Fell late last night while out doing a slow three miler. Had double knotted my laces, as usual, but obviously I left a big-enough loop in one of the them so that when I performed a full 360 degree turn at one stage, my right lace tangled up my left foot.

I saw my life flash before my eyes before I hit the ground a split second later. Very thankfully, I hit the ground evenly, pretty much on both my hands. The paws were a bit battered as it was on a gravel boreen and I fell forwards. I immediately continued as I surveyed the damage, hoping that I hadn't pulled any muscles or twinged my back at the same time. My hands were fine, but like my ego, scratched.

Off the top of my head, I cannot ever remember falling while out running before - having a wall fall on me isn't quite the same thing?

A bit of a lucky escape. Be careful out there and tie those laces, especially when going out and back...

Anonymous

14 years 10 months ago

james...i feel your pain, I have fallen many a time for no apparent reason while out runniing, have had stitches, wounds glued and also i've fainted on a run.That's why my family call me Calamity Jane. Welcome to my club...I have developed a new technique for falling,it is quiet like a 'James Bond' move that my sister has seen in action and thinks its hilarious...so much so she could not pick me back up she was laughing so much....tuck the hands in let the bum take the knock and roll over to minimse impact on any one joint....you may laugh but it works....oh and aim for grass verge if you have time!!jane-ann

Jane C

14 years 10 months ago

I have another word of warning from an accident I witnessed a few years back.

I was running with my club in the UK. On a club night you could have up to 5 different groups running at different speeds and distances so there was something for everyone. I was recovering from Illio-tibial band friction business myself and so decided I'd run with a faster than normal group i.e. a bunch of men with legs twice as long as mine. As there is less fricton between the illio-tibial band and the bony surfaces the faster you run, it means you knee hurts less when you run fast but your lungs hurt more! Needless to say I was holding up the back of the group. There was just one man (lets call him Bob) slightly behind me. I could see him out of the periphery of my vision. At one point I saw him go to look at his watch, at the same time we ran past a street light. Crash! I looked back to see him on the ground in a sort of pole shape. I yelled at the others to stop. Bob was concussed. We ended up calling for an ambulance and taking him to A+E (well I did as the only female and had to wait with him). He had cracked a few ribs and had to have his head stitched.
So the morale of that story is;
a) to wear a helmet while running in urban areas?
b) make sure the road a head is clear when when checking your pace?
c) never run in a fast all male group if you are the only female?
d) its better to have a sore knee than a short run that ends in A+E?