Shifting Gears Shoe Test

Workout - Shifting Gears Shoe Test

• 5min @ 7'00''/km
• 15min @ 6'00''/km
• 2 lots of:
  • 20m @ 3'30''/km
• 1.0km @ 5'00''/km
• 1min rest
• 600m @ 4'30''/km
• 1min rest
• 400m @ 4'00''/km
• 1min rest
• 600m @ 4'30''/km
• 12min @ 7'00''/km
• 5min @ 7'00''/km

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Intro

The FOD Runner has a video called HOW TO Tell When Your RUNNING SHOES Are Ready To RETIRE… Mine Are Ready. The key elements are pulled out so you can put the workout into practice. Watch the full video for context.

Key points

• Shifting-gears (cut-down) threshold workout. A four-interval descending set (1 km, 600 m, 400 m, 600 m) at threshold pace with just 1 minute of easy jogging between intervals.
• Target paces. Around 5:30/mi for the 1 km and 5:20–5:30/mi for the shorter repeats, slightly faster than his 10K PR (~5:28/mi). Scale to your own 10K pace.
• Drills and strides (high knees, skips) help assess shoe condition, especially foam responsiveness and grip. Slipping on turns signals worn traction.
• Practical tip. Don’t add extra rest between sets. Jog easy for 1 minute and start the next repeat. Watch HR (averaging ~165 bpm) to verify effort.
• Shoe assessment. The foam stayed responsive after 212 mi, but grip took a hit, especially on turns. Those shoes are fine for flat road work but should be retired from racing that needs cornering.

Workout example

Warm-up: 15-minute easy jog

Shifting-gears threshold set (repeat 4 times):
  1. 1 km at ~5:30/mi (threshold), 1 min light jog
  2. 600 m at ~5:20/mi, 1 min jog
  3. 400 m at ~5:15/mi, 1 min jog
  4. 600 m at ~5:20/mi, 1 min jog

No extra rest between sets, just the 1-minute jog recovery.

Finish with a few high-knee and skip drills to test shoe grip.

Closing note

Try this “shifting-gears” workout, and adjust paces in the Pacing app to your numbers.

References

• HOW TO Tell When Your RUNNING SHOES Are Ready To RETIRE… Mine Are Ready | FOD Runner - YouTube (YouTube Video)