face planting during a run anyone?

I totally ate it during my 10 miler on Monday. Tripped on a root, tore my running tights in the thigh. I now have 3 bruises on my shoulder/arm and it hurts to lift my purse (it's not THAT heavy - 3-5lbs.). Had to get a root canal re-done this mroning and I asked the dentist if he could just shoot some novicane into my arm too I did get a prescription for vicoden though.
So, what's your best non-running running related injury?

Everybody who has run on even mildly challenging trails has bit it at some point, so you're definitely not alone.

Best non-running running injury has to go to a high school buddy of mine. We were out on a run around town during track season and an idiot no-runner high school kid drove by us and his passenger decided to open the door. Fortunately, the only part of my buddy it hit was his arm. It took the brunt of the force and broke both the radius and ulna of his right forearm. After a trip to the ER, a cast, and a few weeks of healing, he came out on the good side of things with a $10K settlement plus medical expenses!

I narrowly avoided my tripping-on-a-root faceplant by somehow spinning in midair and landing on my back. Well, rolling onto it. And I had a Camelbak on, so it cushioned it. I have, however, taken a few spills, the most notable of which is probably doing a sharp 180 turn at the bottom of a slight hill just after it had rained... There was algae on the sidewalk. Went right onto the side of my left knee/hip. In front of many, many cars. Oops.

Last summer I nearly bit it during a training run when I tripped over an uneven sidewalk edge. I think it happens to all of us sooner or later.

A few years back, I did marathon training with a group at a bike path location. The trail had a square metal pole a couple of feet high in the middle to keep cars from driving down the path. On the first day of training, I was setting my watch instead of looking where I was going and rammed my shin right into the edge of the thing. I then completed my run with blood dripping down my leg. I still have a scar there!

mul21 wrote:Everybody who has run on even mildly challenging trails has bit it at some point, so you're definitely not alone.

Best non-running running injury has to go to a high school buddy of mine. We were out on a run around town during track season and an idiot no-runner high school kid drove by us and his passenger decided to open the door. Fortunately, the only part of my buddy it hit was his arm. It took the brunt of the force and broke both the radius and ulna of his right forearm. After a trip to the ER, a cast, and a few weeks of healing, he came out on the good side of things with a $10K settlement plus medical expenses!

ouch! at least he got something out of it

I bloodied up my knuckles on the side-view mirror of a car on accident. I cut my face by running into a low-hanging branch. And I thought I had frostbite after a cold windy run on the tip of my pe....nevermind.

Dave-O wrote:I bloodied up my knuckles on the side-view mirror of a car on accident. I cut my face by running into a low-hanging branch. And I thought I had frostbite after a cold windy run on the tip of my pe....nevermind.

Haha - yeah, the frostbite thing - I've been there too. It is ROUGH, I must say. How do you avoid that? Maybe another topic, but I have always been curious about it. Did a 20 degree long run once and thought it was going to have dire consequences. A warm shower hurt - I mean HURT. That can't be good for "things".

Never really bit it while running or cycling yet (I'm sure I will have my turn), but I have fallen at some inopportune times while forgetting to unclip from bike pedals...

John Kilpatrick wrote:

Dave-O wrote:I bloodied up my knuckles on the side-view mirror of a car on accident. I cut my face by running into a low-hanging branch. And I thought I had frostbite after a cold windy run on the tip of my pe....nevermind.

Haha - yeah, the frostbite thing - I've been there too. It is ROUGH, I must say. How do you avoid that? Maybe another topic, but I have always been curious about it. Did a 20 degree long run once and thought it was going to have dire consequences. A warm shower hurt - I mean HURT. That can't be good for "things".

Make sure your upper layer is long enough to hang over it. That way your jacket serves as an extra shield from the wind. I also wear spandex briefs under my long running tights, so there's essentially three layers of protection.

On my first ever trail run and race(Mountain Mist 50K in Huntsville, Al), I fell 13 times, each time resulting in severe calf cramps that made me look like and upside down turtle. When I got home, my wife swore she would never let me run another trail race. Blood and bruises top to bottom. At least I didn't fall on the waterfall we had to climb around mile 25--Ben Z--I'm sure you remember that beyotch.

Any of us who have ever really biked also have lots of strawberry/raspberry hip and face plant stories. My least favorite time was jumping my bike over a 2x4 , having the front wheel fall off and face planting into the pavement on the way to work. I looked much worse than my patients that night.

I severely sprained my ankle while training for Boston back in 2003 (wish I had broken it) by stepping on an unseen pine cone covered by wet pine straw on the sidewalk.

I had a nasty fall mid-January in the snow that pushed me to the treadmill a lot more. It took over 2 weeks for the pain to mostly go away, it was pretty bad.

