Today was a beautiful, sunny March 10th in Austin. Spring is in the air. There is nothing like going out for a run on a day like today.
I rarely (if ever) run with an mp3 player as I like having the time to be able to disconnect from the noise of my daily world. It is a time to be at one with the sounds of my breathing, the pitter patter of my foot strikes, and the absolute pleasure of being alive. Thoughts come and go and my mind wanders freely. Reflection. Being. Present.
Then, in the purity of the moment, the thought crossed my mind: am I living the vivid existence that is worthy of time and life on planet earth? And, with all due respect to the Tragically Hip - am I living fully, completely?
The best month of the year will be upon us tomorrow. No, it's not the month of my birthday. No, it's not the holiday season. No, it's not even the start of college football season - and that's a darn good month.
March is upon us. The days are getting longer. Daylight savings time begins this month. SXSW is a March phenomenon in Austin. But wait - there's more. How about March Madness? Add in the start of the F1 season, and you have a lot of reasons to celebrate - or, at least I do.
In the meantime, we have rhubarb to discuss. With no further adieu, here is Episode 061.
Hype. Pageantry. Red carpet. Lame jokes. Lousy masters of ceremony. Paparazzi. Outfits that only People Magazine could appreciate. Wardrobe malfunctions. And all points in between.
You've seen it on TV many times before: the Academy Awards. But for that matter, it could be the Grammy Awards or the Golden Globes or any one of countless awards ceremonies. Frankly, the statuette doesn't matter. Nor does the genre. And you certainly don't have to be a fan of awards shows on TV.
What is most important is the passion underlying these celebrations of creativity. It is the beauty of an artist, diving deep within, to find something bigger than themselves - and then to share it with the world.
One day. One second. One moment. That is all it takes for your world to change dramatically. When you are in the midst of it, you may not even realize it is happening.
The journey of life is a series of binary decisions - right or left, up or down, black or white - that wind us through time and bring us to the here and now. At any given point in time, we may have a destination based on goals or a 50,000 foot overview of our life. We may have a plan of how we are going to get there. It could consist of today's todo list, a monthly schedule, or a five- or ten-year plan. We have a set of expectations that we think serve as the basis for our future life: career, love, or happiness in general.
Then, the path changes. We hit an inflection point. Life happens.
Happy Valentine's Day, everyone. Was your day filled with chocolate? Hallmark? Roses? Or was it just a transitional day between the 13th and the 15th?
In 2011, I wrote a post entitled "365 Valentines A Year". I took the time to read it again today. It was then that I remarked that "perhaps in the midst of our daily lives, we lose sight that each and every day really should be filled with the love of friends and family and intimate companions. Perhaps each and every day we should appreciate the presence of those people in our lives that make our world a better place". A reminder of some very important things, indeed.
Another 365-day-a-year proposition is fresh rhubarb. It can be found each and every day. So with that in mind, I bring you episode 60 of the Rhubarb Report.
Pro football's finest hour (or four) will soon be upon us. The Super Bore is this weekend. With any luck, it won't be a bore, though the majority of them have had little in terms of excitement. Past history would indicate a good chance of a blowout. Maybe this year will be different. If not, we can always just turn it off and discuss deer antler spray or Randy Moss' legacy in the meantime.
With fingers crossed for a great game this weekend, let's take first down and ten and move along to episode 059 of the Rhubarb Report.
Flip flops. You see a lot of them in Austin in the summer time. The perfect summer time footwear.
You also frequently see a different kind of "flip flop" in the world of politics, when legislators suddenly change their stance on an issue to fall in line, gain political leverage, or improve their likability. But these "flip flops" are no longer limited to politics. The world of sport is rampant with them now. Sadly, the "flip flop" appears to have become the norm these days.
With that in mind, episode 058 of the Rhubarb Report deals with just a few flip flops, fiascos, and some words from FDR.
Up to 60% of runners will sustain an injury within any given year. Poor running mechanics, in conjunction with poor, ineffective and outdated training methods, can pose a significant injury risk. "RunSmart" was written to address these issues in the running community.
"Running Injuries: Etiology And Recovery- Based Treatment" (co-author Bridget Clark, PT) appears in the third edition and fourth editions of "Clinical Orthopaedic Rehabilitation: A Team Approach" by Charles Giangarra, MD and Robert C. Manske, PT.
Allan Besselink, PT, DPT, Ph.D., Dip.MDT has a unique voice in the world of sports, education, and health care. Read more about Allan here.
Top 5 finalist in three categories: "Best Overall Blog", "Best PT Blog" and "Best Advocacy Blog".
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