I was out late last night (indeed, I am getting too old for things like that) and I wasn’t sure I would manage my long run today. I got up late, and loafed around for a while, and finally in the late afternoon I got dressed and headed out. It’s windy and a bit chilly today, but it was sunny so that helped. I finished the 7 miles in 1:33, scoring my best overall pace for that distance (13:18).
I experimented with a different lacing technique today. Parallel lacing is supposed to take a lot of the pressure off the midfoot for folks with high arches, and it worked well for me. No foot falling asleep! Hooray! I think I’ll keep it. The only problem is, there’s a lot of extra lace left over. I just tied it into a big knot on the top of the shoe.
Finally, I’d like to propose something to all the drivers out there: do not honk at a runner unless you are about to hit them. Seriously. It’s not encouraging, and I don’t care if you like my butt; when I hear someone honk I startle and try to figure out if there’s a car coming at me and if I need to do something about that. Honk means “I need your attention because you are in danger”. So please, please keep your business inside your car and your fist off the horn. Thanks, a skittish runner
Running While Fat 
I loathe being honked at, or startled in general. Being in a rural area, I especially hate when people honk at people on horseback. Hullo, dangerous. That’s a good way to get people killed, & horses.
Also, I need to look into this parallel lacing thing. I have trouble with my foot falling asleep & my arches are on the high side.
PEOPLE HONK AT PEOPLE ON HORSEBACK?! Wow…. you’re right, that’s a good way to get someone thrown. Scary!
Yes, yes they do. Stupid people, it must be said, but it’s all too common.
Some years ago now, a (male) driver honked at, while trying to overtake on a bend, a spooky horse I was riding – he spun/jumped about four feet in the air and came down half across the bonnet, and then scrabbled/slid clear over the other side. The driver was incandescent with rage, stopped, got out and came up to us, swearing vehemently, threatening to sue us for enormous damages – it was a silver merc and the bonnet was half caved in and the paintwork scratched and the windscreen shattered.
I pointed out that the horse was worth easily twice what his car was and told him to contact us and we’d let our insurers sort it out and we rode off, with him still effing and blinding.
He did indeed threaten to sue – but the yard was situated in an area with a lot of expensive country houses, and the incident occurred directly opposite the front gate of one of them. There was cctv footage which the householder kindly supplied to us, being horrified by what she’d seen, and upon receipt of the footage, his insurers paid the vet’s bill (the horse wasn’t seriously hurt, cuts and bruises, though the incident didn’t make him any less spooky!) without a murmur and no more was ever said about it. I’m willing to bet his premiums went up a bit though! The memory of scrubbing the paint off the horse’s feet still makes me smile, although it was trifle hair raising at the time.
I can’t believe people honk at you! Totally agree honking is for alerting someone of danger.
I’m very interested in this parallel lacing thing. I too have high arches, and my feet sometimes fall asleep or get numb, and I didn’t know the two were connected. Will definitely try this next time I run. Or do anything with laced shoes on.
It’s not uncommon at all, unfortunately. And it doesn’t matter if I’m running along one of the busiest highways in the county or on a little side road, people still gotta honk. When it’s the busy highway I always have to check– there are too many little driveways and parking lots to brush it off! (Cause it’s all fun and games until I get hit by a car.)
Pingback: Shoe Lacing Techniques | My Year To Thrive
Pingback: 2014 Recap | Running While Fat