I am a klutz

Once ,when we lived in St. George, I fell on a treadmill. I didn't really fall off, because there was a big glass window right behind it. So I tripped and fell and was thrown against a giant glass window. I am SO relieved it didn't break. There were a dozen or so people there (it was a tiny Gold's Gym) and they all saw and heard it happen. Mortifying. I vowed to always always always be more than cautious on a treadmill. Also I never wore those orange and red and yellow plaid pants out of the house again. Major identifying piece of clothing.


Well when you don't learn, history repeats itself. This time it was at a huge Gold's Gym less than 5 miles from where I grew up and frequented by high schoolmates often. I was working out with a friend. I started the treadmill and started walking, then I started running. Then a guy friend of HERS came over and started talking to both of us. I have this really bad habit of stepping off the belt when I'm not paying attention. When I talk and walk that happens a lot. So I step off a little, the belt squeals. I decide to stand on the sides that aren't moving. Then my water bottle gets knocked off and slides down the running belt. I hopped off to pick it up. After retrieving my water bottle I stepped one foot onto the back end of the treadmill, right onto the moving belt, I stepped very far up on the belt. Look Ma, no hands. Face meet the treadmill. Body meet the floor. TaLaisa, meet the rest of the gym. They were all looking at me. I stood up, walked up to the treadmill, and got right back on. This time it wasn't moving. The guy talking to my friend had turned it off. I learned from riding horses, get thrown off get right back on! I was shaking. My friends were laughing. I felt like an idiot. My pants were torn, *I had treadmill grease on my nose (NO one told me!) But I finished that workout.

* That reminds me of a clumsy time in High school, I was rollerblading with my cute neighbor. We stopped at his house and skated around the driveway while we finished our conversation. I started to roll very slowly, I was tired. I Rubbed my eye and the next thing I knew I was face down on the concrete. My hands didn't even try to break my fall. My wrist guards were on the grass, I wasn't going fast enough to be dangerous (I thought). I had hit a part of the driveway that was sinking as I hit the risen ridge of the next section of driveway I was stopped completely. And met quickly with a hard fall.

I asked my friend if I had any cuts on my face, I felt like I'd skinned my nose. He said, "nope you look fine, do you feel okay?". I was only mortified. But tried to play it cool. When I got home I had grease from the pavement on my forehead and cheeks and a red skinned nose.