A Full Month of Training - Intermediate Hyrox Athlete.
I started this newsletter initially for myself as a way record my ideas on how to train for my first Hyrox. There wasn’t a lot of information available online so I started to do my own research.
With a lifetime of training experience and over 20 years of coaching, my goal is to assist as many people as possible in becoming better athletes. Whether you're setting ambitious new goals, looking to push your limits, or preparing for your very first Hyrox Race, this newsletter was a way for me to share my journey and guide others.
Writing, allows me to pause, review, and analyse what has worked in training and what hasn't—both for myself and the athletes I coach. It's a continuous learning process that not only helps me improve as a coach but also inspires me to apply new techniques and ideas to my own training.
My hope is that through sharing insights, tips, and proven strategies, I can help you run, lift, and train your way to achieving your goals. Whether it's completing your first Hyrox race or simply becoming a stronger, faster, and more resilient athlete.
My first Hyrox
With over 20 years of experience as a sprinter and many hours spent in the gym, I didn’t believe my strength would be an issue going into my first Hyrox event. However, I quickly discovered that endurance, particularly my ability to run at threshold, was where I struggled. I had only started running about five months before the race, and it became clear that I hadn’t given myself enough time to build a solid endurance foundation. My lack of conditioning was quickly put to the test.
It’s been a long slow journey to build my base but I feel my running is slowly coming together after about 15 months of consistent training. Im still no endurance machine but I can comfortably run 10km plus and do some reasonable interval work given my age and lack of endurance background.
Here are 5 things I would encourage you to focus on for your first Hyrox
Be consistent. Above everything else consistency will get you 90% of the way. Look at any achievement you have made in your life and I will guarantee you put in a constant effort over an extended period of time.
Focus on your running and your endurance. Build an endurance base over a 12 month period. Run, hike, ride cross train.
Build your strength. This does not have to be some complex strength training routine and the exercises in Hyrox are pretty straight forward and require basic movements. However, if you don’t have some leg and upper body strength you will find pushing and pulling the sled and the lunges and burpees very challenging.
Nutrition. You know the drill. Garbage in garbage out. Enough said.
Sleep. I used to underestimate its importance, influenced by stories of super humans who thrived without it. But that's not me. In recent years, I've made quality sleep a priority, and it's been a game changer. While I still don’t leap out of bed in the morning, I now wake up naturally—without an alarm clock—at the same time 5 to 6 days a week.
Run - Lift 🏃♂️💪