Bouncing off Rocks

I've been in Colorado for a week now and I have been having the time of my life running up and down the mountains. The mountain kicks my ass every time and I love every minute of it! What I love the most is the sense of adventure, the eye popping terrain and how connected to nature I feel. No matter how good of a runner you are, the mountain will put you in your place. This week the mountain took a little nibble out of me!




Two days ago, Jason and I ran up one of the most beautiful and secluded mountains we've run to date. Elevation levels top out at 11,000 feet. The air is cooler, the terrain is rockier and and lakes were secret gems at the top. Along the way we saw waterfalls, rock formations and various mountain peaks. Needless to say, the views were breathtaking and we felt like we were all alone because from start to finish we only ran into a handful of people.

On the way down, during on of the rocky sections of the mountains I was not picking up my feet as much as I should have been. I was tired from running the past 4 days but mountain running is addictive and I wanted to soak up as much as I could with the time I had. I tipped the top of a rock with my foot and propelled myself forward. I thought I would be able to catch myself but the steepness of the hill was too great. In that split second I decided to brace myself for impact, knowing I would bite it hard. Some people don't like carrying water bottles because they're worried they won't have their hands to catch themselves when they fall, but I've found it to be a lifesaver on many occasions.


I hit the rocks, I felt my knee scrape against rocks, and both my palms went full force into two big rocks in front of me. Somehow (very luckily) I didn't hit my head. I also missed two large, sharp rocks near my head. I can be a very clumsy girl but somehow when I fall I avoid serious injury. Maybe because I have so much practice :) I heard Jason yelling in the background “Oh baby, are you ok?”


I felt bad that he had to witness this fall. I think I would have rather taken the fall than watch it because I know if I saw Jason take the same fall I would have freaked out. I fell downhill in basically a superman fall on very large, sharp rocks.

After I fell I laid there for about 30 seconds. Later, Jason would tell me he thought I was knocked unconscious because I didn't move right away. I was laying still trying to assess the damage I had done. Jason came up behind me and asked how I was.

I pulled myself up and felt pain in my knee. My first thought was “What the hell are we going to do if I broke something?” We were 4 miles from the trailhead and on very technical, rocky terrain. I moved my knee and knew I hadn't broken anything. Whew!

Second thought was I was really pissed at myself for falling in the first place. I know this isn't rational, I started crying and told Jason "I am so f-ing mad!"

Ok, suck it up.....Third thought. “My marathon in Colorado is this Saturday. What if I can't run it?”

Fourth thought “This marathon is a training run for my 50 miler in September. What if I can't run that?”

I finally picked myself up hoping my knee didn't swell up like a balloon and I was thankful it didn't. It was sore but only from the impact. Yay! Time to try running again.

The knee felt fine (bruised but not crippling) and I knew I would be able to run my race on Saturday. I ran the rest of the way down except for one or two really rocky parts,....didn't want to tempt fate too much after all!

I have scratches and bruises from my fall but nothing critical. It's just a humble reminder that mountain trails have to be respected and need your constant focus.

Tomorrow I'm running a trail marathon in Ouray, Colorado. I've heard it's one of the most beautiful spots in Colorado and if the drive down is an indicator of its beauty, I'm in for a treat! It's often referred to as the Switzerland of America for it's mountainous terrain.


The elevation levels will be between 7500 to 11,000 feet. I'm not sure what elevation level the course is but I'm hoping I'm acclimated enough after being here for a week. I know the course will be tough for me but I'm just looking forward to enjoying myself and a having a beautiful long run!