Hello, I'm Brian, the guy behind Running Repairs on Facebook. My passion for treating patient, runners had modest beginnings. I learned to keep myself on the roads. I started running at around 10 years of age. Just decided to one day. I kept running, improving my miles times and distance. Ran a few road races with my Dad. Set my sites on a marathon when I was 12. Ran the Dartmouth Marathon in 3:36:36. The time stuck in my head. I kept pushing on improving, ran cross-country in high school, then cross-country skiing in the winter and track in the spring. I pushed to run Boston at 15, tried to run sub 3 hours. I didn't make it, but learned a good deal. Oh I finished, but slower that my expectation were set on. I was running 70 miles/week but did go out long enough. I was fit, but lacked specificity (a big word I didn't know then).
Frankly, my running didn't pan out the way I had hoped. I aspired to get college scholarships for my skiing (which I excelled at more). Alas there isn't a good deal of money flowing for such things. I did however, attend a 2 year school (Colby Community College) in Western Kansas. I was taking equine studies (long story), learned a great deal about becoming a manager, and took every science class the school offered. Even learned a good deal about biomechanics, comparative anatomy, and even how to hot shoe as a blacksmith. I did this during the summers while attending school. Transferred to Springfield College in Mass. Had high hopes to do equine exercise physiology research. I mostly was wrapped around the axel with all college requirements. I did however, accrue around 30 hours of graduate level study in Advanced Exercise Physiology and Research in Ex Phys. So my undergraduate work was more like a Masters in Exercise Physiology, minus the sheepskin saying so.
I was hoping to apply advance training techniques, to revolutionize how horses were trained. We planned on using high-speed treadmills, interval training techniques, and keep a watchful eye on injury prevention. What I wasn't was a horseman. It took me about 5 years to fit in, and be competent at that. This is an art-form steeped in history. I could train horses, but rarely could we do things the way we planned. There was alway compromise, tradition, and the cost of running a racing stable. We did well, but not well enough. (This is a tough and competitive business) After basically burning out in the business, I regrouped, and tried to figure out how to pay off the college loans that I accrued. A friend suggested getting my loans repaid by joining a service.
The recruiter promised such a "fine" specimen the moon and the stars . So I jumped in with both feet, joined the Army. Being a runner, the physical requirement should have been a breeze. Well, guess what, they put alot of stuff on your back, and slow you down. I gained a dozen pounds in basic. They fed me, trained me and let me sleep for a whole 3 hours a night! What a deal.
My first duty station was at USARIEM (US ARMY Research Institute for Environmental Medicine). I quickly realized I didn't have much skill, but good intentions. I learned over a few years: computer literacy, how to run an exercise lab, to analyze complex data, research design/methodology, even how build expire gas monitoring devices used to do do VO2 max testing. One study we did, using this equipment was a repetitive lifting protocol. We monitored the expired air, while test subject lifted a 90 pound box to shoulder height for ten minutes (as many times as they could). On this study, we had a new Physical Therapy student monitoring our work. She was a quick study, and was on point with her body comp and surface anatomy. I realized in many ways she knew more about what I was doing that I. The thought occurred, what about PT, and how does one get into grad school. Well, when I see something, I usually jump right in. I applied to the US Army-Baylor Graduate Program in Physical Therapy.
I eventually got accepted after a 2 years of work. Night school at Harvard Extension and Framinghams state, taking child development and statistics and such. Logged a mountain of volunteer time, learned under the watchful eyes of an OT working the door down from me, and the my first line supervisor. I'm grateful for the effort they placed in getting me into grad school. This was a fantastic opportunity. Getting commissioned, and being fired through what is now a PhD program. The opportunity to become a provider, and serve with a greater understanding of anatomy, physiology, neurology, and applied clinic skills. A new (scary) world opened up for me. (What if I don't know enough, what if I get it wrong, what I can't help?) Aside: we all have to overcome that negative voice, to achieve anything. So, I started a new chapter, serving soldiers. Injury prevention to keep fighting strength, and treating those injured either from training or combat. My Army time is better catalogued, and I may share it for another day. (I retired from the Army in 2006) I wanted you to see that becoming a provider, and gaining a passion for treating patients took a while, and required a good deal of preparation. Enough for now. Hello again.
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