One Word Wednesday

Oppps

I'm not in his clique

Right now as I sit here at work, I am feeling my hip. 

Okay.  I am not actually rubbing my hands all over my hip. 

That would be weird.

But I am noticing my hip.

Usually my hip is just there doing it's own hip thing.

We don't talk much.

I guess I'm just not in my hip's social clique.

Whatever.

But today hip seems to be saying something.

Quietly but saying something.

I know my form has been off since I took my big fall.

I really tweaked my leg from my ankle to my knee and I bounced around on my right hip.

But my hip was just bruised.

I am thinking about taking my evening run off.

Okay there I said it.

I have already run my morning miles so I am good for the day.

My mileage is good as long as I stick to my miles the rest of the week and even if I have a lighter week now I'd be okay with that since I have a great base and a month until the Ultra.

Gee am I trying to convince you or me?

Hummm.  I better go.  That's hip talking again.

I'm going to send hip some drugs and see if that shuts him up.

And maybe an evening's rest.

Staying present

Day # 134 ~ 3.5 miles

This morning I hit over 1000 miles without a day off.
This morning I felt I have ran 1000 miles without a day off.
Let me explain.

This weekend Hubbs took the kids and I to Walnut Creek Park.  He told me I had 2 hours to run. 
Oh Goody!  I was excited.  I really need time on technical trails again before the Ultra at the end of October.  So even though I was completely unprepared for serious trail running I grabbed a trail map, kissed the family and started running.
I wanted to work on my trail navigation, tracking and downhill speed. 
 (that, my friends, is what is called forshadowing!)
Since I did not know the trails my pace was painfully slow but I reminded myself to work on the aspects of trail running that I had planned to work on.  There is nothing worse than changing your running plan mid-run.  It makes for moments of mental "absenses."  You know what I mean, when you are lost in your thougths or lost in your planning your next move and not staying present. 
Well, while you are on unfamilar technical trails there is no time for that!
(more of that foreshadowing)
I stopped at intersections to plan which trail I would take but I felt comfortable while on the trails and never felt like I had missed a marker.  During the run even on the rockiest sections I felt confident about my tracking and finding my path.  However on the steepest downhills I was still slowing more than I wanted to.
(...foreshadowing...wait for it...)
I was out of the harder sections and had decided that I was just going to put in a few more miles and call it a day.  I did not have enough water and I was covered in salt already.  These choices put me on a moderate trail of about 2 miles to loop me back to the playground.  That is when I started to mentally recap what I had done "right" and what I had done "not so right."
...And then I was flying!  What???!?!?
Then I was sliding rolling painfully bouncing on rocks down the side of a hill.
ouch.
At that very moment I had been thinking about the consequences of falling with a handheld and not wanting to suffer an unarressted fall.  The fall lasted long enough for me to strike almost every surface of my body. 
Okay, slight overstatement.
I was able to not hit my face.
The side of my head; shoulder; upper back; right forearm; major knee, calf, right hand and ankle damage.
o.u.c.h.
The funny thing is that after we got home and I used a skewer to picked the rocks and dirt out of the hole in my knee I was still eager to go back to the trails.  I know I am very lucky that I did not suffer a serious injury.  I was alone on the trail and a long way from assistance.  But I can't help but wish someone had seen me oh, video would be even better just so I could know why I fell so hard on that stretch of trail. 
It was a painful lesson in staying present mentally.  It's a mistake I hope I don't make again!
I just hope this run isn't foreshadowing for the October Ultra!

What is your best "fall" story? 
Did it make you trail/run shy afterward?