A friend and I used to do lots of street racing in our early 20s. Took all kind of risk and he was a good driver, fast, accurate and alert. Right at 45-47, he and I chatting over a cup of coffee. I discovered he would freeze up when driving over bridges or coming down the mt road, the same damn mt road we used to race over every weekends. His death grip on the steering wheel, breaks out in cold sweat and he wants to pull over so I can drive that section. I was shock and he has no idea why. He's not been in an accident or anything like it in the past 20 years. Still happenning today, he's sihtting brick going on an on ramp that's curved

Hurts my feet and takes a looong time to heel.

I'll be 57 in August, these days are long gone, but I have plenty of reminders:p
I sound like a bowl of Rice Crispys when I get up.http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1647277259.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1647277259.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1647277386.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1647277386.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1647277386.jpg
Someone always asks if I regret all the crazy stuff I use to do, I always reply Hell No

, I can think back and smile about what I did, in my book, even when in pain, that is much better than wondering what if

I sometimes climb up in the bed of my El Camino. It is just a few feet down to the ground, but I don't jump down anymore. There is no fear involved. I learned long ago what hurts. I do have one artificial hip, and I don't want damage it at all as it ain't gonna heal up, just wear out. So I just climb down and put one leg at a time on the ground. No shock on feet, knees and hips that way.

After 50 years of being a member of the National Ski Patrol and not thinking twice about dropping into a double black diamond slope my brain has suddenly decided that it is not worth it. I will ski to the edge, look down and immediately think "nope not today" and not even feel bad about it.

A broken foot bone from a fall....is no fun.
My mother (when she was in her late 70's) slipped off a 2 step stool while washing her van.
It never did heal...she was hurting every day when walking.

Timely post. Pro skateboarder Tony Hawk is 53, and he just posted this fresh x-ray image.
Say's he's not ready to retire, yet.
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1647290334.jpg

When you are at his level, and literally never had to anything else, and still $$$$ on the table, why would he?

Because X-rays of fractured femur, maybe?

OMG

That x-ray is messed up.

Ain't no jump down gonna do that.

My brain doesn't know that though, and it tries very hard to keep me from ending up in that state!

this is how it's supposed to be done... my femur.
Two more nails/screws not shown...just above the knee. May of 2017

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1647297103.jpg

Exactly.

It's not the "I can still do it vs I cannot" aspect that gets me... it's the fascinating brain subprocess that happened totally unbeknownst to me and is kinda overriding my decisions. that I find amazing....

I mean if I kid was in danger or whatever I'm sure I'd jump 10ft down (and crater), but clearly a subtle subprocess in my brain at some point, based on no significant accidents or injuries, made an analysis on my weight, age, condition and left a "cookie" there, and it wins over my conscious desire to jump down... It really is a funny thing... "nope, you're not doing it" - it's worthy of a doctorate study, I'd be curious to know how that works ! Lizard brain I guess.

Well, The government funds weirder studies.

57 no issues jumping down three feet even higher. For most of my life I have had an edge phobia, that generally kicks in around twenty feet, at that point I have an issue.

I do several triathlons a season and this year signed up for a Terrain race and a Muddy Challenge.

It's nice to see how many of you guys a few clicks older than me are still going, it gives me hope for the future.

The difference is as a kid you were not really trying to do it. You just did it without a second thought. Crashing and burning was part of the initiate and it didn't frankly matter at the time. It was part of the adventure we call youth. Maybe because you were shorter and lower to the ground gave you a better center of gravity, your grip was better, body was more fit, balance was better?

One thing that does change with age is our inner ear. We get calcium deposits that float around in the fluid. Then as we age our balance is not what it was. Those tiny particles upset our balance and equilibrium. It all happens very slowly over time then one day all of a sudden we are not so sure footed and can't play Spiderman anymore. When we were kids and imminent crash meant playing airborne Twister as a last moment recovery and made it look easy.

"Rejoice thy youth oh young man"

Yes sir, bugs the crap out of me that my balance is going.
I found that out when I tried to ride a One Wheel, my balance just wasn't there:(
Another issue is "indecision". That bit me a few years back when I was on the BMX track, and the was a big jump at the end of the 1st straight, most of the kids weren't even jumping it. Well, here come, balls out , last minute, I changed my mind, hesitated, clipped the lip on the step up, ass over tea kettle and hit Hard, really, really Hard. Old instincts reaction and I hopped back up, back on my bike and finished the lap:eek:
I hurt for a month, couldn't use my right arm, which screwed up flying water jet pack while in the Cayman Islands (needed strength in both arms to control it, but I already spent the $$$, so I gave it my best.

I’m 78 and the only place I jump is into the pool.

Jumping to earth
 

How about jumping out of a spacecraft from 128,000 feet (24+miles), landing on earth in merely 4 min & 20 seconds? 834 MPH max speed...breathtaking!!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dOoHArAzdug