Trail Runner Takes a Fall at Phoneline Trail!

It was me. I have fallen before when trail running, but never like this. I was on the Phoneline trail in Sabino Canyon when down I went. Along with other numerous lacerations and bruises, I punctured my right arm on a rock, which caused it to start spurting blood! I was so frightened. I called to my friend Martinho (Mar-teen-yo), who was ahead on the trail, but he couldn't hear me. I had to get up, bleeding everywhere, and get myself around a corner before he heard me. He came running over and took off his tank top and got it wrapped around my arm to stop the heavy bleeding. I almost passed out from seeing all the blood and I had a hard time breathing (I think I was panicking?) You can't really see it in the picture, by I have blood all over my legs, my left hand is covered in blood and my right arm is wrapped up with the tank top.

We were having such a good time before that happened! It is so beautiful there in Sabino Canyon. I kept a good attitude and we were even telling jokes on the way back to get help. No crying for me. We thought my bleed-out on the rock that I whammed into looked like a hieroglyphic animal!

So, we walked back to where the trail meets the road (we actually walked 4 more miles) and the paramedics were waiting for me. :) Thanks Martinho for being a true friend and making sure I got back safely!

I was whisked away to St. Joe's hospital, where my wounds were cleaned out (holy cow, that was about the most painful thing ever!) They didn't get all of the rocks out - they said they would come out with time. Oh, the wound that keeps giving; how nice! The puncture wound (we got a bleeder here!) required 4 stitches. I have blood on my trail shoes, skirt, and new running top! I was told that peroxide gets blood out. Who knew?

My sister came and got me from the ER (here I am with my niece Amanda) and I'm back at home resting with all my new bandages.

Crazy thing is, I kept worrying about what the other runners would think - this was the first time I had gone running with this trail running group. They said I was officially initiated into trail running. :)