The Only One Stopping You Is You!

I’ve been doing a lot more mountain biking lately.  I’m mostly a road biker.  It’s easier and not as dependent on going somewhere to ride.  Out my back door are roads that are perfect.

But the mountain bike is calling to me these days.  Part of it is opportunity.  There are a lot more places to ride mountain bikes around here these days.  It used to be that the only place to ride was Haw Ridge (at the end of Pellissippi Parkway, near Oak Ridge).  It’s still there but there are lots better places to go now.

First among those is the area around Mead’s Quarry in south Knoxville.  The good folks there have built a super system of trails perfect for mountain biking.  And then there’s Baker Creek Preserve.  Oh my.

Baker Creek Preserve is attached to the trails system around Mead’s Quarry and is 100 acres of hills, valleys, and meadowlands.  And multi-use trails.  Built with a Recreation Trails grant from the State of Tennessee to Legacy Parks Foundation, it features something for everyone.  No motorized vehicles are allowed but some of the trails are great for hiking.

Near the entrance is a kids-only beginner bike loop, pump track, and play structures, so it’s the perfect place for a family outing.  The rest of the area is a playground for the older kids.  There are about 7 miles of trails in Baker Creek Preserve with trails ranging from beginner to expert.

And then there are the downhill trails.  Built with a grant awarded by the Bell Helmet company to the Appalachian Mountain Bike Club, these trails are mountain bike only and should only be ridden by experienced riders, properly equipped. 

Three trails take you quickly to the bottom of the hill with banked turns, lots of places to get air, and some special features that will take your breath away. 

Although I haven’t been in a while, there are good trail systems around I.C. King Park and Sharp’s Ridge.  Blount County doesn’t yet have a public-access mountain bike trail system but I would love to see that happen one day.

My message today isn’t as much about mountain biking as it is about living long and well. 

This week, I went mountain biking Dr. Ken Bell.  Dr. Bell is a retired orthopedic surgeon, having been in practice here since 1982.  He’s my mountain biking buddy and we’ve shared many miles of trails, near and far.

Dr. Bell is also an accomplished triathlete, having qualified three years ago for the world championship in the half-Ironman.  He completed his only (so far) Ironman Triathlon at age 65.

But here’s what got me started on all this--Dr. Bell is 68, I’ll soon be 65.  And here we were on the downhill section of a local trail, riding like teenagers, whooping and jumping and having the time of our lives.  I’ll readily admit that I couldn’t keep up with him but as we flew down that hill, it was fun trying.

At one point, we stopped on the side of the trail and talked about how blessed we were to be able to do this stuff and really speculated about how it was that we were still doing this at our advanced age.

We concluded that it was because we had pursued good health our entire lives.  That we stayed fit, kept our weight under control, and made good decisions about our diet and exercise.

Lest you think we’re anything special, Dr. Bell does this on an artificial hip and I take multiple medicines to try and keep my blood pressure under control and stay heart healthy.  I believe the biggest factor in our favor is that we never allowed anyone else to decide what was age-appropriate for us. 

So, should you head out and go careening down a hill on the back of a bike?  Probably not.  But you can hike in the mountains, paddle on the lakes, bike on the Townsend Bike Trail…the list is endless.   The only thing stopping you is you.

The Power of One

I just got back from a short trip to Washington, DC.  I was there to advocate on behalf of physical therapy on some issues that are affecting our patients and our ability to do our job.

I love our nation’s capitol.  I love the monuments and the buildings and the fact that Washington is the center of the government of the most powerful country that ever existed.  It is a really beautiful city.

Just Tuesday morning, I walked between the U.S. Capitol and the Supreme Court Building on my way to a meeting nearby.  Old Union Station was just around the corner.  What a place it must have been when trains were how people moved around the country.

If you’ve never watched the Changing of the Guard at Arlington National Cemetery, then you need to add that to your bucket list.  Watch it and then read about it.

I’ve visited the Vietnam War Memorial and looked for the name of people that I once knew that had died in Vietnam.  It is a somber place, more like a black gash in the National Mall.

This is one of the few trips ever that I didn’t visit Lincoln Memorial.  I love to sit on the steps and talk to Abe about the world he left us and ask him what we need to do.

And the museums. Oh my.  You can spend a week in the museums.  And you can view the actual Constitution of the United States.  You can see all those signatures that you’ve read about.

On a previous trip I visited the Holocaust Museum.  That one was chilling.  A room full of shoes taken from children that were murdered.  You can’t believe it until you see it.  The tools that were used.  You cannot walk away unchanged.

This trip didn’t allow any side trips.  I was there on business.  A bill before congress that would help students deal with the overwhelming cost of higher education.  Legislation to improve access to physical therapy services.  Helping with the opioid crisis.

Now before you think I’ve lost my mind for thinking that I can make a difference, let me tell you a little story. 

In 2007, physical therapists were involved with the state legislature trying to get a bill through in Tennessee that would allow someone to see a physical therapist without a physician referral.  Good, common sense legislation.

The bill was stuck in the House Health Committee mainly because the Chair of that Committee didn’t want to see it pass.  Such is politics. 

Here’s the scenario:  Each week, several of us would travel to Nashville to testify before the Health Committee and each week the Committee Chair would drop us to the bottom of the agenda, which was his prerogative.  This went on for several weeks.

But ONE legislator (who happened to be from the same party as the Committee Chair) who had been treated by ONE physical therapist spoke up on our behalf.  She asked that our bill not be pushed to the bottom once again. 

Her request came to a vote.  The Committee agreed.  That Committee then voted to allow the bill to move on.  It went to the House of Representatives next where it was swiftly passed.

ONE person influenced ONE legislator and now you can see a physical therapist when you need to.

Never underestimate the power of ONE.   The only way we ever get anything done is for someONE to step forward with an idea, a plan, a better way.  That person can be you.  Or me.