Bad Angel Rule #95

Mind Your Laces.

New Balance used to issue shoes with these awesome twisty laces. Alas, they discontinued these babies. I’ll miss you, lovely laces.

An oft-overlooked area of running lies in the tying of one’s shoes. But it’s an important step that you should not rush through.

If you lace up too tight, it’s ouchie — and you often don’t realize it until it’s too late. I’ve actually bruised the tops of my feet during really long runs with too-tightly laced shoes. Meow.

Lace them too lose, and you’re headed straight to Blisterville. And nobody wants a ticket there.

So, take your time with your laces. And don’t forget to double knot. If you have to re-tie your shoes mid-run, it never feels quite right once you’ve readjusted. It’s like you have an overinflated tire or something.

And good golly, no one wants to deal with an untied shoelace during a race — watching precious seconds tick by as you try to scoot off to the side and attempt to properly re-tie the bastards with adrenaline-fueled fingers. (Just ask Maggie; this happened to her in the first mile of her first half marathon.)

So, yes, lace with care. I think that ties it all up. (Hey-oh!) — Aidz