"Nothing new on race day" might not mean what you think....
Nothing new on race day, right?! People take this old racing adage and apply it to their shoe decisions much too literally. It means don't experiment, not that you have to use old or worn out gear. We see this happening all too often as people try to squeeze a few last km's out of the shoes they trained in all season. The end result is that they race on "dead" shoes. It also means less than optimal performance and unnecessary wear and tear on your body!
If you're planning to race ATB for example, now is a great time to consider a new pair of shoes. All of the technology that you are paying for is at it's best when the shoe is new, not when you have pounded them for most of a training cycle!
Manufacturers recommend getting a new pair every 400-600km, but that number can vary based on usage (running all your miles on pavement can be tougher on a pair of shoes). A typical half-marathon training program prescribes at least 3-4, 60-minute runs each week, plus a long-run on the weekend. A little math reveals that a typical half-marathoner is usually doing 50-60km/week. At this rate, you should be considering a new daily-trainer every 2.5 months. So even if you are not tracking your mileage, we hope this helps you make a pretty good estimate of how much life is still left in your shoes!
We advise getting your new shoes a couple weeks out from race day, and start wearing them as you complete your taper. Don't get caught racing on "dead", beyond-expiration shoes. Do your legs a favour and feel great come race day!