This last Thursday started out just as any Thursday, or any other day, for that matter. I pulled myself out of bed with the delicious smell of coffee (after hitting snooze 2 times), went through emails as I sipped the drink of life, slipped on my running clothes, and headed out the door to run. I drove up to North Boulder to meet Julie for nice little 80 minute run.
The morning proceeded to following its normal routine. I meet Julie, we exchange our hello's, and head out toward the trails. We both are tired. Julie is training for Kona and I have my marathon in 10 days. There is a light at the end of my tunnel which is brighter then Julie's at this point in time. We continue to chat about life, work, boyfriends and husbands, racing, and food. About 30 minutes into the run, we hit a crucial decision point-do we take the road back or do we take the trail? Julie says the trail. Trail it is.
I take the lead and head down the trail. Julie is right behind me. We crest the top of a hill. I hear Julie stumble. I keep running. I hear her fall and turn around just in time to see her go forward into the ground and roll into a pile of dried horse poop. I stand there and watch. And then I do something awful....I laugh. Julie had her hands over the face and I think she is laughing. She is actually borderline crying. I stop laughing. I bend down and start to help her to her feet. As she slowly gets up she says she is nauseated and feels light headed. She said she hit her knee. I ask her to let me look at it. As she rolls up her kicker, she said she does not want to look at it. As I look at it, I tell myself it is a good idea Julie did not want to look at it. It is deep. I tell her I think we need to get you to a doctor. "Really?" she remarks. "Yeah, I think you need stitches." I hatch a plan. Julie needs to walk about 300 meters to the trail head in the time I run back to get the car and come and get her. She says ok. Takes a few steps, starts to feel light-headed again, and sits down again. I wonder what I will do if she does not make it down there, but save that problem solving for later. I head off to get the car and rescue Julie.
About 15-17 minutes later, I return. Julie has made it back down. She gets in the car and I hand her a bag of edamame. I tell her to put it on her knee and we drive to the doctors office in Boulder. We arrive just as they open and tell the receptionist what happened. She tells us to go to the 2nd floor. And RN from the 2nd floor walked out and looks at Julie's shin. She says she does not have anyone in the office who can take care of this type of trauma. We both look at each other and then back at her with a WTF look and ask is she is serious. All she needs is stitches! She tells us we have to go the clinic in Lafayette.
Back in the car, we decide that we need coffee. On the way to the clinic we stop for coffee. The Thursday has resumed some sort of normalcy by getting coffee. Over to Lafayette we head. The car is starting to get rank because we are both sweaty and in our running clothes. We walk into the clinic amongst stares. Have people never seen 2 girls wearing all black running clothes? Or maybe it is the fact that Julie is walking around with "GO NATIVE" on her ass. Whatever it is, people turn their heads and stare. We head up to the 4th floor, crossing our figures that there are people here who can "take care of this type of trauma." We are in luck today, this doctors office has doctors in it who learned how to stitch up open wounds.
About 60 minutes later, Julie emerges from the clinic with a fresh set of stitches and orders for no swimming, biking, or running until next Friday. As we leave, she is already asking me when I think she can start training again. "What about a waterproof bandage?" "What about just running?" "What about running, just not on trails?" I tell her wait until Monday. Give your body a chance to heal. She says "You're right". Then 10 minute later Julie asks me to ask Jeff what he thinks about swimming with a waterproof bandage. Ironman Athletes!
I drop Julie off at home and resume my Thursday. At 11 am I get to work and start my Thursday- a couple hours and and adventure later. What will Friday bring?
Rock On
JK
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