Gymnastics and Ju Jitsu

I teach people how to ride mountain bikes. From complete beginners to competitive level; teaching, coaching, generally making people better in the dirt, on two wheels.

A couple of years ago, someone asked me whether I could design a skills course that taught people how to fall off mountain bikes safely. I shuddered at the thought. Whilst it's very possible to teach old dogs new tricks, young dogs bounce better. Ultimately, some things are so counter-intuitive to the adult mind that the risks simply outweigh the rewards. I imagined the end of a session, the ambulance waiting in the carpark, while battered bikers limped back with tails between legs and confidence in tatters.

There's an ideal time to learn how to fall well, without hurting yourself. It's while you're young. It's why I hope to introduce my growing son to gymnastics and ju jitsu, as I was.

So why this, now?

Well, after the meteorologcial onslaught that devoured the country through the first half of the day, I felt I should bag a few miles during a starlit reprise. Which is when I took a purler.

Given that I still have a cold, I left the house with the intention of taking it easy, but a gentle downhill start felt good, so I kept cadence high, backed off a bit on the hills, and breezed my way round an unassuming loop.

Rub some dirt on it - all better.

However, half a mile from home I came a cropper. On a narrow pavement between wall and oncoming traffic, a manhole cover had been forced open from underneath by a million wet leaves. This slab of immovable iron was invisible on my full-tilt approach, and my left foot swung into it with a "Oh-heavens-what-the-hell-was-that-I'm airborne-and-the-feet-aren't-hitting-the-ground-again-any-time-soon-here-comes-the-tarmac-this-could-hurt-hang-on-angle-hand-tuck-shoulder-roll-back-scuff-hip-heel-aaaand-stop". My next thought as I laid on my back was to pause my Garmin, while I checked my legs were still working.

The principles and application of tumbling techniques can be the difference between instinctively distributing an impact force around the body, or smashing wrists, knees, elbows, head. The medical profession call these kinds of injuries FOOSLs - or Falls On Out-Stretched Limbs, and they constitute a high proportion of winter A&E admissions.

I however, received a scuff on my hand, a throbbing big toe, and another dramatic fall to run away from, and feel good about.

Today's run: 3.6miles, 27:38mins, fastest pace 5:18min/miles, highest airborne trajectory 1.4m,
Janathon total: 28miles, one fall, no submissions. Click here for today's run stats.