Adidas KOTR: First Blood
Isang Runner sumemplang sa kalsada ng Ayala! Buti nga!
This is how the headline might read if this was a tabloid. You read it right. I fell down while running the Adidas King of the Road 2009. I fell on my hands and rolled on the ground right at the Ayala-Buendia intersection. Good thing the runners behind me didn’t step on me or tripped over me while I was on the ground. Nothing serious but got a wound on my knee. How did it happened?
Blame it on my shoelaces. My shoelaces were long and the loop was big enough to be caught by the other foot. It takes perfect timing for my foot to get into the loop and today was just the perfect timing.
Most of my shoes have long laces. This is unsafe.
I usually run a bit faster when there are intersections. I tried to increace my pace when I fell down. I felt it when my left foot got tangled to the shoelace in midair. I was able to land well but got off balance since I can no longer move my feet. I just allowed my body to fall and landed with my hands. Since I was moving fast, the momentum made me roll over once before stopping.
This is how my foot got caught in the laces. Ouch.
The runner behind me asked me if I was ok. I said yes. I was just doing some stretching. Hehehe. No, I said, I tripped over. The marshal then told me to stay at the sides and and to tie my shoelaces properly. I stood up and checked for some injuries. My hands got bruised. My left knee was painful. I can’t see yet if I got wounded since I was using compression tights. But my compression tights took some damage.
I got a small bruise below the palm of my hands after the little exhibition
I did during the race.
My compression tights took some damage. At least it help absorb
My wounded knees.
I secured my shoelaces this time and continued my run. The last time I got wounded while running was back in elementary days whenever we play cops and robbers in school.
Anyway, I finished the race. I didnt follow the route, but turned back when I saw Quennie with the 10K runners. Then I added a few kilometer after reaching the finish line. I had a 25K run in all today.
So here’s a lesson for all of us. Tie your shoelaces securely. Here’s how I secured them up after I fell.
Option 1 is to insert the laces on the shoe. This works for me most of the time.
Another variation is to tie them up twice.
Tying them twice may be more secure but takes time to untie them afterwards.
Another solution is to buy those gadgets that keeps those shoelaces in place. I’ll try to find some and hope to review them at the site.
Run safe everyone.
About The Author
ManokanRunner
Jinoe Gavan is the founder of this award-winning blog Takbo.ph, The Filipino Running Community. Known as ManokanRunner, he is a computer addict on weekdays, a church leader on weekends and a runner in all days of the week. He wants to run and cover as many miles in many places as he could. Read more about his life in the urban jungle with all the distractions and the fun of raising his son in DaddyandtheCity(dot)com.