The Sehgahunda Trail Marathon and Relay did not go as I had hoped. Everything started out OK. I made Check Point #1, 6.1 miles, OK. About 1.5 miles out of CP #1 . it all went south.
I tripped on a root as I went down a hill and took a tumble. I bloodied up my right arm as I skidded to a stop. I dusted myself off and continued on. I made it to CP #2, 8.6 miles. I was running down from CP #2 when I made a foolish mistake. I felt a sharp pain in my upper right side and continued on ... thinking it would go away. A very wrong decision since CP #3 was 6.8 miles away. Some runners at the bottom of CP #2 tried to talk me into going back up to CP #2 to be checked out ... which I should have done. I tried to slowly trot ... it worked for a while until the pain made it a bad idea. Then I tried to walk while I held my right side ... same thing. By now I had decided to quit when I got to CP #3. Time passed while I was passed by runner after runner. I told some fellow runners who passed me to tell CP #3 that I was having some problems. I continued on the best I could. I did have some time to enjoy the scenery. Yes, I walked 7 miles on trail with a broken rib ... luckily I didn't fall and do more trauma. Finally, Jim on his trail bike found me and evaluated me. He let me call CJ so she could head down from CP #6 where she volunteered to CP #3 to meet me. He started to walk me onward to CP #3. Along the way we met up with a Park Policeman and two EMTs. I got some oxygen and some bandages for my right arm and ribs. I met up with a worried CJ and a Gator at the bottom of CP #3 which transported me up to CP #3 and an ambulance. I got a ride to the Dansville ER while a nice EMT named Ed took my vitals: BP was 118/73, pulse was 60, O2 level was 98 or better. Eventually, after some wait at the ER for some painful chest X-rays I was told that I had a broken right 5th rib. I was given a prescription for Vicodin and sent home with instructions to take it easy. CJ and I filled the prescription and headed back to the Country Inn hotel in Mount Morris where we had wanted to celebrate a successful Sehgahunda.
Meanwhile, back to Sehgahunda. The overall results are here, the relay results are here.
After all this, I was really tired probably due to the Vicodin I was given at the hospital ... I took some naps. But I do remember that CJ went out for some supper from McDonald's and that the Lakers won game 6 versus the Suns. Next up is the NBA Finals versus their old nemesis, the Boston Celtics.
Lessons learned today ... there are many more than I know who care about me, pick my feet up when I run trail and don't wear my dark shades when I run trail ... better to wear amber or clear shades. Maybe I bit off more than I could chew at Sehgahunda ... hopefully next year will turn out better.
Many thanks to those who were concerned, worried and took care of me.
Trying to keep active, Doug
