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Goodbye, cushiony blue Sauconys . . .
 

Hello, old reliable Brooks Glycerin 9s. . . .



I hated to do this, but now that I'm about 15 pairs of running shoes into my marathoner life, I know that you don't mess with fire. My fellow runners will be able to relate to this, I think.

I bought the Sauconys nearly 3 weeks ago at Paragon near Union Square in Manhattan. Really wanted a pair, as my English Bulldog chewed my only previous Sauconys. But the last two times I ran with these, at the 4-mile mark a blister rub would begin in the instep of the left shoe. The edge of the factory insert sole was rubbing against my instep, and that would be bad, bad news for a Half or a full marathon.

I returned them today to Paragon, and props to the crew there for letting me swap inside of 30 days despite no receipt (I had the same credit card I used to buy them). They are also Neutrals, and I never have to think twice about Glycerin 9s. My advice for anyone just getting into distance running is this: If you find a shoe that works, don't change anything but the color. I wanted this color anyway. I'm set, and their first race is the MLB All-Star Game 5K Charity & Fun Run on Sunday morning in Kansas City, where I'll be running with '08 American Idol David Cook and other cool peeps, plus lots of MLB colleagues.

These probably will be my ride at the ING New York City Marathon on November 4, depending on how cushiony they feel when I am one month away. I have two other trainer pairs I will rotate in.

Nothing in running gear is more important than your shoes, so make sure you don't mess with any potential trouble that could turn into something big. We run for a long time.