I hate my new running shoes. And I'm supposed to run the Marine Corps Marathon in them this Sunday.

They're the Saucony Endorphin Elite 2, the newer version of the shoes I've raced in for years. I figured they'd be an improvement. Better technology. Better foam. Maybe even a few seconds faster per mile. Instead, they feel like I'm running on marshmallows. Too soft, too bouncy, and terribly unstable.

I wore them for my last two 10-mile tempo runs. The first was outside, starting from my front door in Atlanta. Uneven sidewalks, busy intersections, sloping pavement, and potholes. Not exactly ideal conditions for running fast. My ankles felt unstable, and my feet ached afterward. So I gave them another chance on the treadmill, where everything is flat and predictable. I hated them there, too.

Now I had a decision to make. Wear the Elite 2 and hope I'd get used to them? Buy the new Elite 3, which I've never tried? Or return to my original Elite 1, which has about 130 miles and two marathons on it, including Cincinnati this past May? The Elite 1 is worn, but I'm guessing it's not completely worn out. Unfortunately, finding a new pair is nearly impossible.

Naturally, I obsessed over this. I read reviews, compared specifications, and researched how long carbon-plated racing shoes last. For a while, I was spending more time thinking about shoes than running.

Eventually, I realized what I was doing. I've spent months preparing for this marathon. Hundreds of miles of running, long runs, and hard workouts. And now, days before the race, I'm trying to optimize one more thing. As an engineer, I suppose that's my instinct. There's always another variable to adjust, another improvement to consider.

But sometimes you have to stop tinkering.

So I'm going back to my old Elite 1. They're comfortable, familiar, and they've carried me through two marathons already. On Sunday, I'll lace them up for a third.

Happy running!

George