Pothole Fall

[PDIGC]

I have a routine of running 3 evenings per week and generally do a couple of shorter runs with a 10k on Friday. Living where I do in Gran Canaria it's quite hard to find decent longer routes avoiding crossing too many roads or where the pavement just stops as if they got bored constructing it! I have been running a path alongside a man-made barranca - a sort of a very wide deep drainage channel and do a circular route down to a lake next to the Maspalomas dunes and beach. It now starts getting dark at about 8pm and there are sections of the route where lighting is turned off and last night I tripped in a pothole I couldn't see in a gravelly section and fell hard, skinning my knee cutting my arm and grazing a shoulder. A young Spanish couple came to my assistance but thankfully no serious injury, just a bit bloodied. I was at about 3.5k at this point, but I did manage to complete my run albeit a bit cagily which slowed me down. Am I going to have to start carrying a torch - that would feel awkward! What do others do when running after dark?

[Instructor57 Graduate10]

oh dear

hope you are ok !

i personally do not run in the dark, however, a lot do and use either a head torch or chest torch.

both are available for runners.

you certainly don't want to have to carry one in your hand though.

well done on finishing your run ... That's commitment

[PDIGC Graduate10 in reply to Instructor57]

Thanks, I can't say I've seen them over here, but I've got to come back to the UK next Friday for a few days so might be able to pick something up while I'm back.

[Instructor57 Graduate10 in reply to PDIGC]

ok, that's why I didn't suggest where to get

but both are available from Amazon

[Cmoi Graduate10 in reply to PDIGC]

Sorry to hear about your fall PDIGC , I hope you don't have any lasting damage. I know from experience that injuries can make themselves known during the hours and days after the fall, so be cautious if necessary.

If you don't want to buy from Amazon you can get head torches at Decathlon, and sometimes at Aldi and Lidl too. Decathlon have a Spanish site: decathlon.es/es/browse/c0-e... and appear to ship to Gran Canaria: decathlon.es/es/landing/env...

[PDIGC Graduate10 in reply to Cmoi]

Interesting thank you - I just noticed they have a store here in the capital Las Palmas! I will definitely have to visit them when I get back and would be handy to have somewhere to go for my running needs, particularly trainers. I live in the more touristy area in the the south of the island so there are very few big stores locally and very limited .

[Cmoi Graduate10 in reply to PDIGC]

You're welcome. I like Decathlon's own-brand stuff, though find their range of branded running shoes limited. There again I live in rural France so my nearest Decathlon is in the same town as the nearest specialist running shop, both 50km away!

[Sandraj39 Graduate10]

Yep, head torch or chest light for me in the dark.

[Hedgehogs123 Graduate10]

ooh thats sounds nasty. I do a lot of running in the dark and I live really rural so I have a headlamp, its actually in my beanie hat. I also have a really good chest light especially for running and always wear gear that is reflective. Got everything from Amazon.