Running to Work and Running Nerdom

I love having a goal in mind. And I love running. But sometimes even the best of plans goes awry. I was running to work last week, in the dark. It was about 6:30 a.m. and (this was before daylight savings time kicked in) it was dark. Really dark. Of course I run with a reflective vest on--even though I'm running on the sidewalk. You know, safety first and all.

But there's a really dark portion of the run where I tend to speed up. It's surrounded by trees that block out the light from passing cars, street lights or pretty much anything. And I, being a lover of Stephen King and all that's dark and gruesome, still don't love running through dark secluded areas. Not so much.

Anyway, I was sprinting really fast--well, fast for me--when my foot hit a divot in the sidewalk that I couldn't and didn't see. My foot went to the left, while my body went to the right.

Not a pretty picture. A chubby old lady, running like a Bat Out of Hell, falling...

I went down, hard and fast. It was mere seconds but I had the time to think as I plummeted toward the cement, "If I was younger, I wouldn't be falling."

I've never had a sprain before. But, I guess it's like they say, there's a first time for everything.

Anyway, all this to say, if you're going to do something, you should have the proper gear. I should have had a headlight on like one of these or one of these.

Now, I know it sounds silly to wear a headlamp but do you want to be laid up for a few weeks? Not me. I'm feeling fairly miserable about this. I have to keep my ankle wrapped and try to stay off of it.

Impossible.

But I'm trying. So, if you're concerned about the Runner Nerdom of running with a headlamp on, don't be. First off, if you're running in the dark, no one's going to know it's you. Second, you don't look that good when you run anyway. Believe me. No runner is going to be winning a beauty contest at 6:30 in the morning, when they're sprinting. And lastly, and most importantly: Be safe! Not sorry. Or you just might end up looking like me, scary! No, I'm talking about my feet! See the photo above.