Story of a Faceplant

I am known for falling when I go running. A couple seasons ago, I feel on my face during two consecutive weeks, and banged up my knee each time. But I argue that, for as many miles as I log each year, I have a very low miles-to-faceplant ratio.

This is evidence to the contrary.

Friday morning. 20 degrees outside. 8:00am.

Mom and I go for her longest (and peak) run of the season - 12 miles. It's a new course in a neighboring town. It's rural (no sidewalks, narrow streets, some without lines) and woodsy. The whole day is planned. We will run, go to breakfast and then I will go back and add another 6 miles on the treadmill.

About 1.5 miles into the run, I see a sidewalk. We should run on that. "Watch out, though," I say to her as I step up on the sidewalk. "It's slippery."

And, midway through the word "slippery" I fall. Sideplant. Right on the left knee and hip. But it doesn't hurt too much. We continue to run.

Although its freezing and I'm wearing shorts, I feel like the slip helped my left leg warm up. It feels a little warmer. We continue to run some more.

At mile 2.5 we climb to the top of a hill. I turn around to cheer my mom on to get to me at the top. But as I do, her face looks at me in horror. "Em, your leg!"

I look down. My whole left leg is a waterfall of blood. My sock is totally red and my shoe is soaking up some of it. I don't have a band aid or a napkin. All I have is our map. So paper product it is. I mop up, and we decide that the bleeding isn't stopping, we have to run back and clean me up. I was bleeding all over my cool new Christmas present, the Brooks Nightlife shirt.


So I don't stop bleeding until the car ride home. We bandage me up and head out to finish the rest of the 12 miles around our town. Less fun that exploring some place new, but a good run nonetheless.

Turns out the scrapes weren't all that bad. They're very shallow, but because I was flexing my knee and had no pressure to put on it, I just kept on bleeding.

Post Script - 15 miles this morning and no knee problems. Just a bloody shoe.