This past weekend was Hyrox Dallas. I was there and competed in my first Hyrox event. I entered the Hyrox Open Doubles category and competed with one of my friends I have been training with for the last 13 weeks. Aside from Hyrox hosting an unbelievable atmosphere, the competition aspect was one that has me immediately itching to sign up for another one. With that, the rest of this post will explain my key learnings from reflecting on my Hyrox Dallas Experience.
Hyrox is a RUNNING Race
It is obvious that Hyrox is a running race because more than half of the time you are competing will be running. The race has 8 total kilometers of running, you can’t avoid that. We were prepared for the total distance we had to run and thought we were prepared for running compromised. We were WRONG. Running compromised is what I will define as running with an already elevated heart rate. The Hyrox event requires you to run a kilometer, then do an exercise, then run again. Given that we were competing in the Doubles category, we expected that we would be able to rest while the other was performing the exercise. This was the wrong expectation. We struggled to catch our breaths the entire race and our heart rates were above our threshold mark for almost the entire race.
Reflecting on this, I see that our preparation did not prepare us enough for running compromised. If this had been only a running event, we would have crushed it. If it had only been the exercises, we would have crushed it. The fact is a lot of our training was either interval running with a break where we could catch our breath, or exercise training where we went from one exercise to the next. We did not have enough focus on running, then performing an exercise, then running again. For the next Hyrox, we train for we will absolutely emphasize this type of training in its entirety.
Hyrox is a running race.
Hyrox is a running while compromised race.
To prepare for this, you must practice this way.
Don’t Go Too Fast on the Ski Erg
The professionals we followed and the information we read leading up to the race told us to pace ourselves and to not go all out on the first run and the Ski Erg. We knew this going in, yet in the heat of the moment, adrenaline was high and we went close to all out on the Ski Erg. We swapped after 250 meters meaning we both performed 500 meters total but in shorter spurts, we were able to go faster than normal. This strategy led us to place 6th in our age group in the Ski Erg but I 100% believe it fully compromised our race. We were unable to recover and our heart rates skyrocketed leading to the rest of our race being in the pain cave.
When we do another Hyrox the strategy has to be “Pace yourself until the burpee broad jumps, then your race begins.” Once you get to the halfway point you can open it up and attack. You don’t want to spend your whole race hanging on by a thread.
Prepare for Pain
Nothing can simulate the adrenaline and excitement of the starting line at a Hyrox. There is something different about the competition that no simulation or training can prepare you for. That being said, expect to be in pain during your race. Pain is good, pain means that you are working to your potential. The easy thing to do while racing is to back off so that the pain of exertion goes away. The “easy thing” is not why you spent months training and why you paid to sign up for this race. You signed up to endure the pain of competition and to reach your highest potential. Your highest potential is only reached through the suffering of a race. If you enter the race with an iron will of determination, you will welcome the pain and push past it. The pain can be turned into energy to help separate you from the person you were and help facilitate your transformation into the person you want to become. Hyrox is a battleground. Hyrox is a testing ground. Hyrox is where you enter the pain cave and welcome it.
Have Fun!
At the end of the day, competing in a Hyrox should be fun! It is the payoff of months of training and preparation. The Hyrox is a celebration. You have goals in mind and a desire to reach them but at a core level, competing should be fun. If you are competing in doubles or with a group, you should uplift each other and enjoy the experience. If you can compete, it is a blessing. Unless your livelihood depends on the outcome of your race, you should find points to pull from that were enjoyable and even negatives that you can pull from to grow for your next race!
After competing in my first Hyrox I immediately want to do another one. I also walked away from the race with an undeniable conviction that Hyrox competitions will be the event that continues to sweep the nation. I believe this is only the beginning of Hyrox as a world sport and thousands, if not millions of people, will continue opting into this new venture in the years to come. I know I will be back.
