Lead-up. Through the summer I was putting in long days as a landscape-construction foreman and then training weekly on wednesdays after shift — 5km low and slow run, f45 hybrid training. The goal was consistency: learn the machines, learn the stations, and show up prepared even when the day was tough and the body was already tired. That discipline was the decider heading into race day, considering the decision to finish is less about your physical strength but your mental fortitude.
Race. HYROX is eight 1 km runs broken up by eight stations. I kept the opening pace relaxed and focused on tidy transitions. Here are my station times from Toronto:
Full analytics + lap breakdown: HYRESULT. Official finish time: 1:35:14
Takeaways. Pacing the runs kept me steady for the heavy stations but my pace can improve to stay below 6min/km, but consistent running without breaks allowed for clean Roxzone entries/exits saving free seconds. The big takeaways for next time: better training on erg machines, shorter rests on burpees, and a heck of a lot more thigh training because those lunges were the end of me. The training for this race was slightly last minute with only one session a week after my long consturction schedule. To prepare for next year I am moving to two hybrid training sessions per week with a focus on rowing and legs, a weekly 5km run, and continual athletic therapy and strength work aimed at solving my carpel tunnel syndrome.
