What if I Got Hurt?

Whenever I get really close to a race, I often find myself thinking, "What if I got hurt?'

This morning, I came REALLY close to answering that.

I had my 10 mile tempo run on plan for today and my husband needed to leave the house at 6 AM for a 3 day business trip he is going on.  This translated to a 4:00 AM alarm for me if I was going to get my run in.   I can't even start getting into how insane this week has been (I'll save that for the weekly recap) but let's just say I haven't exactly been getting to bed early.  (But I have gotten all of my workouts in to date so YAY me!)

The alarm went off; I stumbled into the bathroom to get dressed.  Somehow got my contacts in despite my droopy eyes.

Took down a GU with a water bottle and headed outside.  

It was really chilly.  My phone read 30 degrees.

In my mind, I SHOULD have thought "30 degrees...after a bunch of rain.  That may indicate some slippery spots."  What I actually thought was - I need to grab my gloves.  

I got a mile warm up in and it was mid 8s.  Time to flip the switch.

I know I saw this EVERY TIME but today it was really important to me to try to run this at goal marathon pace - 7:15 - and not faster.  Luckily I was tired so I was not tempted, or seemingly able, to run faster.  I continued running my loops in my neighborhood and the sun started rising.  I took a second Gu and grabbed my water bottle.  I did another loop and was just so bored.  I pulled my iPod out of my pocket and continued to listen to Carrie Tollefson interview Emma Coburn that I had started earlier in the week.  I ditched my knuckle lights and decided to go out of the neighborhood.

Typically when I "go out of the neighborhood" in the wee hours of the morning, I stay along this one path and turn around and come back to the neighborhood.  This is a 2 mile loop.  This path connects to a park system, which is what I will run through in later hours of the day as it is a great path.  For some reason I am always weirded out in the early morning because there are no people around so I never venture into the park.

Today, I was not weirded out.

I crossed over into the park, still running my tempo pace and moved to go across this wooden bridge to cross the river and BAM.

I didn't realize what had happened until I was flat on my back.

My immediate response was to grab my knee which took all of the impact of the fall and was throbbing and I started sobbing.  Because I immediately went to the place of "I am hurt and that's it.  No race that I have spent HOURS AND HOURS FOR THE PAST 4 MONTHS training for."  (Side note - I am an emotional runner.  I can't think of a marathon that I didn't cry during/immediately after.)

It took a few minutes but I finally settled down and examined my knee.  Nothing was bleeding but it was red and scraped.  I moved to stand up and it was only then that I realized the bridge was really slippery.  I hobble/walked a bit to get moving and my senses came back.  I started back running again and despite feeling shaken, I was able to finish the 10 mile tempo and a mile cool down.  My knee felt sore - like a bruise - but not off or in pain.  (Funny enough, the average pace of my 10 miler was 7:15 ON THE DOT.)

I iced my knee when I returned home just in case.  

When I undressed for my shower, I discovered that I already had a bruise on my left hip.  I must have slipped on the bridge, fallen first on my right knee and then crashed on my left hip.  I am sure it was a sight.  Because it was so unexpected I didn't brace myself or catch myself.  After sitting in my office most of the day, I think I am fine.  I have an off day tomorrow (flip flopped my usual Tuesday and Thursday to account for my husband's business trip) and will keep icing the knee just in case.  My aunt (the massage therapist) also recommended arnica cream.

Stay tuned!  

ARGH!