A Small Ice Patch and WHAM!

 Just moving along minding my own business running through a snowy storm like it is a starfield simulator computer wallpaper from 1999 and bam! I'm on my backside from hitting a little piece of ice laying in wait under a thin layer of fresh snow. From upright to sideways in a literal instant. 

It's such a shock, I stay down not from pain, but from the surprise of suddenly finding myself covered with a bit of snow. I take my time getting up. At this point there's no rush. Better slow and make certain the footing is sure for the return to vertical position. Thankfully nothing serious other than a bit of tenderness in my shoulder. It happened so fast I don't even remember landing on my shoulder, but I must have.

Here I am .33 miles from home. Do I dial it in and just head home? Nah. I'm alright. Carry on a little further. Easy does it. If anything starts to feel quirky in the next few blocks I can still get back home.

 

Nothing does. I keep going. Watching my step and a little more leery than earlier, but also knowing there's not a whole lot that can stop me from going down again if the ice decides to pull another fast one on me.

6 more miles with no incident.

This is the third time I've fallen in the past two years. The first time I really crashed hard much in the same way, but earlier in the morning, a little further than home, and close enough to the pavement to smash up my glasses. The second time was  few miles into a long run on Mackinaw Rd. between Schust and McCarty. 

Honestly, I'm not looking for trouble. I would rather take on the risk of falling and running in the fresh air than get on a treadmill in some fitness club with stale air and bad light.  Part of why I love running is the being outdoors. I think the reward of the squeaky fresh crunch of a layer of snow is worth the chance there's an ice rink underneath
.