Running Accidents Why am I not Wearing Them?

Trail run today, although I have done many in training and in duathlon cross races, today was the first 10.5km official trail run. Linea de Salida, Mountain trail run, La Manga Club; Portman, Cartagena.

Menos a Más, as always running negative splits is a safe way to run, avoiding using up those precious white fibre - fast twitch muscles, saving them for unexpected climbs, rocks, banks, tree stumps. I started then from the back of the 300 runners.

The cliche, "all the gear and no idea" sprang to mind was I began to pick off some runners in their, compression socks, Batman style belts laden with stuff, energy bars, one woman looked like she had a flask of tea. Nice ;) I spotted a man wearing the same gloves I use on the mountain bike, fingerless with palm protection. There I was thinking it's only 15 degrees why is he wearing them!?

As I passed many on the ups who seemed to have blown a gasket in the first kilometre, we got on to the trail/single track, this is where I stated to see how my mountain bike experience crossed over well, short steps quick cadence up and log stride using gravity to spring along the down sections. I saw a lot of heavy footed runners braking here, slowing their average speed and causing them to use extra effort to get up the next slop. On the bike you do this, use the speed of the down to get you up the next part. So I picked off half the field.

At the 5km turn point we started a long wide down section, here I am afraid is where I needed to moderate my speed as my right knee (broken twenty years ago) always reminds me not to run too fast. A few runners came past, but not too many ten or so, then back on the undulating final few kilometres to the finish. Knee stared to feel better, and my power was ok for a fast finish. So on with race, I could see a man just up ahead and new that in a few hundred metres I would overtake, just as get close I trip, a root, a rock, karma, took out my right foot and I fly both hands out.

The runner in front stops to help, what I surprise, "thanks, I'm ok, I just left some skin back there" I ran along-side him for a bit chatted, looked at my bloody wounds and got my rhythm back, then sprinted the last kilometre to finish mid-pack and under the hour.

The question then is, not, why are you wearing them, but why aren't I?

profile of race, finger marks the learning moment ;)

Mountain bike gloves in the kit bag for the next race.

Thanks for reading.
Casp;)