My running shoes are an embarrassment. Once a proud pair of Sauconys, they are ragged, a sorry looking pair worn well beyond the 200 odd miles you’re supposed to notch up before consigning your running shoes to history.

Worse still, I’ve worn a hole in the left one with my big toe.

And yet, I can’t bring myself to buy a new pair of running shoes – not just yet..

Originally I had a plan, I was going to get through to the Broadland Half Marathon and then buy myself a new pair.

Is there ever a good time to buy new running shoes?

A risky strategy perhaps, as I’d already run both Run Norwich and the Wissey Half Marathon in the ‘Old Faithfuls’, heck they were even there during the Beast from the East (not that I did any running in the snow), which meant by rights I should have already spent some money on a new pair.

Broadland Half and a date with running shoes destiny

And then guess what? the Broadland Half Marathon, got cancelled and put back to November.

In the meantime, I’ve signed up to the City of Norwich Half Marathon on April 15 and there’s no way my shoes are going to last until then.

So I need a new pair of running shoes.

Now here’s the dilemma – how much time do I need to break them in? I reckon I need to get myself down to the sports shop this week to give myself a fighting chance of getting them settled in before the race.

That’s it then – time to get the wallet out, but then there is the next decision, do I stick with the same make of running shoes, or go for something different?

I mean this could make all the difference on race day, couldn’t it? And God Forbid your new shoes give you blisters..

It’s bad enough that I have to keep tying and untying my laces on the start line, as they never seem quite right – funny that this only happens on race day and never on training runs.

But now isn’t the time to change course is it? Why risk it? Stick with what you know ..oh no hang on, that’s Project Fear all over again.

This is more of Project Slightly Nagging Doubt, or Project Overthinking Your Running Performance When You’re Actually Not that Good a Runner, or Project No-one Gives A Flying Wotsit What Shoes You Wear…

Don’t kid yourself you’re as obsessed with running shoes as I am

Except you do, don’t you?

Because if you’ve got this far and you’re like me, you think about your shoes, your socks – (socks? please don’t get me started on socks) – your Runderwear, what sort of water bottle to use, or not.

You’re thinking it all through, right up to the safety pins you use to put your race number on, and whether they’re going to rub against you (tip put your number on the lower part of your running top, or wear a ‘bib’ and pin your number on that).

Because we’re runners, aren’t we? Even if it’s the I- just-like-to-get-out-there-and-get-some-fresh-air variety. We thrive on all this detail, don’t we?

Whoever thinks it’s just a case of grabbing a pair of running shoes and just getting out there is being far too simplistic.

No, no, no – there are things to think about right down to the nth degree, the training schedules, eating plans, the cross training…

Because you’re hooked, you think about all of this stuff, you chat it through with you other runners, you even blog about it.

So no prizes for guessing my plan.

I’m going to have to buy some new running shoes.