Sunday, April 10, 2011

Stinging in the Shower

Hold on. Hold on to yourself. For this is gonna hurt like hell.
-- Sarah McLachlan

Ignore the rest of the lyrics that seem to tell the sad tale of some guy dying while his girlfriend knocks on the pearly gates for him. Instead apply the opening lines to my shower yesterday.

I've shared that I often get booboos. And now I am going to share yet another booboo story.

"Don't get any booboos," Bill shouted after me as I threw on my pack and ran out of the house yesterday.

I don't like to listen. About 50 yards from the front door I managed to get my feet tangled in one of those rings of plastic that holds a stack of newspapers together. Down I went, left knee, elbow and hip taking the brunt of the fall.

"Oh, little baby, you feeeeeeeeeeeeell," yelled a neighbor from her front patio.

"Yes, yes I did fall," I said. I stayed on the ground for a bit, trying to decide if I should take a nap or keep going. I decided to keep going and had a decent two-hour run with Abby.

By the time I got home I was sort of pressed for time -- family was in town and we were meeting up for dinner. I avoided the shower for as long as possible, choosing to ignore the blood creeping out from underneath my running tights, refusing to look at when I knew was a scraped hip and hiding the bloody elbow from Bill when he got home from his run.

Finally I knew it was time. I stepped in.

YYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE.

It hurt. A lot. I decided, however, that I didn't want to end up with some nasty, pus-filled wounds or with gravel and dirt permanently lodged under my skin so I scrubbed away.

Maybe I should quit the whole running/biking/dirt thing and take up something safer. Knitting. Puzzles. Cross-stitch.

10 comments:

Elizabeth said...

Well, you will probably poke an eye out with a knitting needle or pen so just stick with the safer option of just bloody knees and elbows.

Hope you are better.

Abby said...

Ouch! Given the state of your elbow, I can only imaging what the hip looked like...

A Prelude To... said...

OUCH! I spent 90 miles in the saddle this weekend and I seriously have crotch bruises. I need to learn to ride lighter ...or maybe get bike shorts. My shower did not feel so swell either.

joanna said...

i've never injured myself knitting. i can teach you. i imagine it is probably just as exhilarating as adventure racing.

Val said...

Should I start worrying now or save that for this weekend?

Laurie said...

Good point, Elizabeth. I'd rather have bloody knees and elbows than my eye on a needle.
Abby, the hip is weird -- an oval scrape on top of a bruise. It's beautiful!
Julie, do you really not ride in bike shorts? Impressive!
Joanna, knit me an adventure racing hat, please.
Val, I am carrying knitting needles and yarn with me next weekend just in case I give up on AR in the middle.

Val said...

Good idea Laurie! I think it's part of the first aid kit requirement anyway.

Mallory said...

Oh man!!! That sounds painful. I hate when you know the water is going to sting you. Such an awful feeling!! Feel better!

A Prelude To... said...

I really do not ride in bike shorts. I can't wear them on race day, right? Those puppies would be like a diaper when I got out of the water.

Might as well get my butt prepared now :-)

Laurie said...

I don't do tris but usually wear tri shorts for adventure races and duathlons -- don't feel like a diaper but provide some padding!