The Bloody Trail

I often get asked if all the stories are real and true, or if I am simply making stuff up as I go along… From what I can tell, I have a pretty weird imagination and could probably come up with some fairly entertaining material, if I actually needed to do so.  But somehow material has never been a problem, things keep happening even more often than I would like, with all the fun and adventures literally waiting for me outside each morning.

The dawn was still brewing when I stepped outside; I am not even sure what time it was, I don’t even look anymore, my days and nights have become like one big blur, all one and the same.  However, once outside, the fresh air quickly kicks in and reminds where, what and who I am and sets me on the right course.   Today was no different, as I immediately found my rhythm and actually looked to enjoy the outing and the last remaining days of this gorgeous weather.  Well, I was about half way through my trip when the fun began.

No, no, it’s not what you think – no one attacked me (real or imaginary), no one talked to me, the sky did not open up and the torrential downpour did not come down.  It was much simpler than that – I tripped and fell down, just as I was stepping up the curb to get onto the sidewalk.  But I didn’t just fall down, I literally crashed and toppled like a tree, landing face forward with only my left hand helping to break the fall.  The right hand was busy holding the iPhone and therefore could not be of any assistance.  As a result, I almost entirely scraped off all the skin from my left palm as it slid on the pavement, blood flowing so freely that I could not even see the hand!  My right elbow signaled the same trouble – I could feel it was smashed to the bone, with blood beginning to seep through my sweatshirt…

As I got up and looked around – not a soul anywhere, not even a car driving by, nothing.  It must have been early.  What is it they say: “If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?”  Well, I guarantee you – there was a loud sound, as my entire brain got re-scrambled.

I didn’t have my first aid kit on me, so medical assistance was out of the question.  What to do?  I took a few steps forward, suddenly remembering my own writing just yesterday.  Incredible – just hours ago I was blogging about the value of uninterrupted cardio, imploring everyone NOT to pause for any reason, ever.  Well, I am probably a hypocrite, but not to this extent!

I am absolutely serious – with blood dripping from my left hand and quickly soaking up my right sleeve, I actually continued with my run!  And just to add some sanity and rationalization to the moment, I thought to myself: “Well, I need to get home as quickly as I can, and since it doesn’t look like anyone will offer me a ride, I may as well run, certainly faster than walking!”

Wait, that’s not all.  So here I am, running through the night streets of Langhorne, blood dripping freely and most likely leaving a trail behind me.  Still, not a soul anywhere in sight, which was probably a good thing, since seeing a man running outside in the middle of the night covered in blood is not exactly what you want to encounter; I am sure the police would be on the scene and I would surely get implicated in all the ongoing homicidal investigations.

I finally make it to my development and walk up to my house, when I notice that my next-door neighbor is up, sitting by the window, reading newspapers.  Who reads newspapers this early in the day?!  And people call me crazy!  Anyway, being a nice neighbor that I am, I wave hello to the guy and he waves right back at me, smiling as always.  Is that the reputation I have here – no one is surprised to see me outside before dawn, covered in blood and looking in people’s windows… Oh well, at least my wife was still horrified to see me – so at least some things are normal.

My hands still hurt and my wounds are still bleeding as I type this; goes to show you – nothing can stop the 5 AM Runners, and until the last drop of blood, remember to

KEEP IT RUNNING!