Running: Not always good for my health

So, I fell, again, running, the other day. By my count, that’s four falls, leading to five skinned knees, and one MRI.

Fortunately, I avoided the MRI this time. Only needed something called Wound Wash, and I’m now three days off from running, and going crazy, because I’m addicted.

How it happened: when at home, I run one of two routes, my house to the South River Greenway, about a quarter-mile away, then back and forth on the Greenway until I get to my six or seven miles for the day, or I just run around my block, and then circle back down my alley, which is roughly a quarter-mile sort of track.

I was on the run-around-the-block route on Friday. That route requires me to pay some attention, because when I run down 12th Street, I have to jump slightly from the road to the sidewalk going down South Wayne to continue on my way.

Which I do roughly 25 times on my 10K run, at least a couple of times a week.

This one time around, on Friday, roughly 4.25 miles in, I was fiddling with my headphones, listening to a podcast, when, boom.

It happened in slow motion. I actually had time to think, Don’t drop the phone.

I dropped the phone.

Next thought: I hope this one doesn’t lead to another MRI.

I got up, and nothing structural, so, good there.

I looked down at my knees, and didn’t see anything, so I continued on my way.

I mean, I was running a good pace, for an 80-degree day, about 8:15 a mile.

I finished the 10K, passing a couple of women on my next-to-last lap, and I noticed that they gave me intense stares.

Back home, cooling down, I checked out my legs.

From my knees down, both sides, blood everywhere.

I looked like I’d been mugged.

My weekend was spent trying to heal myself with positive thoughts.

The advice from my sister-in-law, an athletics trainer, was to take it easy, so all I’ve done exercise-wise is a pair of 90-minute elliptical workouts.

I’m an idiot.

I’m trying to convince myself to take one more day off from running, to allow the skin one more day to heal.

I’m losing the battle currently, but …

Column by Chris Graham