I was scheduled to do 35 minutes of cross training today. I'm not sure if rollerblading is cross training... but I decided to take my chances.

I still don't know how that choice affected my runs, but safety wise, that chance of mine threw me into a neighborhood lawn.

I was rollerblading just fine. Up hills, down hills, stopping at all required stops... when a perceived "little" hill got the best of me.

I was rolling faster and faster.

Brakes, use your brakes

But the little knob of rubber couldn't fight gravity.

Faster and faster... directly to a -- albeit lightly used -- street intersection.

I can't stop before then. What should I do? Just whiz through and hope no cars are coming? Or do I throw myself in that lawn there?

Whizzzzz... Too late for that lawn. How about the next? Nope, now it's gone too.

This is the last lawn before the intersection. Go for it now.

--- Truthfully, it was kind of cool... actually going through with such a brash decision. (Brash for me, anyway) I jumped the curb, tucked my arms, clenched my hands, and rolled to a stop in the grass.

The dogs in the backyard went nuts.

At first nothing hurt, then my fingers and wrist started throbbing, then my knee.

My arm didn't hurt at all until I was off skating again. Even then it was just stinging, but I had given myself the worst strawberry I've had since two hands could tell my age. Oozey, slightly bloody and grated skin with dirt.

Ouch.

I silently screamed in the shower and went to Bible study/let's talk about life. The injury got some grimaces.

It is pretty nasty looking.

I'm proud :)

But not too proud... I walked down the next hill wearing my striped plaid socks, rollerblades in hand.

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