ultrarunningmom

Everyone who runs falls. My training partners and I have decided if there is no blood, it didn’t happen. I have had some epic falls. Just over this last weekend I fell three times, twice on Saturday and once on Sunday. Only Sunday drew blood, but the Saturday falls were ones to remember.

I’m always grateful I haven’t fallen on top of sharp rocks or sticks. As I’m careening down the trail, I always think, “God it would suck to fall right there.” Usually, there is a horde of sharp demonic rocks or a two-inch broken pointy root sticking straight up.

Both falls on Saturday happened when I was coming downhill once I stepped on a wet rock and the other I caught my toe. On my first fall, was head over heels. Sponge bunny grabbed my arm trying to stop my momentum.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

I assessed the damage. I was covered in dirt and hit my head causing a small bruise. “Yep.” I jumped up dusted off and kept going. Not too bad injury wise and funny to watch.

Fall two, we were almost back to the trailhead and there were other people on the trail out hiking the trail since the sun was up. I glanced up and saw two people coming up. Unfortunately, I didn’t pick up my foot high enough and caught a rock. Down again. It was another complete roll over.

“Are you alright?” called the couple from down the trial.

“Yep,” I said, and kept going.

Sponge bunny laughs behind me. “You know when you fall, you get that, oh shit, look for just a second, by the time you come to a stop it’s gone.”

Sunday.

We went out for a 20 mile run and were on our last 4 miles. It was level ground.

“Look at that view,” sponge bunny says from behind me.

I turned, mistake. I caught my toe on a rock. This time I twisted to toward the mountain and away from the edge of the trail. I sat there a second and then got to my feet.

There was blood, my right knee, hip and shoulder and the usual dirt.

“That hurt a bit,” I said, laughing.

“Yeah, but it was cool to watch. You did like this ballet twist in the air,” Sponge bunny said. “The whole time I was thinking go to the right, go to the right.”

We started down the trail, blood slowly running down my leg.

 

Everyone falls at some point. You just get up, dust yourself off, and keep going because quitting is not an option.