Running "Alone" a question to all --Moved from other site

So, this has been brought up a couple of times in passing, and I think that this is the normal, "I don't want to offend anyone" approach, but I'm a rabble-rouser.  The question really came to the fore this morning as I was getting my normal load ready for my short weekday run.  I get my shorts and a white tech shirt on, and get my cell phone out of its normal during the day case, and strap on my BellyBand holster and slide my .357 into its place, slide my phone into one of the "Extra Magazine" slots, get the Nano set-up and adjust the volume so I can hear things coming up the road and just make out the words in my ears, slide my ID into my pocket, and off I go.
I have read the whole list of articles about not running alone, and I just don't have a choice.  All of my neighbors that run don't have to be at work at 7:00, so I go way before they are even up, and a couple of them get out the door by 5:40.  I see them when I am heading back in.  I always silently say, "I'm not running alone, I have a running partner, the late William Ruger, and I head out all the time together.
So my question is, do you carry, and if so why?  I run in a safe town, we just have coyotes and the occasional other critter that might need some dissuasion that I am not actually breakfast.
As for my run this morning, it was great.  The Nike+ and the nano, are now officially nuts, as my mapped route this morning was 5.1, and they are swearing I only ran 4.55.  I haven't done the math yet for this one, but it was just a bit over 46 minutes.  I want to get about 1 minute faster before my birthday, so now that my foot feels much much better, speed drills are in my future.  Yea!?!?

 OK, so from my house, if I go out 1/4 mile, I lose all street lights and drop into farmland with lots of cows goats, horses and chickens.  I tend to be a little paranoid--OK a LOT paranoid.  As for chafing or rubbing, the bellyband holds the firearm nice and snug.  It actually bounces less than my water belt.  As for extra weight, how many go out with a fuel belt full of water and not give that any thought?  25 extra ounces isn't much, but then I saw a guy this morning in a weight vest that looked like it might weigh 20 lbs. Also, see I am a rabble-rouser.

I blame you all! ---Moved from other site

So, I started running for real in January, I have run a 5K, a couple of 10K's, and am planning on a Pikermi on my birthday this year when I turn 42.  That idea came from Team Pikermi showing up on Facebook.  That concept of the name change because the race is a REAL race in itself and not part of something rang true with me.  So I joined Team Pikermi, I think even before I ran my first 5K, I'd have to go look.  Nope, just after. 

I was happily cruising along, running in the mornings by myself getting stronger and able to run longer, and enjoying it.  Then I go and look some training plan up, and I end up having to register at Runner's World in order to print it off.  Rats. That was the beginning of the end of my sanity.  I read a couple of blogs while I was here that first day, and then forgot about it.

 Then at the second 10K, with a start just a mile from my home, I run into juanitagf wearing a Team Pikermi sweatshirt.  I talk to her for a few minutes and she asks me if I am on here.  I said that I was and wasn't.  I told her that I thought I probably was as I had to register in order to print something off.  She went off to do her warm up and then I chatted briefly after the race.  She had had a good day, and said she would be blogging about it.  Intrest piqued, I logged on and looked for it.  A couple of days later, there it was, and I was mentioned.


Now I am hooked.  I come in daily and read about other nutters who get up too early, or go running after work.  And now my two neighbors are trying to talk me into the one race I said I would never do.  A marathon.  And YOU GUYS are helping their cause.  You evil rotten people.  Talking about BQing, and getting finisher medals and shirts.  Making me want to be part of that club...   How dare you wear down my normally high resistance to peer-preasure and the like.  Now I am secretly planning next years attack at the Portland Marathon.  How bad is this infection you have given me...I know I need to run 7:18's in order to BQ.  You Bastards!  How dare you make me part of your crazy!  So, now we will see how this goes.  I have even acquired a pair of VFF's to help improve my form...AGAIN, Bastards...getting into my head... I could name you all as accomplices in this.

Oh well, there are worse addictions, and at least you haven't tried to convince me to TRI.

First run in 12 days---Moved from other site

So this morning at 4:30 I rolled out of bed, drank my FRS (I pre-make it the night before so that I can give it the "full 30" before I actually start running) and contemplated if I really wanted to give the heel a go.  See, 12 days ago I went for that nice 10 mile long run, and pulled up at 3.  My heel was killing me by the end of the day.  I asked here, and got some good advice.  I went to the running store and tried the new version of my current shoe.  OH MAN, did that feel good.  I could tell that given my slim 185 lbs that my shoes were not going to make it to 300 miles unless I change my foot-strike.  I will start working on that as soon as I can get a pair of VFF's.  I rested, iced and IB'd my foot for a week, and then just kinda let the lazys take me the first part of this week.  Those damn lazys are hard to beat.  But, I got up, got dressed, tucked my phone in my belly-band and headed out the door a little before 5.  I figured a light easy 4 miler would be a good test of both the new shoes and the heel.  Both were up to it, and I thought about adding one more to go 5, but figured that I shouldn't push it.  I will go for a nice 7 or 8 on Saturday morning before work, and then get back to a regularly scheduled program.

 The worst part of the whole thing is it killed my Pikermi plans for the 1st.  I could no more climb the trails for that race right now, than I can fly.  That is OK, though, I will train for the one on my b-day in October.  I want to work on hills more anyway, so it is all good.  I was looking at my running log, and I need to bump my weekday runs in length, so it is a good thing that I got hurt.  A little set-back may be just what I needed to get me to focus on cross-training and getting faster.

 I am looking forward to trying out the VFF's if I can find them.  REI is out, and they have no replenishment schedule.  So I will be calling a couple of the other stores that carry them to see if they have them.  I am wanting to run with my wife wearing those at night to force me to change my foot strike.  She is trying the Couch to 5K thing and it would be a great way for me to get intervals in wearing those while she gets up to running speed.

All in all, it was a great morning.  I feel better for having had my run, and am happy my heel is better.  I should probably still see a Dr. about it, but, hey, it ain't fallin' off, so it must not be that bad.

A little advice wanted please---Moved from another site

So, I started running on a regular basis back in January of this year.  I have been doing OK in the aches and pains department.  Saturday was to be a nice easy 10 mile long run.  It has been warmer here than I like, and I got out about 8:30 am.  By mile 3 I was done.  I walked the last bit home, my loops keep me not more than 1/2 mile from my house as a crow flies, and by the time I got to the house my right heel was killing me.  I've got about 240 miles on a pair of Nike Zooms and I don't think they are done, but they could be.  I'm not the lightest runner in the world coming in at about 185.  So, here it is on Monday, and the heel still hurts, which may really mess up my Pikermi plans for August 1.  Now for my two questions.

 Question 1: how long should I give my heel to stop hurting before I go see a Dr.  Keep in mind, I am male, and, "if it ain't falling off, it ain't hurt" is how I function.  It was over two years before I had a hernia looked at, let alone fixed.

 Question 2:  I've been hearing a lot about the VFF's and there seem to be more than a few of you Loopers that seem to be sold on them.  Have those that have run in them for a  while gotten any results with regards to race speed or the length of the runs they can now do?  I am thinking about getting a pair and then paying for a babysitter to get my wife re-starting the Couch-to-5K with me running in the VFF's to get up to speed with the different foot strike, and her into running.  I would still do my "other" runs the other days of the week, but this might be a solution to Q1 in the long run.

 Thanks for your time, and I have enjoyed reading the posts I have read from others.