Effects of Aging on Healing (Track-Related)

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I've been wondering about the effects of aging on the ability to recover from a track incident. I invite comment here, particularly from those with medical background.

I was recently in a traffic accident (see pictures below). My SO and I were driving through an intersection when a driver ran a red light and drove straight into the passenger door of our Integra at a pretty good clip. Our injuries weren't serious - no broken bones, for example - but we both have quite a bit of pain, three weeks after the accident. (We were both belted in, and the air bags did not go off due to the nature of the side impact.)

I recall hearing a statistic quoted at the track some years ago. I don't recall it exactly but it was something like "your body has only half as much resiliency at age 50 that it did at age 20". Now, I know the chances of having an incident on the racetrack are fairly low, and the chances of incurring an injury in one are even lower. But now that I'm 58 years old, I'm wondering what the consequences would be if I were involved in an incident, as an instructor or a driver. I know people who were in serious incidents, hard hits, at a younger age, and they've said they had bruises (particularly where they were strapped in by belts/harnesses) for several days afterwards. Now I'm wondering whether a similar incident might result in bruises and pain which persist for weeks or even months for those 50-60 or older. This could have an effect on whether I continue to drive and/or instruct (although I had already been planning to cut back anyway, due to less interest than in the past).

Obviously each of us will make his/her own decision on whether or not to drive on the track, but I'd be interested in hearing from those knowledgeable about how the consequences may change as we get older. I look forward to reading replies and comments here.

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Interesting post.

Sorry to see the car damage, looks like a new car is in order... hope you and your SO are both doing better each day.

I'll leave it to the MDs for the facts, but I can tell you as an "older person" myself (a good deal older than the OP, more than a decade) I find easier skin damage, slower healing and little aches and pains part of the aging process.

I assume any injury, minor or major, will take a good deal longer that it did when I was 20. Also, some of those old injuries that I had forgotten about long ago are now beginning to remind me that they occurred. A go-kart injury in 1960 (five broken bones) is now a deja vous moment each morning.
 
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AT 17 you couldn't hurt me with a truck. At 25 you could but I would heal in hours. At 35 I was smart enough to get out of the way. At 45 I started to need glasses for the first time and I began to realize I was actually human. At 55--my glasses were tri focals, my weight being about the same as when I was 35 had--changed position on my body and my feet when from a size 12 to 13 to 14. So I retired early to live out the rest of my life doing what I wanted to do. At 60 I began to have healing issues--a minor cut could bleed for an hours and I would cut extremely easy. Black and blue could come from almost anything and my hair was getting really thin. Then my doctor diagnosed hipothyrodism and put me on a tiny pill daily. Hair loss stopped, energy came back a bit etc. I backed off whole milk and wheat and my digestion system recovered nicely. Now at 65--I've learned a lot of things, been to a lot of places, experienced lots of things---but now I can't remember just what all those wonderful things were/are!hehehe
My strength sometimes depends on others. That dependence is frustrating for someone who could do almost anything and everything I ever tried!! So, healing will continue to be slower over time---brown spots will appear here and there, and unless you exercise and keep you weight under control--you may get even more frustrated. Another little pill keeps my blood pressure in line and when the weather breaks I'll start walking 3 miles a day again.
PS An accident will cause pain for a LONG time. Easily weeks. Driving an NSX with rear tires out of balance from Nashville to Bagdad, Ky will make you ache for at least 3 days-----ask me how I know that!! Oui Vey:rolleyes:
 
Wow, that was some impact! Glad to see that you and your SO are ok.

I am only 23 and have little to add to the topic other than my experience from having many track buddies being in their 40-50's. They all still love the sport only they shake their fists at me when I stumble in and out of the caged car with little issue. It worries me when I think about all of my old injuries coming back onto me in later years :frown:
 
wow Ken:eek: That damage looks brutal.I can't believe your passenger escaped with minor injuries,but I'm glad she did.I think you really have to deal with the two issues that every aging person must make and specificly with instructing /track driving...the mental/psych aspect and the physical.Fear is the killer it can cloud your intinct and delay your reponse.Sorry to say but our cells have a programed useful life.The constant barrage of mutagenic substances we ingest,the background radiation we recieve all damage our dna.With each new generation of cell small defects are corrected but the vast number of little screwups adds up.Our cells collect garbage and this garbage just makes them less efficient.I don't have specific numbers on how to quantify our frailty as we age ,but probably best to eat healthy/take lots of vitamins/exercise/don't smoke/and most of all be useful...having a purpose is one of the best longevity treatments around.:smile:
 
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How do you feel now?
Fine, thanks! How are you? :biggrin:

Seriously, my pain is certainly less than Kathy's; mine is centered in the chest and I only feel it when I sneeze or lift something at least somewhat heavy. Hers is more constant - more of a blunt force impact rather than mine which was more like being strapped to something that suddenly shifted - and she's been to physical therapy a few times.

Federal safety standards require automakers to put a strong horizontal steel beam in the car doors, and you can see from the photos how that saves lives.
 
