It's not how hard you fall...

[TuggyLugs]

(it's how you get back up again).

So, have been running with my local club for couple of months now, building up my fitness for my first 10k event. Tues eve run about 10 days ago took a crashing fall and face planted the concrete. Cut my face, blackened my eye and left the skin from my shoulder on the pavement. Quick check over at A&E and home to self medicate with red wine, maltesers and painkillers.

Thanks go to my fellow runners who scraped me up off the ground and assured me I was a proper runner now that I had taken a dive.

Spent the next few days finding new bits of my body that hurt. But more than that I had lost my confidence. It had never occurred to me that running was a risk sport. Sprains, aches and pains maybe but this was something else. So in my sorry state I vowed to find a more appropriate pastime, put away my running shoes and mothball my Garmin.

Until that is all my non running friends, family and co-workers decide to give me the benefit of their sedentary wisdom. Apparently they had been waiting for me to crash and burn. What was I thinking, running around at my advanced age (53) . Time to sit at home with my knitting? I don't bloody think so!!!

After a week to recover I had six days to get ready for the !0k that I had entered 4 months ago. So on Sunday with my lovely husband and two teenagers supporting me I ran my little socks off and finished in 1 hour 2 minutes and 35 seconds. Along with a couple of running friends and some runners from my club I had the best day imaginable.

Never let the setbacks define you. Gremlins, injuries, falls, lack of self belief. Overcome them and your achievements and successes will be all the sweeter.

Happy running to all.

[Maddee_6333 Graduate10]

Well done you! That’ll show ‘em.

From someone who goes running and then comes home and knits 😁.)

[TuggyLugs in reply to Maddee_6333]

I know what you mean. Don't tell anyone but I'm a demon with a crochet hook. It's good to be multi-dimensional!

[pollyp1 Graduate10]

Fantastic stuff! Well done, brilliant time too.

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Fabulous post, i love your enthusiasm and motivation to show em you can and will run! Sorry to hear of your close encounter with the concrete but your medication of wine and Maltesers sounds right up my street lol. Well done and keep running!

[SaskAlliecat Graduate10]

I'm sorry to hear of your nasty fall but am delighted to hear you got back up and ran a wonderful 10k race....and got a great time! Way to show your non-running friends and coworkers how we do it. - from a fellow crocheting runner 🤗

[Mummycav Administrator Graduate10]

Yikes?? I’m so glad you’ve got up & dusted yourself down...poor you taking that fall, but, poor non-running friends etc sat on the couch...not only sat on the couch but sat there with egg on their faces??!!!! Blooming good for you for not ending your love affair with running...you’ve just shown everyone that you are not knitting material, you are definitely running material...tough running material at that..I love this post...thank you 😊

[Gabby08 Graduate10]

Amazing! And that’s one heck of a time - fall or no fall. Congratulations! 💕

[misswobble Graduate10]

Congratulations! 👍🏅. Well done. Racing is such a hoot! 😃

As a fellow face planter, now with scarred lip and a wonky tooth, I say yah boo snubs to detractors. Not that I have any 😃 I crashed face down last January I think it was, the day before a mini holiday 😞 I was running with a group who got me a lift home bless em

I had several weeks off with my teeth and mouth cuts mainly. The bruising goes amazingly fast

It never occurred to me to not get back out there. My husband only said "oh dear" We did go away as planned but had to cancel one night away in Harrogate and I missed the Parkrun there which was my biggest regret 😕

I couldnt eat solid food for weeks and lost 8 or 9 pounds. Every cloud .... 😁

Happy running ! 🏃‍♀️👍💪😃✔️

[TuggyLugs in reply to misswobble]

Miss Wobble, well done for your resilience.

I have the remains of my black eye and a rather rakish small scar over my left eye but the saddest sight is my lovely Garmin (only got it at the end of August). The face is cracked but it still works, just isn't waterproof now.

My husband made me laugh on Sunday when he said " If you fall over again don't forget to protect the Garmin with your face. I can't afford to buy you another watch" It was a very early xmas present after he blew up my old treadmill. That's another story!

XXX

[skysue16 Graduate10]

Very well done for getting back out there and in great style - what a fantastic time 😀🎉

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Lovely! Very big congratulations, nothing like the advice of sedentary friends to spur a runner on. You are a warrior

[misswobble Graduate10]

Oh flip! Cracked Garmin! Eek! You could add one to your Christmas list