Falling, and Not On My Bike…

Last Wednesday I meet some friends for a run.  We started early, like 5:05 am early.  Although, really we usually meet at 5:15 am, so it’s not that early for me.  I really should just sleep in my running clothes, it would make it even faster for me.
So we had planned to do about 5 miles.  It was very dark and pretty hot and humid when we started.  We got about 200 yards, if that much, down the sidewalk on a route that is not our usual one.  All of the sudden, it was like I was in slow motion, I was not running forward but headed for the sidewalk.  I came very close to taking one of the girls I was running with down with me, but luckily I think she sensed I was falling and got out of my way.
Here’s the damage…

I happened to have been running with my hand held water bottle, which was in the hand pictured above.  My hand and arm were very sore until the weekend from falling on the water bottle. 
As for my knee, which is the one I most recently had surgery on, it felt pretty banged up.  I still have a little road rash on the side of my leg as well.  I think I will have a couple of mean looking scars when it’s all said and done.
I had quite a few people that asked if I stopped running, and while I stopped momentarily to pick myself up and dust myself off, I continued on and we ran about 5.6 miles total.  I must say, when sweat mixes with injuries like this it stings quite a bit.

Rock n Roll Chicago

Two weekends ago I headed up to Chicago to run the Rock n Roll 1/2 marathon with one of my favorite people.  I have known Jana since 1993 when we worked as hostesses at Outback Steakhouse.  My how things have changed since then.

Jana picked me up from the airport, after a hassle free flight from OKC.  (Flying standby, as usual, and I left when I wanted to and got there when I wanted to)  We headed straight to the race expo, where we picked up our bibs and swag.  And got our picture taken. And since our guest photographer, some random guy that we asked to take our picture, was so through, he took two pics of us in front of the Rock n Roll sign.  Do I look like I got up at 4am tat morning?  I think I do.

I must say that if this tank top wasn’t so crappy and cheap looking I so would have bought it.

So then we headed to Jana’s to hang out with these cuties.  I had one glass of wine and was in bed by 8:15.  Exciting times in the windy city.

Then we were up at 5 am and headed downtown to find a parking spot that cost us $28, and head to the starting line.  It was beautiful out, it was about 65 degrees and cloudy.  It was about as close to heaven as I’ve been after running at 5 am all summer in 85 degree heat and humidity off the charts.

The race was awesome.  Jana did awesome on her first half, and we finished in 2:17.  Running through downtown Chicago was so fun, and the crowds and race support were great.

It was straight back to the airport, where I was a little smelly going through security, to catch a flight home.  I got back about 4 hours later than I would have liked, but I was back in the heat and humidity of OKC by 9 pm.  It was a whirl wind trip but a good one.