First, it's good to see that both of you walked away from the crash. It's obvious that your S.O. had more of a direct impact than both of you realized at the time of the event. As we get older, our connective tissue becomes less elastic and I believe that there is somewhat of an impact on how our bodies react to blunt force trauma. Think of a basketball fully inflated vs. one slightly deflated. When you bounce the two balls, the fully inflated one will bounce back quicker and higher. The one with less air will have more contact area at the point of contact and will deform more and bounce back back as well. That being said, looking at the damage to your car, being t-boned like that is going to cause significant pain and soreness with your S.O. and she may even have some trauma to her liver if the door hit her body.

Hopefully you'll both have a speedy recovery.
 
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Wow, I can certainly relate to this. I had a similar life-changing event recently. On Thanksgiving Day this past November, my stepson brought over his mini-dirt bike. After dinner, around 2:30pm, we were tooling up and down the street with it. It's a 110cc motorcycle, three speed centrifugal clutch, it'll do maybe 60 MPH, sort of like a pit bike.

Well, coming around the corner at the end of our street, the throttle stuck just enough for me to not be able to make the turn. The front tire hit the grass and went down face- and shoulder-first in the grass at about 25mph. (Could have been worse; I missed the concrete sidewalk by about a foot.)

I bent my head way back on my neck. I lacerated my face and injured my shoulder. For about six hours after the impact I had no feeling and no movement of my left arm from my neck to my fingertips.

ER first thought I had broken my neck but it turns out maybe not (I have my next follow up with neurosurgeon tomorrow). Some 10 weeks later movement of my left arm has returned in all directions, but in a few directions (for instance a hammer curl and a shoulder press) I have limited strength. I used to be able to curl 35 lbs for six reps after progressively heavier sets leading up to that, but now I can't curl 10 lbs once.

I just went to the Daytona 24 Hour race Saturday and Sunday. I can't move my neck fully today after about 16 hours of swinging my head left and right to follow the cars as a spectator. My shoulder is constantly sore.

It is taking a hugely long time to heal. When I hit on Thanksgiving I was three days short of 55. (Happy Birthday! You're in a neck brace for your birthday and you can't move your left arm!)

I have re-evaluated whether I will ever instruct at HPDE again. I do not want to get hurt like this ever again. I had my one crash with a student (ironically, in an NSX), and I've had some high-speed spins with students luckily without hitting anything and no injuries. I certainly don't want to put myself at risk with someone I don't know again. Before my bike accident I didn't think it would be a big deal if I got in a wreck with a student. Now, I'm not willing to take the risk.

I still haven't decided whether I will drive at track days. There are days recently when I think I might, but also just as many days when I think I might not. Either way, I am not getting on a track until I am 100% healed. If I am still in this condition 10 weeks later, I cannot see me back on the track for at least another 10 weeks. My worst fear at this point is having an incident before I'm healed and REALLY screwing myself, permanently damaging the nerves that go through the C5-6-7 vertebrae; the nerves were stretched at a minimum.

I certainly do have new respect (is it respect or is it incredulity?) for pro drivers that get really, really hurt and get back in the car, sometimes while still in pain.

So, long (sorry) story to say I completely understand how you feel. It will be a long time before I consider track days. One thing for sure: I have a new 2010 Snell helmet (as yet unused) and I WILL have a HANS next time I get in the Track Rat.
 
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Fine, thanks! How are you? :biggrin:

Seriously, my pain is certainly less than Kathy's; mine is centered in the chest and I only feel it when I sneeze or lift something at least somewhat heavy. Hers is more constant - more of a blunt force impact rather than mine which was more like being strapped to something that suddenly shifted - and she's been to physical therapy a few times.

Federal safety standards require automakers to put a strong horizontal steel beam in the car doors, and you can see from the photos how that saves lives.
Does that answer your question or is your (hopefully never) hypothetical crash in question worse than the one you were just in?
 
keN...

It seems like there are two thoughts in this thread... one, how hard it is to heal from an injury when one is older... and two, when one should think about giving up track activity (&/or instructing).

I believe that you, like me, keep a pretty tight rein on your students -- that really helps eliminate any extraordinary off-course excursions. And in all the years you've tracked your car, it's always come home in one piece -- that's why you're the only person I've ever allowed to drive my NSX on a racetrack.

So, I understand your thought process here, and a boy's gotta do what a boy's gotta do. But remember that P. L. Newman was racing (fast racecars) into his 80's.

I hope you'll think long and hard about this subject -- Bruce, Peter and the rest need all the help they can get -- and I need someone to pass :tongue:
 
At 56 I don't heal or recover nearly as fast as I used to. Even though I excercise and keep muscle tone with static weights, I still feel bumps and bruises longer. Stamina is also reduced with age (unless your Jack Lalane and work out every day for 2 hours). Strength is the only thing that has managed to remain but that seems to take more effort to stay even.
There's nothing good about getting old and one has to be tough to do it for very long. Don't give up on the track, just slow down a little. You'll miss it and feel old.
Happy Motoring!
 
