Inside: In running—and in life—falls are often unavoidable. Along the way, we might acquire skills that help us stay upright. But when we do land on the ground, we don’t have to stay there. ~
Since I started running outside about four years ago, I’ve taken two bad falls, both on wooden bridges near my home.
At the time, I blamed the wipeouts on personal clumsiness. And it’s true—I’m not the most coordinated person in the world.
One day, though, I decided to see if falling is common among runners. Turns out, I’m not the only one.
The Art of Falling
Here’s how the Tallahassee Democrat newspaper describes it in an article titled “If You’re a Serious Runner, There’s an Art to Falling While Running”:
“One moment you are streaking along feeling like you are invincible and the next moment you find yourself on the ground taking inventory of face, knees, arm and more to figure out how more than your pride got hurt in ‘The Fall.’”
Whether I am a “serious runner” is up for debate. I’ve never jogged on a wooded trail, where Google indicates runners are prone to fall after tripping on tree roots. Even so, I can relate to every word in the previous paragraph.
Safe Landing?
I didn’t find any articles citing stats about how often runners fall, just that many do, and increasingly so as they get older.
In his later years, when unsteadiness became a major issue, my dad used to say that he “knew how to fall.” I might have scoffed at this a bit, but now I’m guessing he had either used his engineering expertise to learn this skill, or else he read about it on the internet.
An article on the Runner’s World website titled “Ensure a Safe Landing” purports to help, but I’m not so sure. Rehearsing instructions like “in mid fall, twist or roll your body to the side” ahead of time might sound like a good idea. But when I’m hurtling toward the ground after tripping on an uneven board on the bridge, twisting or rolling is the farthest thing from my mind.
That said, I have gotten myself out of a few falls, usually on the flat asphalt path. When I feel myself starting to stumble, I concentrate on running through it until I gain my balance back. I don’t look very graceful doing this, but I always breathe a sigh of relief that I’ve run another day without falling.
Down But Not Out
In running—and in life—we fall, and we get up again. Along the way, we might acquire skills that help us stay upright. But falling is often unavoidable.
Our falls may be due to clumsiness, inexperience, lack of knowledge or perhaps even sin. But however we fall—through outbursts of anger, wasting time, spiraling into needless worry, tripping over a curb, you name it—being down doesn’t have to be permanent.
Sometimes we can get up, dust off and keep going. Other times, injuries—to our bodies or perhaps our relationships—need attention.
For example, I banged up my kneecap the last time I fell while running. My injury appeared to be a case of prepatellar bursitis, also known as “housemaid’s knee.” It didn’t hurt when I ran, but it took several weeks for the swelling to go down and my knee to look normal again.
Making Things Right
We might feel embarrassed when we fall, but there’s a good chance that if anyone saw us, they would feel badly for us and want to help. Plus, if we go about life worrying about what other people might think, we’ll never get back out there after a stumble—wherever “out there” might be.
If our horizontal relationships are harmed by a fall, however it happens, we might need to set aside our pride, apologize and ask for forgiveness. Same with our vertical relationship—with the God who made us and knows our every predisposition toward sin.
The good news is that with God, every day offers a fresh start.
His mercies are new every morning (Lamentations 3:23).
Next Time
We fall down; we get up again. And, hopefully, we take greater care the next time we encounter a situation where we are prone to fall.
I’ve learned running on bridges is hazardous for me, so now, I try to be aware of slick spots, uneven boards, what’s ahead of me, where my feet are landing.
And sometimes, just making it across a slippery wooden bridge without falling is a win worth celebrating.
♥ Lois
However we fall—through outbursts of anger, wasting time, spiraling into needless worry, tripping over a curb, you name it—being down doesn’t have to be permanent. Click To Tweet We fall down; we get up again. Hopefully with greater care taken the next time we encounter a situation where we are prone to fall. Click To TweetP.S. I’m linking up this week with #tellhisstory, InstaEncouragements, Let’s Have Coffee and Grace & Truth.
