Aging body - Mind is slow to learn

Interesting last few weeks it has been. I have traveled through Norway, Sweden and a few cities in Germany as well talking with customers about a variety of subjects. of course all around integrating their customer experiences with their communication processes. Along the way I have also had some time off from only working and enjoying my favorite pastime, biking. Work is easy for me at the moment. I have grown into my role over 20 or more years and all that experience makes my exchanges with clients always an enjoyable one for both sides. While I have been biking quite a bit longer than my work I probably have stopped learning for a while now, or at least I pick up only a few new items every so often. I figure I know most of it already. What can be so hard about biking? Well, these last experiences have shown me something I might have to stop and think about.Three different times over these weeks I have "hit the deck" as one would say. Meaning I have met the pavement or the ground. It has been years since I had this kind of experience. Once in a bike race in 2008 I flipped over the front wheel of another rider. It was pretty harmless but could be expected at that type of event. The last few "hits" have been different. Some were just waiting to happen and others just dumb luck. Norway and downhill MTB racing as I wrote about earlier was not really a surprise that I might hit it at some point but I could have been more careful, more thinking about my skills that I do not have in that terrain.A week ago out on the road bike, a kid riding the wrong way on the bike path could not make up his mind on which side he should pass me. At the last minute he swerved to the other side. We both skidded to a stop and while he stood there looking face to face at me, I fell over: feet still in the clips. Dumb luck. Dumb kid maybe too but I rode away with more bruises and a busted knee reminding me of my skateboarding days in the 70s. Now up to yesterday, I was out with Jonny on the MTB bikes to take a ride through the forrest and the trails. He has recently started in a group of kids in an after school group biking together. So, what better activity for father and son to do?Along the way we found a bike track which had been cut out in the woods there. Some really nice work too. Ramps, burms, a few table tops, all pretty cool and not too crazy. Jonny and I had a few runs to get the feel of the course and then I took one last run. I hit the first little ramp at the wrong angle which had me compressing my front fork and with all the forward momentum then over the bars with the bike coming with me. It all happened really fast as these things seem to do. I don't remember what hits first but I did remember the knock to the head and the stars I saw for a moment, followed by the feeling of my lenses falling out of the frames and sliding across my face as I was on my back.I laid there for what seemed like a minute but was probably shorter, taking inventory of my extremities before getting up. Jonny came over, probably a bit worried to see if he could help. A woman walking nearby must have heard the crash and came by as well asking if I were ok. I was sitting by then, looking for my lenses in the dirt, the glasses were still on my face. They popped out at the impact of the helmet hitting the log I landed on. There are about 17 spots now which are showing differing states of injury and I am sitting here now trying to find that comfortable position. Bruises on the hips, legs, now both knees, one swollen shin and mostly the neck all tightened up from the whiplash motion of the crash. The helmet needs to be replaced now but it did keep me a hospital trip. never needed to convince me before of its importance. But now I have a trophy.So, what am I to learn from all this? Why is it hard for me to accept that I am not able to keep up with all the young folk around me? How much more can I put passed my body before something more serious happens? Why when I read these questions here now in print do I find this silly that I need to ask or write this? At what point do I finally accept that I have aged, that I need to stand on the sidelines sometimes and let the others have all the fun? When will I find it fun to just watch the others? Why do I feel that I may not have had the last of these experiences? I am not really feeling too well today. All the body parts are connected, the scabs are pealing and healing. The deep muscle bruises will take a week or so to pass. But why does growing up and older seem so hard sometimes?Here a short video of Jonny having fun on the jumps. I took this after the accident. Guess putting on the, I am ok face for him? We did still ride the trails for another 40 minutes afterwards. I will be ok. Just bruised and feeling a bit older today.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-zmZAygseVo&feature=youtube_gdata_player