I'm writing this 5 weeks later. I couldn't say anything good, so I chose to say nothing at all. (Thanks for the good advice Thumper.) On Tuesday morning, two days before this, I ran 4.5 miles @ 10:23/mi; nothing spectacular but I was beginning to feel that I was back on the road to recovery. Then on Thursday morning I was attacked by...walnuts. I had ran a little over a mile. I was feeling pretty good, my mind lost in thought on early morning solo run under the street lights of north Orem. I was running east on 1200 N, where I've run many times before, when I suddenly found myself lying on the road. The palm of the new knit glove on my right hand was shredded, my right knee had a little road rash, my left ankle was hurting quite badly...and I could hear the sound of a walnut rolling into the gutter. I don't remember stepping on the walnut, or falling, but I don't think I lost consciousness. I didn't hit my head...and I could hear the walnut rolling into the gutter. I must have been so lost in thought, and fell so quickly, that I was on the road before it registered in my brain. I have a habit of rating my sprains just after they happen (yes, I've had a few). I rated it a 6 or 7 out of 10. I turned and started limping home. After a bit it started feeling a little better so I decided maybe I had rated it too high and decided to try and run it off. I turned and ran back towards the walnuts, but on the other side of the street. I didn't get far before I realized my initial rating was accurate and I shouldn't run on it. I turned back and started limping home again, now farther away than I was to begin with. I decided to cross back over and look for where I had stepped on the walnut. I found it and painfully kicked 19 more walnuts into the gutter. I don't know if it was to protect other runners, or because I was mad at them. I then limped slowly home, quite discouraged, but hopeful I'd be back to running in a week or two. Skip ahead 5 weeks for the rest of the story. | 