Falling Up... Sunday, April 3

I don't get sick, I get exhausted and injured but I don't get sick. This is a phrase I have said way too many times but it is definitely more truer than me saying it a billion trillion times will ever suggest.  I've got an immune system like a champ and my tolerance for pain is impressively high so when I say something hurts, well, it definitely hurts.

Today I got injured. I got injured bad.

My goal for this week was to cover 40kms with my running -- 3 shorter runs and 1 long one.  I ran a 8.69km, a 7.35km, and a 6.53km, leaving me with 14.43kms to run today. The distance was no problem, I've ran longer runs and was feeling good today.  I had trouble sleeping last night because of over thinking that gun shot I had heard so I didn't go to church today and instead got some much needed rest.  I rested and than I ran.  

With my sneakers on, earphones blasting and the sun shining on my face, I headed out for my run on what has become my typical running path now -- the Pan Am Path, aka the Don River Trail.  

And then it happened.

After a solid 15km run it happened... I fell. 

I didn't just fall though, no, no, noooooo.  I tumbled, I bounced, I banged off the railing, and then I fell flat on my back.  I just laid there.  Then someone came, reached their hand out and helped me get up.  I wasn't embarrassed, was more concerned with whether or not this is going to cost me training days, but I did have a good giggle over it after.

I fell running UP the stairs.  Yup, if there's a will, there's a way.  Leave it to this Polack to fall running up the stairs.  I vouch those stairs weren't just stairs though, gosh no.  They were the metal ones that you can see through because they're like a grid.  I had mentioned them in an earlier posting about my running and had noted that I hated them.  Today they kicked my butt, literally,... and my shoulder, my head, my back.

Surprisingly enough I don't have any cuts or scratches beyond a few scratches on my face.  I did twist both my wrist and ankle though and I knew full well that I'd be as stiff later on today if I didn't stretch it out right away.  The guy who had seen me fall was quick to rush to my aid and the look on his face when he leaned over me as I laid on the ground was pretty priceless. He thought I had broken my ankle.  "Shake it off, shake it off!" I blurted as he helped me up.  He tried to make me feel better by congratulating me on being "the first person to have ever fallen while going up the stairs", so I joked and congratulated him on being "the first person to have ever seen someone fall while going up the stairs".  

My head was throbbing and my ankle was too sore to walk on so he helped me to a nearby bench and told me to stay there.  So I stayed.  I didn't know what I was waiting for but I watched as he then bolted off in the direction of the busy street with his dog chasing behind him.  I must have waited a solid ten minutes before he came back.  He came racing back in a massive black SUV and then helped me into it.

A double shooting yesterday and now a kidnapping today, great.  I could totally see my face on the front page of the Toronto Star -- ignorant girl from Korea gets kidnapped.

He tilted the front passenger seat back, put my right foot (my twisted ankle) on the front dash and then put a bag of frozen peas on it.  Nice, an improvised ice pack, smart. Turns out his partner is an avid runner so he's quite familiar with running-related injuries.  Talk about being rescued by just the right person!!!

I then got personally escorted right to my apartment door and when I say "personally escorted" I mean he carried me to my door.  Yup, it's true.  The hero of the day was some random middle aged man out walking his dog.  Now I'm stuck in bed, waiting for the pain of it all to kick him.  My head is throbbing like nobody's business already though!