously a tease, a challenge and a desire. I always finish everything I start...sometimes a little longer than planned but I tend to stick to stuff.  I owe it to myself to try, I thought. Early November I grabbed the bar and hung for a few seconds - no pain. Kept doing this followed by stretching and soon I sent a note to Amy: “Have been working on the moves you gave me and apparently it's working. I did 2 pull-ups today without any pain at all. Probably could do more but don’t want to go crazy.”

It was cathartic to write - the pain, the fear, the limits that injury put on me all went away with that note and her response was equally awesome, a reminder of who I was. “Yay!  Good for you!!  I'm not surprised, though.  The winners in the fight against shoulder pain are those that stay in it for the long haul. Way to go, Joe!”  Thank you Amy!

Six weeks till the end of the year, could I reach my goal? “Yes, I thought it was very possible!” I continued to follow my plan: stretching, range of motion exercises, strengthening, practice, practice, and practice.  And then I got some inspiration from “the students.” I was in the gym one day and witnessed three of our athletes testing before they left for the wrestling season.  There was Ryan Pomrinca, Eric Martin and Luke Appravato each doing 20+ pull-ups. In fact, Eric wasn’t satisfied with his number and tried again, upping his total from the first round.  “Damn, they’re strong, I thought” but I didn’t feel outclassed; rather I was thinking, “Why not me? I want that 10, I know I can do it.”   Thanks guys!

I arose yesterday and after completing my usual morning exercise routine, I grabbed hold of that pull-up bar, hung for a second, thought “why not me, I know I can do it.”  And soon I was at eight and it was no big deal, then nine – I’m gonna do it, I’m gonna do it – then ten, then eleven…and that was it.  I DID IT!!! Thrilled, I told my wife (“Good for you Joe!”), then I texted Eric, “I know you will get the significance of this, “I just did 11 Pull-ups!!!” “THAT’S AWESOME!” he replied almost immediately.

Yes, it is awesome, and to be sure it wasn’t a fluke, I tried again this morning – 11 once again. “These go to eleven” actually had relevance beyond the number: I exploited my perceived ability and took it one further... it’s time to raise the bar and keep going.

Always Believe,

~Joe G

CONNECT: December 23, 2013

Magical Doesn't Always Require Magic

I was having writer's block.  It was time for me to sit down and write the weekly communication and I wasn't sure what to write.  The week has been a blur with so much planned and even more actually taking place, something that most can relate to this time of year.  There were certainly a few paragraphs in there, but nothing inspired.  I could go with a "year in review;” there is a TON that could be covered there, but it wasn't flowing out all that well, so I decided to close the laptop and get a run in - nothing quite like hard exertion to clear the mind.  It was crisp but not bitterly cold and it was a loop I've run countless times so my mind wandered.

I got back from the run tired, but in a refreshed way and checked my email. I saw a note from a friend who is one of the few folks I know who can consistently make a story magical (you're a good man Steve).  He wished me well and then shared a story - an absolute classic about Christmas memories ranging from his own 5th grade with his Dad all the way through moments when he was the dad in the story; moments beyond happy memories, all the way to magical moments. It made me think of a conversation I witnessed between my 9 year old and a friend the day before as I drove them to the activity of the day.  They were groaning about how slowly the week had been going and how they COULDN'T WAIT until school was out on Friday. To them it was like time was standing still. They talked excitedly about what was "on their list".  It made me smile - purely magical for them, no other way to describe it.

I found myself thinking back to a super-cool "miracle" that the people from WestJet pulled off.  They captured it on video HERE (http://youtu.be/zIEIvi2MuEk) .  What was so cool to me was the pure joy on the faces of not only the people who "got" the miracle, but those who pulled it off too.  Magical.

I hope it's been a great year for you.  I hope your family, friends and loved ones are well. Most of all I hope, whether this next week entails a religious celebration for you or not, that you let yourself get wrapped up in it all; that you take a minute to let it be magical, whether through memories-shared or along with friends that you allow yourself to experience it like a little kid again because when you do that, it might just be magical or as my buddy Steve says:

"with the love and joy of all that Christmas is – a belief in things that for all conventional intelligence cannot be…but are."

