Authors note – don’t read this one if you get a bit squeamish!

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After a few months lacking in running motivation, I was starting to find my feet again. I’d been running regularly. I’d been getting a little bit quicker. I’d set myself a goal – parkrun in under 30 minutes – and I achieved it at Oaklands parkrun last month.

There was a part 2 to my goal – sub-30 minutes at Hanley parkrun by year end. At the end of October, I did that too, and then went even quicker the following week. Job done, goals achieved, fantastic feeling, 2 months to spare.

I was definitely getting back into a groove. I completed my longest continuous run since February last Sunday. I’ve even signed up for a race!

Progress – feeling good, running was fun again.

And then splat!

I have no idea what happened, but one moment I was running along happily, the next I was lying on the pavement, my face hitting against the raised rim of a metal grate; the rest of me hitting the ground hard.

“Oh ****!”

I scrambled a little unsteadily to my feet, hoping to style it out. Had I landed in a puddle? Why was my face all wet? Oh, that’ll be blood!

But not too much, I’ll be fine to carry on.

Maybe not?

My running club mates came to my aid; they weren’t convinced by my “I’m fine to carry on” bravado.

“Er no, Liz, that looks quite bad. We think you should probably go to A&E, No really, we’re taking you to A&E. No arguing.”

(Thank you for over-ruling my objections ladies).

Oops.

But they were right. I’d better stop my Garmin then.

First stop, the minor injuries unit at the Heywood (thanks Alison for being chauffer and Ruth for going to pick up Mr T).

Unfortunately, the wound was too deep and too close to my eyes to be treated there.

Oops again.

So it was across to the main A&E – triaged to make sure no head injury and given a bandage to hide the evidence. Then a bit of a wait, made better by a hot chocolate and a bag of smoky bacon crisps, and Mr T for company. My first time as a patient in A&E I think – not something I’d put on my list of “things to do when I’m 50” – but here we are.

The good news once seen by the Doctor was that no bones were broken, the wound on my face could be glued (no stitches required) and no damage to my eyes / eye sockets.

But considering the damage that could have been done, that was definitely good news and we went home from the hospital relieved that it wasn’t as bad as it could have been.

I’ve got some colourful bruises – shoulder, hand, knee, leg – and I’m a bit achy. I spent most of the weekend curled up on the sofa, wrapped in a blanket and wearing bobble hats (can’t wash my hair for a few days, but at least there are hats and dry shampoo).

But my black eye is definitely starting to improve – we’re in teenage bad eye shadow phase now; hopefully I didn’t scare too many whilst volunteering at parkrun on Saturday.

I might have hit the deck, but hopefully, it’s just a temporary pause.

I’ve signed up for a race after all!

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50 for 50 #12: 50 posts for my 50th birthday to be posted before I’m 51.

With special thanks to the staff at the Heywood and UHNM A&E, and a big shout out to my running companions from Potters Trotters that night, who took such good care of me.