I need to get my confidence back

[Lindyjane]

I was out for a run a couple of weeks ago and tripped. I landed face down and bruised the side of my face and chin quite badly and the paramedic sent me to A & E for an X-ray in case I had fractured my cheek bone. Nothing was broken and the bruising is nearly gone, but I am worried now every time I go running in case I fall again. It has made me a lot slower and I am thinking about it all the time I’m out. Is there any advice on how I can enjoy running again?

[AlMorr Ambassador Graduate]

Sorry about your fall Lindyjane, I do understand why you have lost confidence on running again, however, if anyone falls while walking, does that put anyone off walking again? no, so once you start running again just be careful not to fall again, good luck ✔️✔️🏃🏾

[MissUnderstanding Administrator On a break Graduate]

I had a bad fall last year and I can relate to so much of what you’ve said here. I scraped my chin, bashed up my knee and sprained both elbows and wrists. I had to go to an and e for x rays. It was awful. I had to phone my husband because everything hurt so much I couldn’t drive home. I couldn’t get dressed without help for a couple of weeks. It really shakes you up. What you’re describing above is a totally normal reaction to a horrible experience. It’s all very well knowing you’re unlikely to fall again-logic doesn’t always convince our brains we’re safe! Sending virtual hugs your way.

What helped for me was time. I went out in good light on good surfaces for short, regular runs. It felt uncomfortable and I worried about falling a lot. Every time I had a little slip (the sort of thing you’d just write off before), I almost panicked and my pulse shot through the roof. It wasn’t fun. The good news is it got better. You just have to go through that phase of “I hate this and I hate feeling uncertain” until suddenly you realise you’re thinking about it less and you’ve slipped back towards where you were before. It took a while but I no longer think about falling-I hope that’s encouraging.

Just wishing you lots of luck. There are a lot of us who’ve fallen here and I hope some others might be along to share their experiences too.

[Lindyjane Graduate in reply to MissUnderstanding]

thank you for telling me about your fall, I am glad you could continue to run and I won’t give up either, I have been running regularly for over a year and it is the longest I have gone without stopping for a few months.

[Oldfloss Administrator Graduate]

MissUnderstanding has given you some super advice...take it...and all I can add, is try to relax... hard to do I know... and just take it slow and steady! Well done you for wanting to get out there again...

You will do this.,, and we will be rooting for you.

[Lindyjane Graduate in reply to Oldfloss]

Thank you for replying, I am going slower now, which is annoying me as I wasn’t very fast before! I will keep going though.

[Oldfloss Administrator Graduate in reply to Lindyjane]

Embrace the slowness... you will be amazed at how far it may take you... ! This snail did her first HM at 69 !

Just enjoy getting back on track x

[Mummycav Administrator Graduate]

oh no Lindyjane ?? That sounds terrible…you just need to take it steady when you do go back out again…make sure it’s flat and just go for a short run…do this a few times and get longer gradually..that’s what I did when I fell and it worked for me..chin up xx

[Beachcomber66 Graduate]

Hi Lindyjane. Good advice already given 🙂

I had a mystery fall whilst running last year. Knee badly cut, bruised ribs and shoulder.

I had to lay off running to allow the cut to heal, so lost a few weeks. When I returned to running, I managed to focus my anxiety on the particular spot where I fell; so I ran slowly elsewhere for a couple of weeks. Once my running was ok, I revisited the scene of the crime and I just ran through it without any trouble. You will get there 🙂

[drl212 Graduate]

I'm so sorry to hear about your experience. I'm sure it must have been terribly frightening.

I fell during my C25K, as well. It was on some uneven pavement and I was in the middle of a brisk walk warm-up with Steve Cram. Fortunately, I was able to catch myself and was not injured seriously excepting a lovely pair of gloves.

I agree with everyone else, take it slowly. Your confidence will return with time as will your pace. I think the important thing is to get back up, brush off, and start again.

[Xmrkn20 Graduate]

oh how I feel your pain! I fell on my face (literally) a few years ago, had to call someone to collect me as I was bleeding and in a lot of pain. Still have a scar on my nose and lip and it took me ages to be able to run down that particular road again. But the advice above is right, it does ease with time. Just take it at your own pace and, as the days pass and you stay on your feet, the fear will subside. Good luck and stick with it.

[Curlygurly2 Graduate]

I have had more falls that I can count, some running but most while walking, I've even fallen down the stairs at home more than twice. I had a particularly bad running fall during lockdown where people were just stepping over me as I lay on the floor in a puddle of blood. . Eventually two plain clothes police officers helped. I needed a wound gluing back together, it was down to the bone. If you search falls on here you will see a huge amount of us have had them..As Almorr says, you just need to get back out there .It's awful but even if you stay home you could fall in the house (like me)

[Oldfloss Administrator Graduate in reply to Curlygurly2]

... and me. that is how I tore my Achilles Tendon and then in another trip incident...cracked a rib! Not running related at all

[Curlygurly2 Graduate in reply to Oldfloss]

It's so scary isn't it, the pavements here are dreadful, so bumpy. I find I'm walking looking down all the time....

[Cmoi Graduate]

I've fallen several times in four years of running, mostly without doing real damage. However, just over two years ago I faceplanted hard on a stony, dirty countryside track and ended up in A&E with injuries that set my running back for months. I still carry the scars, literally.

So you've done well already by getting back to running so quickly. Your pace doesn't matter - who's judging anyway?

As for thinking about your fall every time you're out, I don't see that as necessarily a bad thing at this point, it depends how you frame it. What helped me was changing the little voice in my head from "You fell, it hurt, it might happen again, be afraid" to "You fell, it hurt, it might happen again, but that's fine, you survived last time, if it happens again you'll survive again."

Also, while I don't believe that falls can ever be ruled out simply by taking care, my faceplant taught me to be less smug and to concentrate more actively. For me, that's no bad thing.

[Ivegottheruns Graduate]

Just to offer a different slant too, running is great for bone density which will mean if and when you do fall sometime in the (hopefully distant) future, whether that's at home or on a run, you will fare much better thanks to your running, so its a no brainer in my mind!

[Lindyjane Graduate in reply to Ivegottheruns]

The paramedic who came said oh a running injury, there’s a lot of them, I got the impression he thought I was silly going running

[grumpyoldgirl Graduate in reply to Lindyjane]

A paramedic has a skewed view on life because all they see is what happens when things have gone wrong. I've fallen when out running and yes it puts you off, makes you think twice, that's normal! It means you pay more attention in future. Slowing down is fine and good. You'll gradually rebuild the confidence and your speed will slowly increase again.I still haven't run again on the section where I fell, because I probably should have been walking that bit in the first place!

There is a possibility you'll fall again, but running is so good for your overall strength, health and fitness. The paramedics don't see the people who don't fall because running prevented them from suffering from osteoporosis in the future. Or helped them build a stronger body. Or helped them out of depression.

Take your time, acknowledge your anxiety, and work with it, do as much as you feel comfortable with and let time be the healer 🩷

[Bubsbets]

hi. I tripped on a kerb the Friday before Mother’s Day and was in agony with my back for weeks. But now I’m back and doing C25k and I watch my every step and I only cross roads on drop kerbs as much as I possibly can.

[Lindyjane Graduate in reply to Bubsbets]

Glad you are able to run again, there seems to be a lot of people who have fallen

[Bubsbets in reply to Lindyjane]

yes. I hear of it a lot. Take care of yourself when you are out. X