FitSquad Coach and hybrid racing enthusiast Romain Cabriel of Toronto did his first Hyrox competition just a year ago as a fun event with a friend, but since then, he’s become a devotee of the sport. Cabriel has competed not just in Canada but also in Cancun, and will compete again later this year in Mexico City.

Hybrid training requires a mindset shift: it’s not just about doing the specific exercises that will be happening at each station between running intervals, says Cabriel. It’s about building overall strength to improve durability and to be able to withstand the rigours of going all-out for over an hour, using both your cardio/aerobic system as well as your strength/anaerobic system.

Taking the best in class from the adidas Adizero lineup

Like most strength training aficionados, Cabriel faced a problem: he was used to wearing shoes that were designed for weightlifting, with hard soles and elevated heels. Those may be great for the sled pulls required in a hybrid race, but for the run, they were far from ideal.

The Adizero Dropset Pro has the same Lightstrike foam found in the Adizero Adios Pro 4, which Cabriel has tried out for a few runs. “These are super light, with great cushioning,” Cabriel says of the Adios Pro 4. “They have a snappy, efficient stride, which lets me get to my top speed confidently.”

“For running in a hybrid event, I prefer a stable shoe with a firm sole,” he adds. “The Adizero Dropset Pro instantly felt good—which is hard to do!—so I was really surprised that, when I tried them for one of the usual stations you’d see in a hybrid race, their grip on the turf was wild.”

Reinforcing what works from the Dropset family

With the different demands from the eight stations and 8 km of running in a Hyrox event, an athlete’s shoe choice must blend speed and stability. The Adizero Dropset Pro is heavily influenced by the stability-led DNA of the adidas Dropset strength-training shoe.

While testing the Dropset 4 during one of his workouts, Cabriel noted that, “When strength training, it’s important to have a stable shoe, with consistent energy return and great ventilation, and this shoe combines all of those.”

The Adizero Dropset Pro provides confidence for hybrid athletes to give the strength stations their best effort. With its Continental™ grip and TPU heel, the Dropset Pro provides stability across the different surfaces that are found in hybrid events.

Looking forward to race day

When it comes to finishing the competition strong, Cabriel says the secret to smart training is somewhat counterintuitive: training tired is key. When he trains now, his focus is divided between strength a few times a week and running at least twice a week. He also makes sure that one session is hybrid-racing-focused: he does a threshold run to get started, then a hard strength session, and then a run on tired legs.

Keeping the main goal in mind

To really have fun at the race, Cabriel recommends bringing a friend, whether you race together as a team or are just there racing at the same time. “Sometimes these races are just so hard, and you start to ask yourself, what the heck am I doing here?” he says. “When you have a friend with you, I feel like it’s a bit more fun because you’re not just there alone, gritting it out.”

As with many Hyrox finishes, Cabriel recalls his first finish-line experience. “It’s almost a high that you feel afterward,” he says. “At the finish, I felt like I’d accomplished something. Even though it’s just a personal best—I’m not super competitive, I’m never going to be in the top one per cent. But I think it’s a race against yourself, so to get better every time is what I’m going for.”