Note: This tip is part of a series on training shoes and my progression towards wearing a more neutral shoe. While I don't claim to know as much information as the Nike shoe gurus, I think my story will still be useful for many of you. My progression of training shoes began with the Nike Zoom Vomero, then the Zoom Elite, and the LunarTrainer - with some Lunaracer, Free Trainer 7.0 and Free Trainer 5.0 in the list as well.

The main takeaway from part 4 of this series is that your shoes are your primary running tool.

Simplicity will always be one of the alluring elements of running. You need a pair of shoes; a watch is nice; a Nike+ SportBand is great; and some technical clothing is always useful. But the reality is that shoes are the primary tool a runner needs to run.

That's why it was shocking to see the majority of runners at last weekend's Chicago marathon running the race in training flats (or trainers), rather than a marathon-specific race shoe. The money these participants spent to get to the starting line of that event cost them much more than the $75-$100 investment in a pair of racing shoes.

But more importantly, if you're serious about training and want to race to your potential, you need more than one pair of shoes. So here's my list of the shoes you need.

1. A pair of training shoes for your recovery runs and your weekly long run.
2. A pair of training shoes for track workouts, threshold runs and fartlek runs.
3. A pair of racing flats for races and track workouts.
4. A bonus pair of Nike Frees to wear when you're walking the dog or running errands.

I know this looks like a big list. But when you change footwear, you force your foot and the small muscles and tendons of the lower leg to work in a slightly different way with each pair of shoes. You'll likely stay healthier in the long term if you spend the money up front to have 2-4 pairs of shoes. Plus, you obviously won't have to replace each pair as often because you'll never run more than 4 days a week in the same pair of shoes.

So what's my rotation? I wear LunarGlides for easy days, LunarTrainers for long runs and fartlek runs, LunarRacers for track workouts, and Nike Free 5.0 every day for at least three hours.

Will your friends make fun of you for having so many pairs of shoes? They probably will, but they won't be making fun of you when you tell them how great the morning's fartlek workout went.

*Coach Jay’s advice is provided as general training information. Use at your own risk. Always consult with your own heath care provider for questions relating to your specific training and nutrition.

Interested in Coach Jay's General Strength videos? Click here to check them out.

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