eFAQ-1: "Why me?"

I’ve had a few people reach out recently with questions about how I structure my business and what it is exactly that I do – basically, how and why I am different than other physical therapists. So, I’m going to try and answer those questions starting today, here on the blog, in my “expanded FAQs” series! Follow along in the next few weeks for expanded answers to these common questions about me and my practice.  Of course, if you have other questions, or want even more than what I’m posting, shoot me an email or comment right here – I’m here for you!

Alright, let’s start here, with this nifty Venn diagram:

This is me. These 4 circles make up about 75% of my life, and right in the middle – where they all overlap – is me at Immersion PT!  I like to say that I work at the intersection of rehabilitation and performance. 

Read on to learn more about me and how these roles impact my practice!

I am a physical therapist.  

I first became interested in physical therapy in high school, when I was going through rehab for an ankle injury that I sustained during PE class (spoiler alert: previous injury is how most PTs get into the field!)  Through college, I spent some time volunteering in the athletic training room, was in the original group of SUNY Geneseo’s Sports Medicine Club (we even had a broomball team!), and honing my ankle-taping skills in some of our coaching classes and training room competitions!

From there, I went on to SUNY Upstate Medical University to pursue my doctorate in physical therapy.  Yep, you can call me Dr. James – but I usually opt for the more casual introduction of Megan :) While I was in PT school, I had my heart set on pursuing a residency in neurological PT and working in inpatient rehabilitation with a focus on spinal cord and traumatic brain injuries.  Fork in the road: my 4th (and final) clinical rotation.  This one was in outpatient sports & orthopedics: I had an amazing clinical instructor (hi, Heather!), the other therapists were incredible teachers and role models, and I totally fell in love with the faster paced environment and helping people get back out to work, school, and sports.  

Over the years, I began to focus in on working with runners.  These people – you! – speak my language.  As a runner myself (more on that later), I get the mindset.  Being a runner helps me as a physical therapist; and being a physical therapist certainly helps me as a runner too.  When I also realized I could combine my loves for neurologic and sports rehabilitation into one – with concussion management – I knew I had really hit a home run. 

And that folks, is where I’m at today: treating the two groups of people I am so passionate about.  Being able to work almost exclusively with runners and in concussion management has kept me motivated to do more, to learn more, to be better – for your sake.  It is exciting to me to watch new research come out, and be able to apply it right away to the people who benefit from it the most – you!

Moving on: I am a runner.

I ran my first road race when I was in elementary school (more about that here!), dabbled in some road races for a few years, joined my high school track team in 9th grade, and started to take it seriously in 10th grade.  I ran in college but really struggled to find the balance, support, and drive that had come so easily in high school; I took a break my senior year to try to figure things out and leave some time for involvement in other activities on campus. 

When we did a VO2 max test during the fall of my first year at Upstate, I knew I was in trouble.  It was ugly.  So, I got back at it.  It started with meeting up with 2 friends/classmates for 3 miles before class on a few days during the week, usually in the dark, and sometimes in questionable neighborhoods of Syracuse – great idea, but we had fun!  From there, I just kept moving up and up, adding distance, re-introducing speedwork, watching my race times drop – hooray!

I signed up for my first marathon in the week following the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing.  I’ve run (almost) 8 marathons to date, including 2 Bostons, 1 solo, and 1 DNF.  These days, I’ll race anything from the mile to the marathon; I LOVE marathon training, but my favorite race distance is the 15K. 

The mindset of a runner – in all of his/her oddities, the language, the challenges and successes – is so complex.  I’ve been asked many times whether I would choose a PT who had all of the latest, greatest equipment – or a PT who had “just the basics” but was a runner.  Every time, I choose the runner.  Endurance athletes are a special breed, and it takes one to know one; this element is incredibly beneficial to establishing and maintaining an effective relationship between the therapist and/or coach and athlete. 

Next up: I am a running coach.

Through college, I would write some training plans for my sisters or friends who were just getting started – or re-starting – with running.  It was really fun to come up with their workouts, and then watch the results – and hear about their victories on race day!  For most of my adult running career, I have been primarily self-coached.  While there certainly are limitations to this, I do it because I truly enjoy it.  When I feel like I’m stuck, or I’m not sure what direction my training should go next, I bounce ideas off my husband (a former high school standout) and get reoriented.  Together, we make a pretty solid team, I think! :)

As a high school coach, I have the opportunity to work with teenaged girls when they are brand new to running or maybe have only a few years under their belt.  I love watching their progression over the course of a season, a year, and their high school career.  THEY motivate me – to explore new coaching techniques that might take our team to the next level, to put in hours of work designing programs, to individualize team-based training as much as possible – so that together we can excel.  

As a coach for individual athletes, like who I coach through Immersion PT, I see a lot more of the scheduling challenges than I do at the high school level when they have 2 hours carved out every day for practice.  You work full time with a long commute, and have only 30 minutes to yourself every day to work out? Great, let’s get some high intensity intervals going.  You’re a stay-at-home dad with 2 busy toddlers? Cool, we’re going to rack up some stroller miles and you will be super-dad at the next race.  I love the problem solving that comes with this territory.

All in all, designing training plans is a puzzle for me.  And I love it.  One of the major perks of having an individual coach with a customized plan is the flexibility.  I’m available to you whenever you need me (OK, within reason…I do like to sleep too!).  I know that things come up in your week and you need some guidance on which workout is OK to drop completely, or maybe to switch up with another.  You tell me what’s going on and what your goals are, I’ll be the brains to piece it together, and all that’s left is for you to go out there and execute!

And finally, I am a mama.

I never fully understood the demands of parenting until I became a parent myself.  And even still, I don’t understand the demands of parenting anyone older than 2.5 because that’s where we’re at right now … but I certainly have a better concept of that than I did a few years ago!  Being pregnant and birthing a child is no joke.  We work hard to grow a tiny human, have this extreme change in our identity in an instant, and then have societal pressures coming from all different directions to “get our body back” or return to work in 6 weeks (don’t get me started on this one!) or function as if you have a glorious full night’s sleep and got to peacefully enjoy that cup of coffee while still hot.  Mamas, I get it – I get you.  While our challenges may not be exactly the same, I want you to know that I am here for you – with you – and want to make your journey as painless as possible.  Parents are a big reason I chose to travel with my practice: I come to you, so you don’t have to pack up the kids, wrangle said children during a treatment session that is supposed to be about you, and leave feeling under-served and overwhelmed.  Let’s work together in your living room during nap time.  Let’s set up your training plan to make the most of the 20 minutes you have between nursing your little one and your partner leaving for work. 

My family means everything to me.  My goal is for my daughter to see me as a strong, healthy, intelligent, driven and confident woman.  Through running (and other forms of exercise and outdoor activity), I am a better wife and mom, and I am constantly working toward that goal.  

So yes, I wear many hats – and I know you do, too.

What I find in my practice is that all of my roles in life feed off of each other, and can help me to relate to different situations, people, challenges and opportunities.  Our life experiences shape who we are … and who we are determines how we experience life. 

I am truly grateful that our paths have crossed today, and sincerely hope that we can continue on this journey together!

Next week, I take on TWO questions:

“What exactly does a physical therapist do?”

“What is a running coach?”