Oh what a fool

Peter Collins

Out running yesterday afternoon near Herne Hill station, and a car stopped for me to cross the road - and, lo, did I trip on the kerb as I tried to wave my thanks to her, and went flying onto the tarmac, cutting my knee and hands open. I could see her laughing and could only laugh back. Ouch.

Jamie Russell

Peter Collins

I expect nothing less from a Palace fan!

Wilkie

Ouch!  You have my sympathy - I fall over every now and then. 

It does make you feel an idiot!

MrsK8

I had a bad fall last summer, cut open both hands & knees. It was early in the morning so I didn't have a full audience but I still felt like an idiot.

bol sauce

Glad to know I'm not the only one! Have tripped before and always had silly mishaps, but went flying 10 miles into long run on Sunday morning - got my arms tangled up as I tried to break the fall and ended up smacking my shoulder followed by my face on the pavement. Really dumb, but amazing the number of folk who stopped in their cars whilst I waited for hubby to arrive and take me to hospital. Several stitches later, one large stone pulled out of cheekbone (nurse put it in a test tube for posterity) and told I'd be scarred for life! Well, at least I'll be recognisable at events.

Tom.

I took a tumble a couple of years ago on the pavement outside my front door. We have a bus stop outside our house and some dozy specimen, talking on a mobile wandered in front of me and clipped my heel whilst I was in full finishing effort. My next door neighbour was chatting to someone else at the bus stop and said to her friend "OH that's Tom, he's probably been overdoing it again!"

skotty

a few years ago i attempted for my first run after many years inactivity (and weighing over 18st).

i'd barely gone 200m and went arse over tit resulting in grazed forehead, hands, elbows and knees bleeding all the way as i limped back home.

it was the cause of much hilarity for my wife and everyone else for a week or two afterwards.

it was almost another year before i plucked up the courage to venture out again after spending 6 months working up to it on a treadmill.

i haven't had any tumbles since then.

Peter Collins

My worst was going round a corner at pace in Fulham and tripping over some chains linking bollards outside someone's office. Fell flat on my face, blood everywhere, but only minor damage really... wibble.

Wilkie

My last fall was the weekend before Christmas, in the snow.

I tripped over something hidden in the snow and landed flat on my face.  Picked myself up, assessed there was not much damage, and carried on.

About 200 metres later, I did it AGAIN.

Fortunately, the snow minimised the damage, and there was no-one about to see

Peter Collins

But now we all know....

bol sauce

Till the next time that is!

LIVERBIRD

I felled over in the snow too Wilkie.....

Wearing a SKIRT.

Wilkie

Well fancy wearing a skirt in weather like that!

Didn't you at least have your thermal longjohns on underneath??

LIVERBIRD

Just the usual.....

Peter Collins

Any photos...?

Booky

My most spectacular fall was a non-running one. I'd won tickets to a film premiere at Leicester Square - red carpet, paparazzi, the lot. On the way to VIP after show party it was pouring with rain and I was wearing stupid girly shoes... one comedy pratfall later I limped into the party looking like a drowned rat, with ladders in my tights and a massive bruise that left me sitting like Cleopatra for a couple of weeks..

[Deleted User]

I'm sorry, I must be reading this wrong:

 OP, you fell over smack in the middle of the road, had injured yourself enough to need medical treatment and stitches yet the lady who let you across the road laughed at you as she drove off....

What were you wearing a clown suit or something? Who does that? who just speeds off after seeing someone fall and hurt themselves?! Am also in South-ish London, but am used to egg throwing chavs not people who drive by accidents laughing!  *reminds self never to visit Herne Hill!*

Warkie

I fell over wearing high heels once but thats a whole different story (yes i am male)

[Deleted User]

Oo dear, sorry for all those have fell over on the tarmac / concrete - really sore!

I run in the forests, and have found that whilst I'm a novice runner, I'm an absolute pro at falling.  Sometimes I don't even lose any time after i trip on a tree root, do a forward roll and bounce back onto the feet!

The other day was a face-in-the-mud effort though - slipped on dog poo and just went straight down.  I'm glad I was laughing harder than the old lady I passed a minute later.

Wilkie: Falling in the snow was great once the ice had built up to a few inches, eh?  If you do it right you can sweep a big clean spot on the ice if you fall and slide at enough speed.  I even managed to fall over after just standing up from a fall 10 seconds earlier!

Peter Collins

Just reread my post, and I suppose 'cutting my hands etc open' gives the wrong impression. I guess I got tarmac bits embedded in them, but cutting them open was a bit dramatic. It wasn't really like that. Must remember not to exaggerate.

[Deleted User]

My last fall was when I tried doing some intervals along a stretch of road near my work digs.  Some external lights on two farms are really badly angled and have a tendency to dazzle,one at each end of the stretch of road I was using. 

I was trying to do 1200m at pace, couldn't see the road properly and ran slap bang into the banked verge, sprawling like bambi on ice, and ended up with torn leggings and a whole lot of mud on my kit.

[Deleted User]

Inaugural social run from the new running store in MK started badly with 2 falls within 50 yards of the start... Same bump on the path...

 Luckily it wasn't me this time, although i've had numerous trips in the woods.

[Deleted User]

Ok, but stitches? thats not an exaggeration, hospital treatment? As much as I laugh at myself when I fall pancake style (and trust me this happens more then I'd like to admit!) I don't think a drive-by accident is something you should be thinking is OK, if I saw someone fell I'd want to know that person is OK and unharmed, not quite understanding why the lady didn't do so herself, sure you weren't wearing a clown outfit??!

Bedders

I had a nightmare race at the Bradford 10K last month; shinsplints at 2K, general groggyness, and to top it all off, I was that busy cursing myself I fell over the Chip-Timing mats at the Finish Line.... Went flying face-first into the concrete infront of 500ish folk.


What a dick.

Peter Collins

ok. didn't cut my hands open, bit of blood, but I got up and ran off. What could she do. It wasn't like that!

[Deleted User]

ok, I'll let this one go- just don't feel a fool for tripping- its laughable but at the same time not cool to be laughed at! Hope your OK anyway!

Peter Collins

I'm fine, thanks, and it was more funny than painful. And I didn't feel that much of a fool.

[Deleted User]

jennn wrote (see)

Ok, but stitches? thats not an exaggeration, hospital treatment? As much as I laugh at myself when I fall pancake style (and trust me this happens more then I'd like to admit!) I don't think a drive-by accident is something you should be thinking is OK, if I saw someone fell I'd want to know that person is OK and unharmed, not quite understanding why the lady didn't do so herself, sure you weren't wearing a clown outfit??!

Jenn, It was spag bol who needed the hospital treatment and stitches (a few posts down from the OP).

Ultra Kanga Kazzaaaaah

My last comedy stumble was a couple of years back - the initial stumble would have been bad enough but somehow in trying to stop myself from falling over completely I put my hand onto a wall to try and regain my balance but somehow succeeded in doing an almost 360 turn and banging my head on said brick wall in the process!  My comedy pratfall moment was witnessed by a lady in a house opposite.  When she came out to check I was ok I called across (from my prone position on the pavement) - "I'm ok, I fell over".  Just to add insult to injury really!