falling runner

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sheltondq
sheltondq Posts: 51 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
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.

Replies

  • VUA21
    VUA21 Posts: 2,072 Member
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    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
    BrianSharpe Posts: 9,249 Member
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    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.
  • BZAH10
    BZAH10 Posts: 5,710 Member
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    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
    allisonlane161 Posts: 269 Member
    edited September 2018
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    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
    CharlieBeansmomTracey Posts: 7,682 Member
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    heck walking on a gravel road and having a piece of gravel or a rock roll under your foot. scary for sure
  • sarahthes
    sarahthes Posts: 3,252 Member
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    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!
    gsh1j34gn5wp.jpg
  • GiddyupTim
    GiddyupTim Posts: 2,819 Member
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    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.
  • firef1y72
    firef1y72 Posts: 1,579 Member
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    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
    mbaker566 Posts: 11,233 Member
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    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
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    edited September 2018
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    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
    bennettinfinity Posts: 865 Member
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    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
    CharlieBeansmomTracey Posts: 7,682 Member
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    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
    CharlieBeansmomTracey Posts: 7,682 Member
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    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
    girlwithcurls2 Posts: 2,259 Member
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    I fell off a treadmill once... :confounded: 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
    ccrdragon Posts: 3,365 Member
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    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...

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