The Fall(s)
I have no idea what got into me, but I was restless, irritable, and unfocused all through class today. So, as soon as I could, I left anatomy lab, rushed home, got my blades, and headed for the park.
I had planned on doing 15 miles. After 10, I still hadn't lost my breath and my legs felt fine. Until a fucking pedestrian who 1.) doesn't realize that you're supposed to walk alongside the RIGHT of the track and 2.) was so absentminded that he didn't hear my call of "on your left!" twice pretty much ruined my workout.
So, the situation. He was walking in the same direction I was going (only, he was on the left side of the track). There was a jogger with a dog (who, because she wasn't a vacant idiot, actually saw me and moved further to the right) who, with our relative velocities, would pass the man at the same time I did. So, after calling out to him twice and noticing that he wasn't wearing earphones, so he had to have heard me, I tried to pass him on the left. Only, he saw me suddenly and panicked and stepped to the left. So, to avoid hitting him, I wiped out. Going about 10mph.
I've wiped out once before (though that was due to my own stupidity) and managed, as I did this time, to do so with barely a scrape. This time, despite my epic, forever-lasting fall at high speed, I managed to do so without breaking any skin (I might have a friction burn on my knee). However, I did bang the side of my knee pretty hard it seems, though I didn't realize it at the time. I was able to get up, shake off his sorry excuse for an apology ("You were coming too fast for me to react.") and skate away just fine. Judo reflexes are something everyone should have.
However, I was really pissed, which is pretty uncharacteristic for me. I really needed to burn off some steam all day, and this idiot managed to ruin it for me. Though, at this point, I'm restless enough that I could really do with a good, brutal session of randori.
Anyway, I didn't think much of any injuries as I drove home (still pretty pissed) or as I climbed the stairs to my apartment. It wasn't until I was in the shower that I realized that, holy shit, I have a third knee. The swelling is superficial, but HUGE. I'm surprised my skin didn't rupture from the extent of the swelling. It kind of hurts when I bend my knee to any degree, but that's probably because I any movement of that joint necessarily causes the skin to compress the swelling. I can bear weight on it without any pain. Thank goodness. Especially since I walk to class.
But, this occurrence was probably karma. I myself inadvertently caused someone to wipeout today as well (though through no fault of my own, I feel). I was crossing a bridge (that's no more narrow than the normal track) as a bicyclist was making the 90-degree turn to get onto it. However, he, for whatever reason, tried to go too far to his right (to give me more leeway, perhaps?), hit the edge, and fell onto the concrete. I asked if he was fine, and then skated off. I suppose this makes me an asshole. But...ugh. I've just been so out of it lately, and too restless to be concerned with the tediousness.
I also saw a bald eagle fly onto a high branch with something fluffy in its beak. I didn't know we had those here (bald eagles, that is. Not fluffy things).
When I got home, I learned that we're probably going to have an Ultimate practice tomorrow. I hope the swelling goes down enough to be unhampered by it.
I had planned on doing 15 miles. After 10, I still hadn't lost my breath and my legs felt fine. Until a fucking pedestrian who 1.) doesn't realize that you're supposed to walk alongside the RIGHT of the track and 2.) was so absentminded that he didn't hear my call of "on your left!" twice pretty much ruined my workout.
So, the situation. He was walking in the same direction I was going (only, he was on the left side of the track). There was a jogger with a dog (who, because she wasn't a vacant idiot, actually saw me and moved further to the right) who, with our relative velocities, would pass the man at the same time I did. So, after calling out to him twice and noticing that he wasn't wearing earphones, so he had to have heard me, I tried to pass him on the left. Only, he saw me suddenly and panicked and stepped to the left. So, to avoid hitting him, I wiped out. Going about 10mph.
I've wiped out once before (though that was due to my own stupidity) and managed, as I did this time, to do so with barely a scrape. This time, despite my epic, forever-lasting fall at high speed, I managed to do so without breaking any skin (I might have a friction burn on my knee). However, I did bang the side of my knee pretty hard it seems, though I didn't realize it at the time. I was able to get up, shake off his sorry excuse for an apology ("You were coming too fast for me to react.") and skate away just fine. Judo reflexes are something everyone should have.
However, I was really pissed, which is pretty uncharacteristic for me. I really needed to burn off some steam all day, and this idiot managed to ruin it for me. Though, at this point, I'm restless enough that I could really do with a good, brutal session of randori.
Anyway, I didn't think much of any injuries as I drove home (still pretty pissed) or as I climbed the stairs to my apartment. It wasn't until I was in the shower that I realized that, holy shit, I have a third knee. The swelling is superficial, but HUGE. I'm surprised my skin didn't rupture from the extent of the swelling. It kind of hurts when I bend my knee to any degree, but that's probably because I any movement of that joint necessarily causes the skin to compress the swelling. I can bear weight on it without any pain. Thank goodness. Especially since I walk to class.
But, this occurrence was probably karma. I myself inadvertently caused someone to wipeout today as well (though through no fault of my own, I feel). I was crossing a bridge (that's no more narrow than the normal track) as a bicyclist was making the 90-degree turn to get onto it. However, he, for whatever reason, tried to go too far to his right (to give me more leeway, perhaps?), hit the edge, and fell onto the concrete. I asked if he was fine, and then skated off. I suppose this makes me an asshole. But...ugh. I've just been so out of it lately, and too restless to be concerned with the tediousness.
I also saw a bald eagle fly onto a high branch with something fluffy in its beak. I didn't know we had those here (bald eagles, that is. Not fluffy things).
When I got home, I learned that we're probably going to have an Ultimate practice tomorrow. I hope the swelling goes down enough to be unhampered by it.