And the winner is…

Finally! A run where I didn’t have to retie my shoes a bijillion and one times before even running a mile.

Ever since starting back on my second running comeback, I have feared the laces, and really it’s not all that surprising given that it was a lace issue that started to take me out in the first place. In my first – FIRST – run back post pregnancy, I had an issue with the laces in those evil new shoes that shall never be mentioned again. The laces rubbed against my poppy foot veins through the duration of that short run, and because I didn’t adjust them right away, I was plagued with a nasty internal bruise that still flares up!

I have since changed my shoes, and am in a pair that I absolutely adore, love to pieces even, however, I fear the laces. I’ve completely re-laced the shoes multiple times, and have tried several different lacing strategies, but to no avail. For every run, since making this second comeback, I have stopped myself every couple of feet to readjust the laces (whether I’ve needed to or not) fearing they may cause another bruise or further irritate the existing one. Until today.

Today, I switched out the non-stretch laces my shoes came with and replaced them with a pair of iBungee stretch laces (Hey! I figured if I was gonna do a giveaway, I might as well know what I was giving away :)). I was skeptical at first as the lace for the right shoe seemed a lot smaller than the one for the left shoe, even though they were both the exact same size, and was a bit of a pain to get secured into the clasp. It also felt quite a bit tighter around the ankle than the other shoe. So yeah, before even starting the run, I was making adjustment after adjustment after adjustment. This was NOT a good start.

When I was finally semi confident I was good to go I headed out, anddddddddddddd – I DIDN’T STOP TO RETIE MY LACES ONCE!!!  I was pretty focused on how it felt for the first interval, sure I’d be stopping in a foot or two, but I kept going, and going, and going, and soon I stopped thinking about them altogether. The laces on the right foot did feel tighter on the ankle to start, but not uncomfortably tight, and as I pushed along, they seemed to give just enough so as not to cause a nasty hot spot.

I wouldn’t say these laces make my shoes go on and off effortlessly as advertised, or that I’ll never tie my shoes again (I am still paranoid after all), but they did give me the tension adjustments my feet seemed to require, and they did allow me a comfortable run, which has been a long time coming 🙂

130121spookyrun
Tonight’s run was a bit of a spooky run with the thick wall of fog all around, but it was also a lace-loving run 🙂

TONIGHT’S RUN:
5:30 BG before: 4.2 (1/2 cup OJ)
Temp. basal: none
Distance: 2 intervals of 9 minutes running, 1 minute walking
6:15 p.m. BG after: 7.3

So, who’s the lucky winner of a pair for their own shoes???

130121draw
I went all old school with names drawn out of a good old running hat!

Thank you to everyone who participated in my first ever blog giveaway; it was a lot of fun to see how sure and confident you all were with your guesses. And while everyone who participated was entered into the draw, only three of you had the correct answer. My new shoes are – drum roll please – Brooks Ghost 5! Love them!

Chelsey, please email me your contact info via princessofpavement@gmail.com  so I can mail your new laces to you. Congratulations!

3 thoughts on “And the winner is…”

  1. Hey!! Glad to hear you are on the comeback trail!!
    Post-Oscar 🙂
    This may be a myth, but I seem to recall that one foot is always larger than the other, depending on if you are right- or left-handed. Your stride is also longer on one foot, depending on the same thing … which is why people tend to walk in circles when they are lost.
    Just so ya know 🙂
    I’m sure you will get all these wrinkles (and laces) smoothed out as you go along the comeback trail 🙂

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