May 11th, 2009
Yesterday was gorgeous outside and I was having one of those incredible easy 10-milers where happiness oozes from your pores. Around mile 5.5, I saw this guy I’ve been passing for over a year; huge black man, really tall and big around too, with a long beard that has a bright red dyed strip down the center of it. He’s always out there in sweats and a skull cap, walking, and has never smiled or acknowledged me – a pretty imposing figure.
As I got closer, I could see his body had transformed over the winter, he was much smaller! So I took a chance at rejection and said while passing, “You’ve lost a lot of weight, haven’t you?” OMG, you’ve never seen someone beam so beautifully, “Yes, I sure did!” I beamed right back, gave thumbs up and yelled “Great job!” as I ran on. This little exchange made me feel so good (who doesn’t love a makeover and a sweet smile?) that I was on top of the world.
About a mile later, while on a swath of mud trail parallel to the bike path, lost in my runner’s joy, I tripped and fell flat on my face. Priorities being what they are, my first instinct was not a full body check, but a scramble on my stomach to retrieve the Garmin that had flown off my wrist with the sole intent of pressing the Stop button because I am not counting this break into my run time.
The Garmin was still working fine – it was just the strap pin that came off, but my body was a little worse for wear with two bloody knees and various light puncture wounds. I stood up, a bit shaken, and was able to run home at a fine clip, albeit with blood dripping into my new socks (damn). Of course I had to pass throngs of people in this state because, along with the usual Sunday river strollers, there was a rowing event going on.
The wonderful news is, nothing’s seriously hurt. My knee was killing me last night so I slept crappily and I have a weird bruise on the palm of one hand along with a misplaced stigmata hole on the other, but knock on wood, this is all surface stuff. Also, I was able to reattach my Garmin strap by threading some monofilament through the holes, so I don’t have to go to a jewelry store for a replacement pin (jewelry stores weird me out, for some reason).
Today, I have 8 easy w/hill sprints planned but my knee is smarting a bit so I might tone it down. One excellent thing though, they’re finishing up a major renovation around the Museum and a couple days ago, I discovered some steep ramps they built up to a gazebo. The grades and lengths are absolutely perfect for hill sprints, so I don’t have to cross busy Kelly Drive to Lemon Hill any more. Now, if they could just make a half-mile long hill for hill reps, I’d be really appreciative.
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Damn that looks like it hurts!! Make sure you use lots of neosporin to take care of it!!!!!
holy moly war wound!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Owwwwwiiiieeee. Cool about the new ramps though–how thoughtful of them.
O.M.G. That picture makes me shiver and reminds me of those giant-fall- off-yer-bike-when-yer-8-years-old wounds.
Only YOU could make me laugh about ‘stigmata wounds’ and ‘pressing the stop button’ ‘jewelry stores’…lol. Giant bandaids, giant bandaids.
Glad it’s not serious.
Ouch. That looks nasty! I’m poor at stopping and remembering to restart the Garmin, so I use the auto-pause feature.
Taking orders…what % grade did you want on those ramps? All you have to do is ask.. Ouch! I knew it couldn’t of been pretty from what you described. Sorry about that Flo. I hope you didn’t do any damage and it’s all cosmetic. Hugs to you. Okay, I had to laugh at your priorities. Must.stop.Garmin. as blood is rolling down your leg. Take care of that. Cool on another person getting into shape. Your comment will ring in his head for months I’m sure. Have a good day lady, hill sprints or not XOXOX Jackie
Those wounds look nasty, and glad it only seems to be trail rash.
Some years back I was running on a trail and stepped into a hole and went down. I decided I wouldn’t volunteer the info to my wife but would fess up if asked. I was recovering from a broken collarbone, which had healed. I was covered in mud. When I got home, I went out back and used a hose to clean myself off. Thought I did a good job. Forgot about the face, which was covered in mud (looking even worse than in that picture). Busted!
After my more recent trip and fall in which my watch went flying, I wasn’t so lucky.
Wow, horrible pictures of your war wounds. But I’m glad you didn’t do any real damage. I’ve fallen down twice this year already. I don’t know what’s worse: the bruises to my body or to my ego.
I also recently took a risk by acknowledging another runner’s impressive weight loss. He looked so different that I almost didn’t recognize him. I got a similar beaming, like I’d stuck a gold star on his forehead.
OUCH! Ya know I still have scars on me knee from when I twisted my ankle last fall? Take care of that knee!
Ouch! I hope that heals quickly!
Hey, is that a chocolate chip cookie on your fine Perd-jian Adea Rhug?
Thanks for the commiseration and fun/funny tales of your own folks, you’re just the people I needed to waaaahhh to.
Mirnr, lol, that’s a polka-dotted stuffed mouse (kitty toy).
That must have been fun to clean up.
The nice thing about running at my pace is that I don’t think I have sufficient velocity to rip myself up like that.
It’s either that, or I’ve simply perfected the “Crap!” Drop and Roll move to spread the impact.
Wow… thats a major nasty looking boo-boo!! I guess it comes with the territory. I had a similar spill 2 weeks ago during a 4mile race. I was soooo engulfed in the fact that I was in 1st place during the first 1/4 that I tripped over the pavement, landed face first with hands outstretched, did a flip and gouged my shoulder and hands. I fell miserably to the side as ppl started to pass and look in amazement!! I was SOOOO embarrassed. I got up and waved to onlookers and said “I meant to do that” and trotted on… So you have just been initiated!! Welcome to the club!!!
Vince – you don’t need to be going fast. About 18 months ago I tripped on an uneven sidewalk while running quite slowly. and got an owie that looked like Flo’s. Couldn’t run for a few days. Since then I’ve fallen once again, in a race, and rolled without injury. I think that first fall was a learning experience for my reflexes
My conscious brain also learned that sidewalks are dangerous, I now avoid them where possible.
Yikes!
I’m glad that you and garmin are okay. I have two scars on my knee from a tumble last December. Occupational hazard, I guess.
Glad you are okay, that looks like it really hurts.
Yikes is right! That sure is a gnarly looking one. Take care of yourself, my dear!
[...] run before the marathon. I wiped out on the sidewalk. Opened the exact same spot on my leg from May’s fall with the added bonus of a swollen shin and punctured [...]