#tbt Top Tube Crushed with my $%*!@

Why am I posting this old school crash? Good question - and I have a good reason below. It links to my work as a coach for a customer base that is largely 'middle age'. 

This happened way back during the filming of Reed Merschat's trials film Evolve. I was pushing not only my own limits but the sports. Driven by the curiosity of what's possible and the potential notoriety and relative fame that might come as a result.

At that age, barely 20, no one could stop me. I'm now 38 and priorities have changed. I invested in an exploration of what's possible physically early in my life HOWEVER many people have left this exploration until later in life. And they're charged up!

You can learn a lot about who you are by exploring your physical potential, but the process comes with risk and usually injury. It turns out injuries are a big part of this deeper learning about who we are. 

Can you relate to this?

I certainly had many struggles while out with injuries, and quite frankly I'm over it and doing my best to manage my risk taking.

There is of course a natural retreat from risk taking as we age due to increased responsibilities, longer healing times and the influence of culture on how we should act at certain ages. That doesn't mean even the smartest middle aged rider is going to follow these rules all the time!

Where are you on this spectrum of age, risk comfort, and injury experience?

My goal as an online coach is help riders learn effectively and safely. There are ways for mature riders to explore their physical limits while at the same time reduce their exposure to physical harm, and I try to build that in to my curriculums, however there is no way to fully eliminate the risk - that's simply part of our sport and part of why it so enjoyable.

Risk can be managed, but it can't be separated out from the sport we love.

Cameos in the film: Jeff Lenosky, Chris Clark, Lance Trappe. Incidentally we are ALL still riding professionally!