Have a great weekend,

Mike E.

CONNECT: December 16, 2013

Why Bringing it Home Matters....

I think it all started with the inside out pajamas.  I had never heard of that tradition until a few years ago, but now after a few "what is this for?" moments, I am well versed that if you go "inside-out" the night before a snowstorm, your odds of having a snow-day are massively increased.....or something like that.  So I probably should've known that the following day would be a little crazier than usual when I went to my six-year-old son's bedside for the nightly sign-off and saw that he had gone inside out......but who thinks of those things right?

As it turned out, snow was indeed coming, and school was indeed closed....no worries though, my mom (a school-administrator) was also therefore going to be home for the day - so it'd be a kid-rally at Grammy's.  The day was about as smooth as a day against the weather can be and I finally got back to the area.  I texted my Mom that I'd be by to pick up the kids and that was that.

As I walked in and said hello to my Dad, the conversation went something like this:

Dad - "do me a favor and check on your Mom"......

Mike - "why?"

Dad - "she fell"

Mike - "fell?"

Dad - "she was hanging Christmas ornaments, but she's OK"

Mike - "oh man"

I went inside to find my Mom sitting with foot elevated. She told me the (3 foot) ladder started to tip and she jumped off of it on the way down (as she winced in pain to move her leg so I could take a look).  At that moment, in one great rush of thought, every presentation I have attended or been a part of flashed across my cortex.  This was ladder safety 101 combined with landing mechanics combined with safe ascending/descending combined with knee and hip control.  Although my initial thought was "why where YOU on the ladder instead of the (more agile perhaps) kids?" I quickly got to "why was no one holding the ladder" and then to "why have I never made a point to share all of the scary stuff I've learned about falls from even (seemingly) small heights?".

Unfortunately, after evaluating her knee and ankle I shared with her what we both thought to be "bad-news", a conclusion that was confirmed by x-ray the next morning. After talking to the surgeon on the phone and hearing his recommendations for immobilization and limited mobility for a while (but thankfully no surgery) I couldn't help but wonder if my Mom would be paying a fairly steep price for my failed assumption that "ladder safety is mostly commonsense anyway right?".   Sure, it could've been a lot worse.....and I'll continue to tell her that the moral of the story is that old-ladies don't belong on ladders.....even really active ones......but the bottom line on this one is that although we don't always know how or when we'll need them most, those safety lessons do make a lot of sense.....but they can only be "common" when we share them and use them everywhere they apply.

Have a great (and safe) weekend,

Mike E.

CONNECT: December 6, 2013

The Gift of Genuine Feedback

Did you ever stop and think exactly how critical the feedback from the world around us is? No, not just the "formal" feedback that we get, like performance-reviews or instructions from a mentor, but ALL of the feedback we get.....whether it be as geeky-sounding as mirror-neurons (something I've mentioned before and is just so darn cool as far as I'm concerned) or as the seemingly "natural" yet uncannily accurate way that people can read the feedback in facial expressions (take a simple test HERE).....we rely on two way communication to get through life.  What's really fascinating to me though is that despite being more connected than ever, we all still get so much meaning out of real, personalized feedback.  The impact it has on the choices we make is massive and it doesn't matter who you are, your opinion (as expressed by your feedback) matters......sometimes more than you ever thought at the time.

A few months back a professional colleague and professor at Rutgers University asked me to come in and give a 90 minute lecture for her class of "second-year" students in the Physical Therapy Doctoral program there.  I was really excited, but a little nervous too, excited because I love to "teach", nervous because (as is hard to hide) I'm passionate about the role that all healthcare providers can have in helping people achieve their best, but am sensitive to being the "guy from the real world" who came in and scared them to death with the real responsibility (I believe) they have. I did what I could to keep it light, but there's no doubt, once the passion started flowing, I hit them with a fairly challenging message - one that in simple terms included things like "the health of society is just not good enough and WE, as in each of us in healthcare, you included, MUST do better".  It wasn't mean-spirited or scolding, after all, they're not even "in" the professional ranks yet, but it was a bit of a kick to the beehive, something that my professor-friend knew she would get by giving me (of all PTs) the floor and a soapbox to stand on.  I left with a few handshakes and a couple "thanks for coming" type phrases, got in my car and wondered like I often do after a presentation, "did the message get through?" a tiny bit worried I had morphed into scary-guy.

