Fell For a Guy

This is an article I wrote which was published in the "Pace Setter" February 2011 issue - a local running mag. I thought this might be a good place to start this Blog. I am starting a new Chapter in my life - divorcing, buying a house, and hoping to get my triathlete mojo going and have some awesome success racing this year. I will give some history in a future post.

For the "Last Run 5K" that went through
Washington Park Holiday Lights December
18th, 2010, two of my girlfriends and I decided
to get dressed up - crazy socks, jingle bells,
cute plaid shorts, and Santa hats - and I had
antlers - and run thp race. It was a cold night,
but no wind. The race went off at 5:00 p.m. so
it was dark, but very pretty, running through
the Christmas lights in the park.
Nearing the end of the race a guy (very
handsome, by the way) ran up next to me and
complimented my outfit, and so we chatted a
little - he liked the bells, and so on. I suggested
to him that we pick it up and make it a really fast
finish. OK. We got going at a pretty good pace,
and as it started to slope downhill a bit near the
finish on State Street between the Capitol and
the Pldza, he got a little ahead of me, dS most
guys would, and yelled back, "Come on, it's
downhill - you (dn do this." I sped up some
more to catch up to him. That's the point that I
tripped and was going fast so I had absolutely
no control over stopping the fall.
I hit my head first and rolled onto onp side,
hitting my forehead, cheek, elbow, hip and,
lastly, knee. I ended up on my back downhill
direction. He and another runner stopped and
I was stunned from the fall. They asked if I was
OK and I said I'm really not sure, as I wasn't
pven sure what hurt at that point. Onp of them
ran for paramedics, who were there in a second,
as we were about 200 yards from the finish
line. Music was playing and runners were
going by. The EMTs asked if I hit my head which
I did - so they told me to stay still. They
were going to get d collar and I told them, "No,
I am not going in an ambulance bec<.lusP I am
hosting a party at my house at 7:00 tonight!"
Somewhere in the middle of the EMTs checking
me out, one of the other runners decided I
should finish the race, so I suggested they take
my chip and run it across the finish line mat
- they actually took my shoe! Funny! One of
them came back with my shoe - which the
EMTs said was like Cinderella getting her glass
slipper back. Very funny! The handsome guy
who took my shoe came back with a bottle of
water also. He was the same guy who was running
with me, so I started telling him that I was
hosting a party at my house at 7:00 that night
and he should come as it would be a bunch
of running friends! The EMTs were telling me
I should go to the hospital to get checked out,
but I said no way. I had to go take care of my
party!
I yelled out my address to the handsome
guy as he left and as the EMTs worked to get
vitals, I finally convinced them I was OK to
stand and walk, and I signed off on not going
to the hospital. I left but couldn't get hold of
my friends as they were doing a cool down run
and so they had no idea I was hurt.
I got home and my cheek was swelling fast,
as I could see it under my eye dnd I knew it was
bad. Also I knew my knee was pretty bad because
it hurt. When I got home and one friend
arrived, I made him start prepping stuff while
I got in the shower to check out the extent of
injuries and to freshen up. I took a few layers
off of my knee and the elbow, hip, hand wpre
all bruised and scraped and swollen. It was
quitp a fall, but didn't think I broke anything.
The rest of my friends started showing up, and
the Handsome Guy also showed. He sdid hE'
had to come to see if I was OK. It turns out he
knows other runner friends who came to the
party, as it is a small world. It seems if you talk
to enough people in the Capital District, that
someone will have a connection, especially
among the runners and triathletes, which my
friends and I are.
My girlfriend is a nurse and so when she
came to the party she patched me up and she
and my other girlfriend (the Three Musketeers
WP call ourselves) were both shocked when
they saw me, as they had no idea I had fallen.
We all laughed a lot that night and kept blaming
the Handsome Guy for tripping me, which
he did not, of course, but we had fun joking
about it. I'm really OK - just a black eye and a
few bruises, which will heal.
My chip time did not register. I guess carrying shoe is not the same as running in one.
Oh well, I had a good time anyway.