Interesting where it happened Hat.
My bad falls tend to be on quite fast and flat tracks with a few rocks as opposed to tricky descents etc and I suspect its because I relax and stop concentrating so much because it is easier running then I trip on an unexpected stone...same feeling, one minute running along, the next you are sailing through the air horizontally and you have a split second to think 'oh f***' before hitting the ground.
Originally Posted by hat
'The birds are the keepers of our secrets'
Similar to you Hes, my falls happen on generally flat tracks and it is because I am not concentrating on where I am placing my feet and towards the end of long runs due to tiredness creeping into my legs. I have to make a conscious effert to lift my knees.
Paul C.
... continuous effort - not strength or intelligence - is the key to unlocking our potential.
Try picking your feet up more. To be as economical as possible I don't lift my feet as much as I should on the easy bits, particularly on a long run, and so I trip when a foot catches on a rock.
Well it's going to happen every now & then - it does to all of us. I've been lucky so far, in that my falls so far have only led to cuts, bruises, grazes, blood running into my socks etc, & no long-term injuries. And I've still got my front teeth. You could fall at any time, but tired leg muscles & a tired head make it a lot more likely. Tired leg muscles won't lift your feet as high as your brain tells them to, so you're much more likely to catch a rock or a tussock. So when your legs are tired you have to concentrate on the ground ahead more carefully, and be more deliberate about lifting your feet up. Catch 22 is that often that's when your brain's tired too, & concentration becomes a lot harder. And...never run with your hands in your pockets!
Andy Robinson
Runfurther committee member
Helsby Running Club
Funny you should mention the Houndkirk road, that's had me over quite a few times. In my case at least, I wan't paying attention and splat. As somebody else had said, practice on a grassy slope somewhere. You'll still pick up bumps and scrapes if you roll through the fall, but it's far better than a face plant and becomes more instinctual after a while
pies
question.
where do you do most of your training ?
reason I ask is, if its on roads or good paths then you'll tend to develop an economical stride in which you don't lift your feet off the ground any more than necessary.
If this is so when you get onto a flat section of track you'd expect to settle in to that familiar economical style, up pops a large stone and bang !
I think you've got to keep thinking all the time, always looking to recognise what risks there are on any section.
There are a couple of race routes I've never gone back to after my first outing because I think they are lethal. On the worst one of these I had a near miss and just slowed right down after.
At the end of the race one guy came in totally bloodied, a lass never came in, she just went straight to hospital in a helicopter.
Other thing I'd say is take your time when you get up. Carry a good jacket so you can put it on to stay warm.
Don't rush off if you are feeling sick, you don't want to keel over.
Don't feel embarrased, we all know its not funny.
I agree with almost everything that has been said - I've had a fair few tumbles one of which made a total mess of my face and left me with the Nike logo on my nose!! The only other thing I would suggest is try analysing your falls - I got pretty fed up with picking myself up so did just that and discovered that 90% of my falls were caused by my right foot tripping over rocks. So now I make sure I pick my right foot up - probably gives me a rather strange running style but I have reduced my time spent on the floor!
Hope this helps.
If you dont fall over, you arent doing it properly.
I fell last Saturday on Winter Hill. I was following a trod and so it unnecessarily bend from left to right. So I took the most direct straight line, went to jump a stream and landed on a tussock. My shoulder took the brunt of it and its still hurting.
Be reet!
I think my record is about 7 falls in one race (Kinder Trog last year), and I generally have about 2 per race which I generally tuck and roll into and out of. Having said that, when you get sent sprawling, occasionally there is no time to tuck and roll, and sometimes you're just too knackered, so a faceplant is the only option. I tend to try and make it as graceful as possible, but the peat on my face generally shows the fact that i'm not quite as nimble as I'd like to be.
Like MikeT, I wear gloves whenever I'm out running, though I haven't gone quite to the level of a hat with a peak (but I don't wear glasses when racing).
To be honest, in my experience, if you can learn how to fall with the minimum of damage to yourself then that can only be a good thing. Sounds overly simple, and also a bit odd, but seriously, learn how to fall without damaging yourself.
(however, I suspect that I'm now more likely to hurl myself down a slope headfirst rather than feet first when I trip, and Im not sure if thats a good thing)
And I thought they were to keep your hands warm.
Tao begets one. One begets two. Two begets all things.
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