My 1st PI :(

Today was going to be a great "running" day!! I felt good, ready to race and even was preparing myself mentally to push hard for a PR today. I know the course and felt like I had it in today! Picked up my number & such and started looking around for the bathroom(always gotta at least try before start) and learn that they were locked still..No problem I will take my goody bag to the car come back and be able to go....HA Guess again! So we walk back towards the start of the race hoping the coffee shop is open NOPE!! WTF!!! No bathroom I gotta go now!! Then I thought about the construction site across the street from the start and ya know they got Port a Potty- YAY success finally. I hear race announcements so I jog back up to the start to find my buddies;) Just in time to hear Ready set Go no problem hit start on the watch look up and WTF Twila is jumping up I am looking down to see why and WHAT wait a minute HERE I go.......I HIT THE GROUND!!! There was a traffic cone that Twila was jumping and by the time I was looking down to see it was too late I had already stumbled over it hitting the ground. (See full injury report below) I looked up feeling dazed seeing another nice lady I have meet this year at these events saying "Honey are you Okay?" I instantly jumped up and took off. THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH TWILA for stopping and looking back for me, so very thoughtful of you!! Ya know not too long ago I was wondering why would someone not finish a race, today I realized INJURIES! But like I said I jumped up and just started running, was I okay, I don't know, just keep running, I knew I skinned my knee pretty bad but couldn't really see much other than a scrape, so just keep running. The water station was in sight so I glanced down at my knee as I could feel it starting to throb and it was the brightest bloodiest looking knee. Should I stop at the water station pour some water on it or just keep going, I grabbed a cup of water swished it in my mouth as it was extremely HOT and kept on going. I started taking a couple of walk breaks as I was beginning to worry about my knee and thought I had to. The site of my own blood has always made me pass out, so I started thinking to myself" Please do NOT pass out & QUIT looking at you stupid knee and just RUN!"  The course was an In & Out course with the first half being slightly uphill(let's not lie its mostly uphill the entire way) but that means DOWNHILL to finish!! I again took a couple of walk breaks on the small uphills coming back hoping to have some get up and go at the finish, I was so ready for this to be over. When I rounded the corner to about the last .2 to finish I tried to sprint it out, my hopes for a PR had already been gone but I could at least have a nice finish. But I just didn't have it in me considering the start I had I was just thrilled to be where I was. Oh wait it gets even better... So I am walking thru the finishing shoot reaching for my tag to tear off the bottom and once again today WTF!! I NEVER put on my race bib, ARE YOU SERIOUS!! Luckily enough the race was in my hometown and I knew the directors and she let me go get it and put it in my correct finishing place(Thanks Lesley K). They decided to only give gift cards to the top 3 male/female finishers and draw door prizes instead of medals for age groups so the Lions Club would have more $ to use for area projects, I did win a prize of a free pass to a museum at least I got something for my fall!

So my bloggy friends, today was a day of 1st's for me but it was definitely my first PI Personal Injury!! Here's the breakdown of my injury: As I stumbled over the BRIGHT NEON ORANGE cone that I never actually saw, I was heading face first for the pavement, I honestly believe it was about 2inches from my eyeballs. All I could think was PLEASE PLEASE DO NOT LET ME SKIN UP MY FACE OR KNOCK OUT A TOOTH PLEASE!! So I tried to catch myself with my hands trying to push myself back upright knowing that is was too late so I rolled to my back. When I looked up I really thought I would see my mom looking at me but it was a fellow racer (walker but does them all in the serres) saying are you okay and all I could think was go go go. During the race I really felt okay but as soon as I stopped the pain began. My knee is throbbing but I think it will be okay. I skinned my fingers on my way down, they are sore. And as I rolled to my back I scraped my shoulder which feels like it is on fire right now. Not to mention the fact that my back has been hurting all week and just starting to feel better, NOW feels like well honestly like my whole body has been run over with a mack truck!! I am off for a nap now and will post some pics later!!