Speed Laces

Several months ago I attended an event at the =PR= running store in Reston to hear professional triathlete and mom of two Margie Shapiro talk about the sport of triathlon.  I am not a triathlete - and to be honest I'm not sure I will ever be one - but I think Margie is *incredibly* inspiring and I wanted to hear what she had to say about her sport.  The session was really fascinating to me and I felt like a sponge soaking up lots of new information and inspiration.  Margie spoke about everything from training to race day prep, transition strategies and fueling and hydration practices.  Though I have no real ambition to try a triathlon (at least not any time soon), I benefited from her advice greatly.  Not to mention that the talk was given to a women-only audience and I absolutely loved being in a room filled with other passionate and curious women like me.

One of the things Margie introduced me to that night was tie-less shoe laces like Yankz! and Speed Laces.  I had never seen them before and while I thought they looked cool, I sort of dismissed them as something I would not need for running.  They made sense for a triathlete who would need to transition quickly from the bike to the run, but when you are keeping your shoes on for your entire race they are not exactly necessary, right?

Well, that was how I felt until recently.  After my marathon this fall I developed an annoying cyst on my left foot located right about where I tie my shoes.  At first I thought it was just time for new shoes so I replaced my old ones with the same pair.  Guess what?  Same problem.  The little bump on my foot was nothing exactly painful but it annoyed me and bothered me every time I put on my running shoes.  In any other pair of shoes it was unnoticeable.  At that point I knew it was time for new shoes, so I tried several out and fell in love with a few new pairs.  If you've been reading my blog for a while you may remember me talking about my "bump" and professing my love for my new shoes in this post.

Enter: one of the reasons I love being a part of the running/blogging community ~ Elizabeth from Racing Stripes left this comment on that post "I think you had a Ganglion Cyst.  I used to have one and I think it was from tying the shoes too tight.  I switched to YANKZ laces and the problem went away."  My problem seemed to be solved with the new shoes so I just kept her advice in the back of my head.  I returned to them a few weeks ago though, when I started to notice my cyst bothering me yet again.  Again, it wasn't anything supremely annoying, but I was concerned that it was altering my stride and that it could lead to bigger problems if left unaddressed.

So, I looked into it and ordered a couple of pairs of Speed Laces from Amazon.com (I have an Amazon Prime membership and the free two day shipping just can't be beat!).

So far, so good.  I have been wearing them for about two weeks and my cyst has completely disappeared, so I think it's safe to say that the laces were a good decision!

Speed Laces come in a rainbow of colors and an assortment of sizes.  They have a size chart but I found it confusing.  Their size chart doesn't tell you whether the shoe sizes listed are for mens or womens shoes, so I emailed them directly to get their advice and they wrote back promptly telling me what length laces I should get.  I ordered the iBungee Laces which are for what they call "casual runners" - basically for anyone who runs road races of any distance but not for trail runners or runners who need extra stability.

The iBungee Laces are really easy to put on your shoes.  Just lace them like you would normal laces and then, instead of tying them, you slip them through the cinching toggle they come with.  I use the extra holes on the side of my shoes for greater ankle support (I have for years) and this is just as easy to do with the Speed Laces.

laced up and looping through with use of extra side hole, like always

slipping laces through the cinching toggle

all laced up!

Once the shoes are laced up it is very easy to adjust them for comfort.  The laces are made of a really flexible latex core that expands and contracts easily so they flex with the motion of your feet but also provide great support.  The simplicity with which I can put my shoes on and take them off is just awesome.  I especially love them after a long run when I have no desire to bend over to untie my shoes.  It is so easy to slip them right off!

I laced my other pair up and put them on my Kinvaras.  They work just as well in these shoes as they do in my Asics.

ready for some speedy action

I'm really happy to have discovered these laces and to have put my annoying little cyst to rest.  If you are interested in learning more about the product, they have links to reviews on their web site HERE.

Have you ever tried Speed Laces or Yankz! before?  What do you think of them?  Have you ever had a Ganglion cyst?  If so, what did you do about it?

Posted in: ganglion cyst,gear,speed laces