Hello Ken,

Glad to hear that the two of you are OK. Reading about your accident reminded me of a recent police pursuit here in Los Angeles that ended badly when the fleeing car t-boned another car at around 50 mph after running a red light. I thought for sure the driver of the hit car had been killed upon impact, but she (a 21 year old) survive but did sustained serious injuries. If my 59 year old body was in that car, I doubt that I would have survived.

Best wishes and a quick recovery for you and Kathy.

Mario
 
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A third area on the subject of getting older is form a metal point of view.

I always remembered what an older guy told me when I was being very careful climbing scaffolding on a construction project. He said to me "I can tell that you are getting older by how careful you are". He went on to say "I have come to realize that the older one gets, the more one wants to get to the finish line", and you are more likely to get to the finish line if you are careful and take no chances".

This mental view of life appeared to be come up when I was participating in the HPDE (novice group) at NSXPO in Las Vegas last October. My first instructor was probably in his late 40's maybe early fifty's. He definitely kept a tight reign on my driving, and I had no off track incidents. My second instructor was in his mid to late 20's and he encouraged me to push my car to its limits. As a result, I did go faster, but I also spun out twice. Fortunately, I did not hit anything, and nobody was immediately behind me.

However, I'm not sure if I'm totally convinced of this mental outlook on life. When I was climbing the scaffolding, I was in my mid 40's. I was 59 when I participated in the HPDE, and except for the jitters on the first two session, I was not scared, in fact I was pushing harder and harder in each subsequent session. I suppose it depends on what one is doing in order for being careful to kick in.

Ken, as for your future track involvement, how important is it to get to the finish line, and how do you want to get there?

Best,

Mario
 
mcano... good post...

I saw my first SCCA race when I rode my bike to San Francisco's Golden Gate Park (1953)... "God that looks like fun!"... "I'm gonna do that some day!"

In Jr. High and High school all my friends heard me talk about racing and at my 50th High School reunion several people asked me if I ever got to race sports cars -- they were so happy to hear that I had (1965-1995).

My take: life is way too short to watch others have fun. When it's over it's over. One benefit to being "on track" for over 50 years is the ability to know your limits. Others may be quicker, but nobody is having more fun than me. I'll stop doing track events when it's no fun any more -- or if someone I trust tells me I'm either getting in people's way, or putting others at risk.

I hope all readers of this thread (old or young) realize how lucky we are to have these wonderful cars and be able to enjoy them, unbridled, on various tracks.
 
Wow Ken! I haven't been on the site in months and the first thing I see is your wrecked car. Glad to hear you're both ok. Never quit man - I took up surfing when I turned 50. :)

S.L.
 
Ken, just want to add that I'm glad u and your significant other doing good. it perfectly showing how safer track driving is compared that to street driving.

I don't have any experience either, but my 95 year old grand pa gets in and out of my recaro with ease that will shame half of the guys who sat in my car. He swims 1500 to 2000 ft a day. Yes he may not hear too well, but those usual rituals of eat healthy, exercising, be happy and up beat goes a long way and it does wonder on your body. Isn't Paul Newman kept on racing until he kicked the bucket?

I would love to let u pilot my slowv6 again next nsxpo, problem is I'm not sure when, but I'll see u there at the hpde: )

Ferrand from Seattle.
 
Thanks, everyone, for all the kind wishes.

Just keep in mind, I know I can keep driving and instructing around the track, even at an advanced age. The reason for my query was more along the lines of what could result from an incident which would have caused no more than a few days of bruises in my younger days. I guess it's just something to keep in mind in evaluating how much track time to take on, going forward.
 
Thanks, everyone, for all the kind wishes.

Just keep in mind, I know I can keep driving and instructing around the track, even at an advanced age. The reason for my query was more along the lines of what could result from an incident which would have caused no more than a few days of bruises in my younger days. I guess it's just something to keep in mind in evaluating how much track time to take on, going forward.

All depends on the "incident"...some are worse than others :smile: but you knew that.
Heck I sometimes come home from instructing with bruises on the outside of both knees from bracing myself in the passenger seat -- got to remember to take some volleyball knee pads next time -- don't remember getting those bruises up to a couple of years ago.
 
Re: Gettin' old; it ain't for sissies

I guess one conclusion from this thread is that each body is different and some are just amazing. A couple of examples:

I play golf every Thursday AM with a group of old duffers. One guy is 85 and just stopped carrying his bag and bought a push cart. He shoots bogey golf just because he's short off the tee.

There's a group of skydivers called SOS (skydivers over 60). They are planning a 60 way formation in April. Doing big way formations (20+) is quite physically demanding for all the time consuming preparation, the physical toll of extra high altitude and long plane rides. I'm in pretty good shape and have been asked to go but it's too much work to be really enjoyable for me.

When is it time to quit anything? Definitely an interesting topic for Boomers. I suppose it could be argued that every generation re-writes the book on aging, but I think in terms of physical activity and staying in shape ("the new 60 is the old 40") Boomers are indeed trail blazing. Which means it will be harder than ever for some to adjust to slowing down.
 
"...slowing down."

qu'est-ce que c'est ?
 


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