I am literally getting itchy feet- my shoes are starting to wear out and I am considering all the new shoes out there in the market. Things came to a head on Monday when my enthusiasm got the better of me and I went to Velocity armed with my wallet ready to make a purchase. In fact, at that point, almost any shoe would have sufficed. Luckily Jamie and I communicated over the course of a few days via WhatsApp to discuss my options (although I am sure he already sensed my over-enthusiasm) and on that particular day, messaging just wouldn't suffice and I decided to call.

Bless the fella, the patient man, the voice of reason, patiently discussed my options, asking me how each shoe that I tried felt, giving me the pros and cons of the models and voila, at the end of the conversation, managed to convince me to wait a little while longer. The Connects will be released in January; there are a few others yet to consider. Other "mitigating" factors included my relatively low mileage- my shoes, while aging with every kilometer, should still last me at least until January. Additionally I do actually own a pair of shoes I have neglected for some time, a pair that is still in good condition- the Newtons. During my conversation with Jamie I brought up the topic about the Newtons, remarking that I couldn't remember why I neglected them, but the next few days gave me the answer. Read on...

Except for yesterday I ran Monday and Tuesday in the Newtons and on Wednesday, my legs felt completely thrashed. My forefoot, calves and thighs were slightly sore, but what really got to me was how fatigued my whole legs felt. I had made an unconscious choice to revert to my Nikes for yesterday's run, but it turned out to be the right choice as I plodded along, shuffling as if my legs were filled with lead.

I understand the concept of the Newtons and see where they are coming from, but even for me, despite already landing on my forefoot from the moment I started running, it seemed too much. I can draw 2 possible conclusions from my experience- either I am completely unsuited to wear the shoes, and I can't wear minimalist shoes because I am a "heavy" forefoot runner, or transitioning to these shoes will take a heckuva long time, meaning I have to gradually ease into the shoes and slowly build up strength over the course of the next year(!). I spoke with Jamie who is slowly transitioning to the Connects and he said the process is so far has taken 8 months (and counting). I am inclined to take latter view. I will take it easy and switch to the Newtons, running in them around once or twice a week, gradually running in them on a regular basis.