19 comments
This takes me back to a tumble I took–and what I learned from it–a few years back. I was just walking down a sidewalk but the lessons were real. God is at work all the time. Of course, I wrote about it, so I can’t forget:)
I didn’t realize that falling was such a thing with runners, but it makes sense. With all those extra steps, you’re bound to trip up more than those who are not taking those steps. My elderly uncle has had several falls of late, but so far none of them have led to broken bones. Maybe he knows how to fall. I hope your own falls are few and far between, Lois.
Me too, Lisa! I’m sorry your uncle has been falling lately … that’s a very real danger with older folks, isn’t it?
I really appreciate this metaphor of falling, Lois (and the literal example and wisdom too!) Thank you!
You’re welcome, Bethany! I wouldn’t say being able to write about it makes the falls worth it, but I suppose there is something to be learned from almost everything, right? 🙂
“Falling is often unavoidable” . But “being down doesn’t have to be permanent.”
I have had your post before me since yesterday and those words are so powerful. May we get back up, try again, and move forward – all with the help of our Lord and in His strength.
Amen, Joanne. I’m so grateful, as I know you are too, that His mercies are new every morning.
Oh Lois, I think I am one of the clumsiest people I know! I even broke both my feet within 24 hours of each other in totally unrelated incidents about 2 years ago!
But I love the spiritual parallel here too, with relationships, our walk with God, so many things I also “fall” regularly. And I find I am more embarrassed about those falls than when I fall flat on my face in the physical realm.
Oh my goodness, Donna … two broken feet in two days! That sounds terrible! (But also, I would love to hear the whole story sometime. :-))
One of my P.E. classes in college was tumbling–sort of beginning gymnastics. My teacher there talked about “rolling” through a fall, but I don’t think I ever mastered it. 🙂 But the main idea was not to stick your hands out while falling, as we’re prone to do. A guy I dated in college broke his wrist that way while playing soccer.
For many years, my tendency after a spiritual or relational fall was to beat myself up about it. But that was not at all helpful. One of my favorite quotes by Christina Rossetti is: “A fall is not a signal to lie wallowing, but to rise.” It’s best to get up, dust ourselves off, learn from it, and get going again.
I’ve had balance issues since a neurological illness several years ago. I had a few falls at the time, though thankfully nothing major. Now that I am getting “older,” and my last bone scan showed some thinning in my bones, I am more concerned about physical falling. I like the NKJV rendering of Psalm 17:5: “Uphold my steps in Your paths, That my footsteps may not slip.”
Your P.E. class experience gives me another reason why I was never good at gymnastics! I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t have been able to roll through a fall. That’s a great quote by Christina Rossetti. I’m sorry for your balance issues … I know the possibility of falling is very disconcerting. Psalm 17:5 sounds like a good verse to add to a “scriptures to pray as we get older” list! 🙂
“Oh, that’s relatable! My husband has also taken a few nasty falls. The last time, he wasn’t even running but cycling. He just slipped, probably because of some lingering snow here and there. The funniest part (well, sort of) is that he was listening to a sermon at that moment, with his headphones on, and the sermon was about: ‘all things must work together for good.’ Even a fall, apparently. He was out of commission for a few weeks and couldn’t keep up with his running group.
Best wishes from the Netherlands, and by the way, I really enjoy your group on Insta. I follow you there, but I’m not sure if you associate my Instagram name with my blog and the name I use here.
Oh wow, Aritha … I’m sorry your husband fell but the sermon topic makes for a good story to tell later, doesn’t it? As for the Instagram group, yes, I realized that was you and am so happy you have joined us! 🙂
no point staying down and out. and when I think of all the stumbles I’ve made in life along the way, I can only be grateful for God’s grace and kindness and encouragement not to give up.
Oh my .. me too, Linda.
There are lots of spiritual parallels for our talking and our living. Recovery is oft about regaining confidence.
That’s so true, Michele.
Makes me think of the Bible verse: 1 Cor 10:12 – “Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.”
Claudine, that verse definitely applies to this conversation … thanks for sharing it.