falling runner

sheltondq

Yesterday during my 4 mile scale back run I took a tumble. One moment I was thinking it was going to be my fastest 4 miles ever, and the next I was laying flat on my face crying because the ground had scared me. (first fall, I feel like a real runner now) it took me a minute to get myself together.
I had ripped my running tights, busted my knees, broke my headphones and running case, and bruised my hands (& my ego)
The thing that kept me going was the members of my running team who stopped and checked on my. I then jogged: hobbled the last half mile to the end.

If you’ve ever fallen know your not alone. And know that you stopping to help another runner makes all the difference.

VUA21

I swear I can trip over my own feet standing still. When running outdoors, I prefer trail running as grass is a much softer landing pad than asphalt.

On a treadmill, I'm really glad that I have some upper body strength. I've been known to do unexpected and emergency dip in order to not fall on my face and go flying into the wall behind the treadmill.

BrianSharpe

I think that anyone who runs or rides a bike has taken a tumble at some point. I think my most embarrassing was when I glanced down at my Garmin near the end of a run and misjudged the height of a curb that I've gone ove a zillion times. Skinned knees & bruised ego.....fortunately it was early enough in the morning that I didn't have much of an audience.

Glad you weren't too badly hurt.

tulips_and_tea

As a walker I can say that uneven terrain or a slight misstep can happen to any of us. Thankfully I haven't had any falls, but tripping over a crack in the sidewalk or a slight bump on a trail has happened more times than I'd like to admit.

OP, hope you recover quickly and at first I read your thread title as "failing" runner and I was going to say accidents are not failures! Thank you also for the reminder to help others because there comes a time when we all need a little help.

allisonlane161

I fell once on a rails to trails path in the Catskills. The only reason I was up immediately and running without knowing the full extent of damages is because there were houses. Shredded the knees of my running pants, blood on them, gravel in my palms and a scrape on my chin. I seriously think getting up and running immediately kept the swelling and pains to a minimum, although enough. Welcome to the world of running. Next up? Trail running?

CharlieBeansmomTracey

heck walking on a gravel road and having a piece of gravel or a rock roll under your foot. scary for sure

Purplebunnysarah

Fell hard during a trail race this summer - past the technical bits on the flats close to the finish line! This is what it looked like once I had a few days to start to heal!

MikePfirrman

I trail raced for 3 years. I sucked. A good day was the top of the bottom third. I had one muddy race where I was feeling great and sticking to (half way through) at least the middle of the pack if not the top third.

A man in his 60s in front of me slipped and completely dislocated his knee. I've done that (not in a race but coaching basketball) and know it's one of the most painful (and dangerous because you can go into shock) things that can happen in a race. I won't remember any of my times, as they weren't memorable. But I won't forget the time I sat with him, in the pouring rain, talking to him and telling him I had been through it and he would get through it to. Then medical came in the cart and took him and I finished the race. Top of the bottom third again, but who cared. I felt proud that day I did what I did. More than any race (or time) that I had done.

For those of you doing trail races, respect the mud!

GiddyupTim

About four months ago, I tripped on a tree root. Saw it coming from 20 feet away. Prepared for it. Meant to lift my feet high. Missed. Stumbled. Flailed. Thought I caught myself, but didn't. And, finally, tumbled to the ground. People watched it happened. They looked at me with some embarrassment and did not say a word.
Hope that never happens again, though I am sure it will.

FL_Hiker

Good for you for getting back up and not giving up!!!! I was jogging with my old dog once and he just decided to dead stop right in front of me when we were about to cross a road that a car was at and they waved me to go... I literally did a front flip over my dog, and my ear buds got tangled up in his leash , and this entire ordeal freaked him out he didn't know why I was front flipping over him so he took off sprinting with my ears attached LOL. The lady in the car was just in tears laughing 😳.

firef1y72

I went down for the first time a few weeks back, very dramatically finishing with a full sideways roll. It was just as my speed had started to pick up and I genuinely think my that my legs were moving faster than my body as I turned a corner. I can laugh about it now but think I was sat on the pavement for a good minute in shock, then I looked at my watch realised it hadn't paused, got up and carried on running. Did a 30min20sec 5k including my fall, so I was a little peed that I could have broken the 30min without. Oh and I had some glorious bruising on my leg and should along with grazing.

mbaker566

i'm a falling sorta girl

my "favorite" fall is in front of a restaraunt with patio sitting. i tripped over an edge of the sidewalk. being a faller, i tucked and rolled and then kept going barely missing a stride. my dog and the patio sitters just kinda stared. i was a little scraped up but not too bad. sorta felt like a ninja runner

janejellyroll

My last trail race I tripped in the first 3 miles. I was feeling great, practically flying (in my own mind at least), but then I didn't lift my foot high enough and tripped on a rock. Fell face down and hit another rock.

Completely destroyed my sunglasses. This was actually lucky because it meant the side of my glasses took the impact that otherwise would have gone straight to my temple. Fortunately I was able to finish the race, just with scraped hands and a fat lip. Big bruises on my right knee the next day too.

It's not at all uncommon. Hope you feel better soon!

bennettinfinity

My last trail race, I fell three times... I kept tripping over roots... it was embarrassing.

My worst fall, though, was when I was on an out and back in the rain and just happened to hit my turn point on a wooden boardwalk. I knew the treated lumber would be slippery, so I took my turn nice and easy - or so I thought... My plant foot slipped and I swear I went horizontal and just hung in the air for a second Wile E. Coyote style, before slamming down hard... I managed to run back home, but I was limping around for a few days after.

I'm hope your knees (and your pride) have recovered!

CharlieBeansmomTracey

mbaker566 wrote: »

i'm a falling sorta girl

my "favorite" fall is in front of a restaraunt with patio sitting. i tripped over an edge of the sidewalk. being a faller, i tucked and rolled and then kept going barely missing a stride. my dog and the patio sitters just kinda stared. i was a little scraped up but not too bad. sorta felt like a ninja runner

my elderly neighbor did that. he was falling and I was like OMG I was too far to do anything in that time frame. he just tucked and rolled and got up like he did it on purpose. to this day I kinda laugh about it because it looked soo planned out

CharlieBeansmomTracey

Im also not a runner but one time I was running, nothing too fast and my legs just gave out on me,I hit nose first into the pavement. my mom thought I was hit by a car (beacause I was running along side the road and it was coming up behind me(that wasnt the issue) needless to say I went to the ER. nothing was broken but I do have a bump on my nose now because of it.

girlwithcurls2

I fell off a treadmill once... Nothing like being in a huge gym/cardio room full of people... in the FRONT ROW of treadmills. Luckily, I was visiting my sister, and it was her gym, so I knew I'd never see those people again! Now I trail run, and dang, have my reflexes improved!!!

ccrdragon

Went fishing with the family Labor Day weekend. Tried to climb down a boulder covered levee to the edge of the lake and caught my shoe on a rock...fell, tumbled, rolled, etc. ending up on my *kitten* in the water at the edge of the lake. Scraped both knees, one shin and sprained a wrist...