As I wrapped up for the day I noticed that a few of the students mentioned the lecture in their latest "tweets" and a few other professionals chimed in to give their support.....and then about an hour later I got some twitter-feedback from a student that made my day:

"@mikeeisenhart you gave one of the most amazing lectures I've had as a #DPTStudent ! Left campus feeling inspired and motivated.  Thank you!"

Whoa! I never would have thought 140 characters could be so meaningful, but it was.  It was personalized and genuine, and although simple, it totally made my day.  In three less than complete sentences, the student left me hoping, despite the effort and time required during one of the craziest times of the year, that I get asked back to do it again. As I was so powerfully reminded, whether that little nudge and thumbs up from someone who noticed the effort you made or the smirk you get from someone who understands your unique sense of humor, feedback allows us to thrive.

So although this message is far too long to tweet - here is some genuine feedback:

There is less than one month before 2013 is over.  We sincerely hope you are still on track to make it the year of YOU, but whether you smash your goals or fall short, whether you get across the finish line triumphantly with arms raised or you didn't even attempt one forward move, achieving starts with believing......and we believe.  No matter how many false-starts or deflating-setbacks........working safer, living safer and achieving health CAN be done.  Whenever you're ready, we're here to help.

Have a great weekend,

Mike E.

CONNECT: November 27, 2013

May you "get to" too!

Every week for the last few years I've sat down, usually on Wed or Thursday, to write a weekly note that involves our work in the world of Prevention, Wellness, and the related......something that celebrates Human Achievement and honors the pursuit of it.  Once per month that same note goes out to a broader audience (you all) using a very simple sign-off - "now go do something extraordinary" - which hopefully makes it clear what we believe: that each and every person we are lucky enough to work with is truly capable of - the extraordinary - AND that when you MOVE enough, FUEL well, RECOVER adequately, ENDURE both the good times and those difficult, and CONNECT with the right people on your way, extraordinary can even be predictable!  And yet, this week I found myself searching for words.....rare, I know.

Sure, the obvious choice would be to write a quick Thank-You to all of our clients, for allowing us to be part of their journey......but with catlike reflexes Eric jumped all over that in his monthly note to the (M360) training clients......he's pretty quick.....but then, after scratching a bunch of less worthy ideas, sometime shortly after 7A, I was inspired by a very simple, less than five minute conversation.

A friendly face walked into the room prior to a presentation I was scheduled to give, shook my hand and we had an exchange for a bit about the upcoming holiday.  If you were to read the dialog it would seem like chatter at best.....but it wasn't. What struck me was the genuine smile as the gentleman answered my very boring "anything special planned for the holiday?" question.  He looked me right in the eyes, smiled and said "I get to spend time with my wife.....that's pretty special".

YES!  He's EXACTLY right.

It's not quite over but 2013 has been an incredible, and sometimes roller coaster-esque year.  So many exciting adventures, and still some very hard "lows".  Today alone I got to "like" the joy of a new birth and within the hour feel the cutting despair of a family's loss.  It made me realize exactly how right that genuine smile, only a few hours earlier was.  

We might each use a slightly different set of terms, perhaps maybe use the word "family" or "kids" or "friend" or "husband" or "loved one" or "pet" or "self" or WHATEVER in place of "wife" in his statement......but the wisdom of the statement remains:  I get to spend time......that's pretty special. Nothing extraordinary......but NOTHING ordinary about it.

I hope you get-to too......and if you're looking for a group to join up with, look for the sea of green in-and- around Flemington, NJ at 8:45 AM tomorrow.

Now go do something TOTALLY ordinary,

Mike Eisenhart, PT

Managing Partner, Pro-Activity