As we begin these Winter Olympics, we also are upon the 20 year anniversary of when Olympian skater Nancy Kerrigan had her knee get whacked by an attacker.
To honor that anniversary, I apparently thought it would be a good idea to recreate the event…on myself.
Last week we had some nice weather, and I was getting the running itch after my couple week rest from the Dopey Challenge. So I threw on the ole runnin jorts and hit the road. About a half mile into it I saw some old abandoned railroad tracks.
Now, I’m a lover of history, and a little way down these tracks is where the first train robbery in Texas had happened back in the 1800’s. I’d visited to the spot several times (the even host a 5k there). But I was heading the other way. I did because I know it leads to the site of where an old Native American attack occurred on some of the first settlers there. Thought I might check that out.
But I also knew that a little down the tracks, a portion had been removed and was now a dirt path that leads to some paved trails. Thought it would make for a nice run. Wrong.
Let me preface this next part by saying that I have NEVER fallen on a run. Ever. I know I’m in the minority there…or I was…
As soon as I got on the tracks, I realized it wasn’t a good running surface. I decided to get off of them. But about 4 steps in, my feet got tangled in a circular metal wire that was in the overgrown grass on the tracks. I knew I was going down. I landed hard. I knew instantly that something was wrong with my knee. I looked and it had graciously broken my fall…on a big rock.
Both knees and hands were bleeding. My shoulder hurt. My whole body felt on fire. I knew it was the adrenaline from the unexpected hit. I laid on the tracks for several minutes holding my knee, not able to move. Now mind you, I was only a few feet from a busy road. Why did nobody stop to check on the motionless body on the abandoned train tracks? Maybe they were scared of what they’d find.
Anyway, after the adrenaline wore off, I was able to slowly get up and slowly walk back. I got cleaned up and drove home. Spent the night icing and elevating. The next morning I woke to find my knee was replaced by a flesh colored grapefruit.
One of these knees is knot like the other. PS, this was 3 days after, so the swelling was down.
I iced and elevated the next few days and the swelling mostly went down. It feels better every day, but I haven’t had it checked out yet. Going to monitor it a bit more. I’ve been able to walk OK, but it is stiff. It is a tad tender to the touch at the point of impact. I don’t have full range of motion yet. I’m pretty positive that nothing is torn or broken. I’m hoping it was just like a big charlie horse.
Anyway, since then we’ve had a nasty little cold front come through, and we even got some snow! So I’m glad I have an excuse for not running right now! To be continued…
Do you have any embarrassing good unfortunate fall stories? Would you stop if you saw a body on the tracks? Do you have any professional diagnosis?
Piratebobcat 
Oh man, as a former figure skater this made me laugh. So sorry to see that. During marathon training I tried to avoid people on a busy street and ran straight into a pole and fell face first onto the ground. It was pretty embarrassing. I got up and kept running and realized later that I was pretty hurt (ego and physical). Take care!
Haha, I’m sorry to laugh, but that is funny! We’re you like a cartoon with your arms and legs sticking straight in front of you? Anyway, glad you’re better now. I remember you telling me about skating…that whole Harding Kerrigan thing was bizarre.
Poor PB! I am trying not to laugh and am so glad that nothing seems to be broken. My professional opinion is to apply wine. To your mouth.
Go ahead and laugh, it’s what I’m here for. Hahaha, I’m taking your advice and inserting a healthy dose to my mouth!!!
Oh my gosh ouch. So sorry to hear about this! Hope you start feeling well soon.
A few years ago I was running with my dog, slipped on some leaves and fell off an embankment, then off the curb and into the street on my back . Luckily the street was closed so I wasn’t run over. The street just happened to be closed only because it was the day of the town Christmas parade. So I fell into the street where the entire town was getting ready for the parade. Embarrassing and painful.
Thank you!!!
And I’m so sorry, but I am laughing. Please tell me there were tons of families sitting on the curb waiting for the parade!!!
Of course there were! Lots of old ladies to ask me if I needed help and plenty of people all over. Luckily I was able to hop up and keep running so I could get the heck outta there
OH lord! I have more than a few, but the worst was on my bike. I dropped my rigid water bottle, it got under my tire, and the bike cartwheeled. When I finally came to a rest, adding insult to injury I was still clipped in to my pedals and had to wrestle myself out of them. That one left a mark. I don’t think I actually have any running fall stories. Famous last words, I’m sure…
Oh no, that would be scary to flip a bike! Glad it wasn’t more serious! And yes, you gotta be careful how you phrase that! Haha!