I broke my foot one dark morning a few years ago when I stepped on a potato-sized rock that one of our local urchins thoughtfully left in the middle of the sidewalk. I probably would have missed it if I hadn't been peeking over a neighbor's fence to see if they were up yet.

And currently, I'm still recovering from wrenching my other foot back in November when I missed a root on a trail run. Only a fast mid-air twist kept me from landing face-first. Even so, I had some dandy bruises where I landed. Some lady on the trail saw me go flying and seemed to think she was going to have to call for a medivac.

I fell twice in one week during taper last year. And I caught a toe just 2 weeks ago on a raised manhole cover in the dark and rain.

Beats falling off a bike though!

See...look at all of the people that have taken a spill while running. Isn't it nice to know that you are in good company?

Nick Morris wrote:See...look at all of the people that have taken a spill while running. Isn't it nice to know that you are in good company?

yes

Michelle- I knew what you mean about wishing you just broke it. same thing happened to me cheerleading in college. I was out for months!

HaHa yep been there done that also. Actually I took not just 1 but two face plants this past fall will running in the mountains during the JFK 50 miler. And then top it off I almost ate it again coming off the mountain in front of my wife and Kevin F. Luck for me I was so graceful falling face first that I didn't even tear any cloths or cut myself, how managed to do that I don't have a clue!

It's almost the norm when running on some good technical terrain!

[quote="Diego"]At least I didn't fall on the waterfall we had to climb around mile 25--Ben Z--I'm sure you remember that beyotch.

quote]

Oh yeah! I nearly slid right off that thing, literally. I had to grab a root before falling off the edge. Gnarly!

I ran face-first in to a bus-stop sign in Malaysia. The sign won.

Thought I broke a bone in my face as well as my elbow when I landed on it. Instead it was just the embarassment of having to go in to work the next day with a swollen, bruised face and telling the story.

Schuey wrote:HaHa yep been there done that also. Actually I took not just 1 but two face plants this past fall will running in the mountains during the JFK 50 miler. And then top it off I almost ate it again coming off the mountain in front of my wife and Kevin F. Luck for me I was so graceful falling face first that I didn't even tear any cloths or cut myself, how managed to do that I don't have a clue!

It's almost the norm when running on some good technical terrain!

So is this the long awaited race report for your first ultra...

Michele "1L" Keane wrote:I severely sprained my ankle while training for Boston back in 2003 (wish I had broken it) by stepping on an unseen pine cone covered by wet pine straw on the sidewalk.

Coming from someone who broke his ankle last year in a parking lot at work(now I get free hospital food for life ), sprains are much easier to treat and heal. My ankle took close to 8 months to be pain free.

Jeff F wrote:

Schuey wrote:HaHa yep been there done that also. Actually I took not just 1 but two face plants this past fall will running in the mountains during the JFK 50 miler. And then top it off I almost ate it again coming off the mountain in front of my wife and Kevin F. Luck for me I was so graceful falling face first that I didn't even tear any cloths or cut myself, how managed to do that I don't have a clue!

It's almost the norm when running on some good technical terrain!

So is this the long awaited race report for your first ultra...

Man it looks like you guys are not getting to let me off easy on this. I will have to write up a official report.

Schuey wrote:

Jeff F wrote:

Schuey wrote:HaHa yep been there done that also. Actually I took not just 1 but two face plants this past fall will running in the mountains during the JFK 50 miler. And then top it off I almost ate it again coming off the mountain in front of my wife and Kevin F. Luck for me I was so graceful falling face first that I didn't even tear any cloths or cut myself, how managed to do that I don't have a clue!

It's almost the norm when running on some good technical terrain!

So is this the long awaited race report for your first ultra...

Man it looks like you guys are not getting to let me off easy on this. I will have to write up a official report.

yes you will!! Looking forward to it.

Last fall I ran on a trail for the first time. I don't know if its gnarly or not as I have nothing to compare it to. It was single track, 10 miles long, up and down roots, rocks and all sorts of stuff, but how hard I don't know. Anyway, first time out -- 4 falls. Bruises, particularly on my hands and knee. Second time out I fell three times. On the first fall, I didn't realize it at the time I cracked a couple of ribs, but at least I was wearing gloves so I didn't rip my hands again. On the third fall I realized I had done something. The last 3-4 miles wasn't a bunch of fun. A full 8 weeks of recovery. A little vicodin and I didn't miss a beat in training. I loved running the trail, but have to admit I'm a bit nervous about going out again. 55 yr old bodies don't bounce real well.

The only time I can recall falling on a trail was when I slipped on the snow during the Tecumseh trail marathon a few years ago.

I did face plant over a crack in the road during the CDC once 2006? That sucked but I caught myself on my forearm so there was no real damage. I'll post a picture if I can find it.