Day 4,192—Falling Slowly—

 

I heard the railroad crossing as the gate arm lowered. Thinking I could beat the train, I sprinted into the street, took a big step, and fell. I landed on my right hand and left knee, sliding across the street. My phone was thrown ahead of me as I paused on the ground before getting up.

I sat next to a wall next to a person’s house and checked for damage. My right hand was bleeding, and so was my left knee. It could have been worse. I tried not to think about how I could have worn gloves or been more careful. There was no reason I was holding my phone. The last train car passed the crossing, and the arms went up. I thought, “That wasn’t a long wait,” and quickly ran across the track as I saw other runners approaching fast.