Last summer my family and I went to a local trail for a run. My two older boys went to do a run on a side trail while my husband and I finished our run. I lost focus for a minute and caught my toe on a tree root. I had that sick moment when you know you are going down but know you can’t stop it. I was thinking just don’t hit your face. I was able to catch on my hands but unfortunately my momentum carried my face right to the dirt. I got up with a bleeding lip, scraped stomach, bruised knee and a mouth full of dirt. I checked for any serious injuries and continued on my run. (I knew I had to get back to my boys.) I can only imagine what the other runners thought when they passed the bloody, muddy woman on the trail. It took a lot of rinsing and brushing to remove the dirt that was stuck in between my teeth. DISGUSTING!!!!
Uh oh!!! I’ve seen plenty of people bite it on the trails, so I try to always be looking for hazards, but that’s easier said than done! I know exactly what you mean about falling and knowing you can’t do anything about it! I had the same feeling as I was going down. You just hope for the best!
And haha, I imagine you freaked some other runners out when emerged from the woods looking like that!
Ooooh ouch! So sorry, man. That does not look pleasant.
Ha, it was not pleasant at all.
Love the title of the post. Do not love the content. That looks horrible!!! So sorry! Glass half full- this occurred after your Dopey Challenge lol. Keep us updated!
Thank you! You know, I thought the same thing – I’m glad I didn’t get hurt before Dopey! Luckily I don’t have any races booked, so at least I won’t have to pull out of any!
That’s good! Crossing my fingers that you heal quickly!
Thank you!
Ouch! So sorry about the injuries 😦 heal quickly! Go pack your leg in some snow. Ha! Win.
Thanks! And ha! I should take advantage of the rare Texas snow and apply it to my wounds!
I am sorry, but I laughed and I laughed at the comments above too. My professional diagnosis would be you were suffering from “Dopey Challenginitis”. I have had 2 bike wipe-outs, no, 3 actually, and one involved railroad tracks and a truck. And I have had one running wipe-out. I tripped on a wire hidden in the grass (similar to you) on the only gravel part of a dirt trail. It went slow motion from there. Felt like I was gliding through the air. I had a canister of bear spray in my left hand and landed on that, skidded there for a bit, then skidded onto my wrist, elbow, hip and knee. The bear spray saved the palm of my hand and had some serious dents in it (that would’ve been bad had it burst), my elbow and knee were embedded with gravel and my shorts ripped on my hip. I jumped up to see if anyone saw, no one was around. Then I proceeded to limp home (and cry) and pick rocks out of my elbow and knee. Still have the scars from that one.
LOL, no worries! Glad we could entertain you! And thank you for your professional diagnosis – that condition doesn’t sound too serious! Sorry to hear about your falls! Why is it when we’re about to be hurt that everything goes in slow motion – why not when I’m eating something awesome? It’s funny how everyone is embarrassed first, then worry about injuries second. That would’ve been bad if your bear spray broke, but it does give me a laugh to think about if it had what that would’ve looked like!!!
Sorry about your scars, maybe you can make up a new story about them to tell people that does involve an actual bear attack???
It would’ve been an even funnier story (after the fact) had the bear spray broke. I likely would’ve been lying on the trail in more agony and unable to breath and see. I like the idea of saying the scars are from a bear attack, or even a dramatic chase scene involving a bear and a wipe-out.
I was picturing you more standing up, all bloody and muddy, unable to see, and walking in circles with your arms out. Haha!
Lol – runner zombie!
Ouch, that looks pretty rough! My worst wipe out was actually on a treadmill. Apparently I was a little sleepy and went right off the back and into the wall…oops.
Haha, sorry to hear that! When I see people wipe out on the treadmill at the gym, the reaction is always the same. They get up, calmly collect their things, and then walk out the front door as if nothing happened. I guess they don’t want the embarrassment to be any longer than it has to!
I laughed out loud and got right back on the treadmill. I also don’t run at 5 in the morning anymore 🙂
Ha, good for you!
Sounds like a beautiful place to fall, though…. That cannot possibly be 20 years ago! Wow!
It is a nice spot, that’s one of the reasons I wanted to run there – a few days before I had seen some wedding photos being taken on the tracks.
I couldn’t believe it was 20 years either!!!
