falling over

[hat]

I've been fell running for 3 years now and in that time I've had 2 horrible falls - not counting stumbles - I mean flat on my face. On Saturday I went flat forward and ended up with my face in a rocky puddle with a bloodied nose. I don't know if it's pure wimpiness (as my daughter assures me it is) but there's something in my make up that makes me feel sick and faint when this happens - even if the injuries aren't actually that bad. Saturday was particularly bad - it was freezing, I was wet, and my head said, get up, get walking while my legs and the feeling faint bit of my head said, no way. (Thankfully I was helped by two lovely runners - if, by any chance, you're here, THANK YOU so much). So my question - am I unlucky/clumsy or is this just normal/part of the deal? has anyone else started to see this as a problem and done something about it? might I have a gait/style problem that I coud do something about? Should I just give up and stick to grass (easier said than done)? Someone told me today about someone falling and having a serious head injury - the thought of chewing gritstone again gives me a horrible feeling that just keeps going though me. And please don't tell me to wear a helmet

[Rob Furness]

Wear a helmet

[Mike T]

I've been fell running for 3 years now and in that time I've had 2 horrible falls - not counting stumbles - I mean flat on my face. On Saturday I went flat forward and ended up with my face in a rocky puddle with a bloodied nose. I don't know if it's pure wimpiness (as my daughter assures me it is) but there's something in my make up that makes me feel sick and faint when this happens - even if the injuries aren't actually that bad. Saturday was particularly bad - it was freezing, I was wet, and my head said, get up, get walking while my legs and the feeling faint bit of my head said, no way. (Thankfully I was helped by two lovely runners - if, by any chance, you're here, THANK YOU so much). So my question - am I unlucky/clumsy or is this just normal/part of the deal? has anyone else started to see this as a problem and done something about it? might I have a gait/style problem that I coud do something about? Should I just give up and stick to grass (easier said than done)? Someone told me today about someone falling and having a serious head injury - the thought of chewing gritstone again gives me a horrible feeling that just keeps going though me. And please don't tell me to wear a helmet

I too have had a couple of falls that involved hitting the deck rather hard - and numerous minor trips/near misses. I have taken to wearing gloves almost all the time and also a baseball cap - it is quite tight and the brim will help to keep my face off the ground. If you do not wear gloves you may over ride the instinctive protective hands out in front of you move that we normally make, resulting in face/head injury rather than hand injury. One of my falls damaged my prescription sunglasses, put a couple of holes in my Haglofs top, as well as cutting my face - not fun. Do some shoes make you more likely to fall? I think those wider at the front - like Mizunos - make it more likely that you will catch your toe and go down.

[superflyguy]

take more care!
it's more likely your were enjoying the view for a split second rather than anything bio-mechanical. I find that it takes several seconds for my eyes to refocus on the ground once I have glanced away. Another thing I have noticed is that stumbles tend to happen on the 'easier' sections when I'm not concentrating as well.

[Joester]

Do you weigh a fair bit?

I weigh over 13 stone, if I fall to the ground it seems like a big impact, and yes, I do feel a bit nauseous afterwards for a while.
I think it's the shock of the impact going all through the nervous system. It does you in.

[johnmc]

At the risk of stating the obvious, when asked "what have you been doing?" you can truthfully say "fell running".
I have had that many falls that my kids thought that was why it was called fellrunning.

[Rob Furness]

I agree with Adam. Another point to consider is practising turning a fall into a roll (best done on a grassy slope) and that may help if you fall elsewhere, although it isn't always the best move.

[Rob Furness]

Do some shoes make you more likely to fall? I think those wider at the front - like Mizunos - make it more likely that you will catch your toe and go down.

I actually think wider shoes are more snub nosed and closer to the toes, making tripping more unlikely. I find more pointed shoes cause me to trip more often. Interesting thought

[Hes]

I fall over a fair bit (thus the current avatar) and one of my falls resulted in a quite bad knee injury which meant I had to go for physio a year later and I seem to repeated fall on that knee so much so that it is kind of knobbly and an odd shape now. I think it tends to be when I'm tired (as in that case), not looking where I am going, distracted or just bad luck. My most recent was on a headtorch run where I twisted my ankle twice due to the normally muddy ground being frozen solid and potholey and I tripped over a tree root landing sprawled on my face. It really shakes you up and I find it takes me a good few seconds or so to assess how bad things are and collect myself before I can laugh about it.

I can only sympathise and advise concentrating more and making sure you are still picking your feet up properly when you are tired. I think falling comes with the territory though and its something we just have to accept and find ways of limiting!

[hat]

hi again - I think people have mentioned a few things that could be relevant - shoes - I took a last minute decision to get out an ancient pair - comfy as they are they're falling part. terrain/not concentrating - both times this has happened it's been on a rocky, flat-ish track (Houndkirk Road on Saturday, if anyone knows it) and I try to get my speed up a bit. weight - no - I'm a 5ft 8 stone lass. but it still hurts! the thing is - it happens so blumin fast - it's like someone has pushed me from behind - there's no time between tripping and hitting the deck. I might try the baseball cap - I guess it could take the edge of an impact a bit and yes - even though I was wearing gloves I obviously didn't put my hands out - the only graze on them is actually on the back of my hand.