Ouch! About 3 weeks ago, I took a nasty spill on my normal route. My tights ripped, blood everywhere on both knees, damaged ego. I sat laying there–on a busy street during rush hour!–and was more upset about the fact that no one stopped to check on me, than how much pain I was in. I’m still mad about that!
Hope you feel better soon and congrats on earning your runner’s stripes!!
Sorry to hear that Jeanette! At first I was hoping nobody saw me (ego), but I know they did because it was rush hour when I did this too and there were tons of cars zooming by. After the embarrassment wore off, I also got a little perturbed that nobody stopped! I could’ve been seriously hurt!
Thanks, that’s a good way to look at it – running stripes!!!
Yikes that looks rough! I have taken plenty a spill on trails. Last summer I was convinced one of the trails had it out for me because I fell every time I ran there. Hope you recover soon.
Haha, I bet the trail does have it out for you! But you can’t let it win! Go dominate it!
Your blog title was awesome, even if it came out because you got hurt. I am so sorry you fell but I am glad your knee is feeling a bit better. I haven’t ever fallen during a run (yet) but I am always terrified I am going to, especially out in the snow/ice.
Thanks so much!!! Just about everyone I know has fallen at least once on a run, so if it happens, know that you’re part of a special group! Be careful in the snow/ice! Luckily we don’t get much in Texas.
Holy crap that sounds painful. I’m glad you didn’t break anything! That swelling is insane.
I fall down a lot so yeah I have some embarrassing fall stories. Once on my first 13 mile run, I was in the dark and my toe caught some raised pavement and I went flying. I took a big chunk out of my hand (cool scar) and ripped the knee out of my running tights. Then I was running in an 8K last November and someone tripped me right out of the gate and I fell hard in front of about a thousand people. That was embarrassing. :-\
Thank you! It feels better each day! But I kind of made a deal with myself to not try and run until at least the scab is gone.
Oooh, that’s horrible on both accounts. The race one really blows, I hope at least you took out a big crowd, and not just you. Congrats on your scars!
Looks painful, hope you heel quick! I can’t remember falling in training, but I’ve had a few bad racing experiences. I ran a cross country race barefoot (big mistake) on gravel a year back and fell hard at the start. I ended up running the 4km with bloody knees and an open piece of skin under my big toe.
Thank you!
That sounds like a horrible experience!!! I hope you healed ok and learned a few things!
Yikes, sorry about the fall! If the swelling is coming down, hopefully there is just some minor damage/bruising that needs to heal. I’ve fallen 3 times on the sidewalk, and it’s always because I’m changing music mid-run. So I need to not do that, obviously. One time I fell forward, caught myself with my hands, and did a front roll over my left shoulder and stood right up. I credit my 2nd grade gymnastics training for that move 🙂
Thank you!
You’ve fallen three times doing the same thing??? You need to stop doing that thing! Haha!
I would pay money to have seen you do that move – nobody caught it on video did they?
Yup, same thing! I’m not aware that anyone caught it on tape, perhaps I should do some research in YouTube? It was a pretty impressive fall, the other 2 have been flat on my face though haha..my elbow swelled up for a couple of days once but no real injuries thankfully!
Yikes! Be safe out there!
Like = Boo! Hiss!
Falls, bad. Injuries, bad.
Hope you feel better soon.
Haha, thanks for “liking” it!
It feels better every day, but definitely not normal yet.
I have fallen a few times both running and once on my bike Huli. Awful every time.I always land on my right knees.
I had fluid under my knee and my knee cap moved a bit so had to have it taped and physio. So, that could be one of the possibilities with your knee.
Ouch! Be careful!
Yes, there is a bit of fluid left in there that I can feel. If it doesn’t go away soon I’ll look into options. Thanks!
Sounds good.
Yikes! I don’t believe you saw this:
http://holisticwayfarer.com/2013/07/01/first-aid-from-my-apothecary-bumps-bugs-cuts-poison-sun/
It’s there as a reference. Hope it helps.
Thank you so much! I’m actually taking Arnica. Unfortunately I had to wait a few days to get it as I wasn’t that mobile immediately after I got hurt. I will go to the store and look for Traumeel tonight (I had never heard of it before). Again, thank you!
Ask the store or store pharmacy to order it if they don’t carry it. Or call ahead. Standard places carry it – not just ones that specialize in homeopathics.
OK, thanks for the info!
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