I Am Doing My First Hyrox!

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There is a new buzz in fitness, and maybe you have heard it, Hyrox. If you have heard of it but don't understand, or if you haven't heard of it, let me explain a little.

Originating in Germany in 2017, the sport has seen explosive growth world wide. As a silent observer of the sport for the last two years it has gone from a campy 'iykyk' movement amongst athletes seeking a unique challenge, to a 'Instagram fitfluencer must do'. While I could discuss the detriment of being on the influencer's radar, this post isn't about that. Instead I want to take a brief moment to explain what exactly the event is, why it's exploding in popularity, and why I chose to do one.

A full Hyrox race is an eight station fitness event. While it is a competition with placings, regional, national and world events, it is also a personal challenge. Made up of eight stations separated by eight one kilometer runs, it is always the same set up. To begin your foray into the Hyrox you line up in a large start tunnel. From there you will complete your first one kilometer run into the first station, a one kilometer ski erg. After that it is on to another kilometer, followed by a sled push with a pre determined weight, based on the class you sign up for, and a set distance. Before the day is over, you will also complete a sled pull, burpee broad jumps, a kilometer row, a farmers carry , lunges, and wall balls. The division you sign up for determines the weight you will carry, push, pull, lunge, and toss. You can do them alone, with a partner, or even a team. The distances are always the same, as is the order of the stations. Did I mention that these are almost always indoors, so weather isn't a factor?

Part of the influx of participation can be attributed to the environment and atmosphere. Being in an indoor venue lends itself to smaller spaces, meaning you are almost always visible, so your friends and family can actually come watch. There are DJ's and loud music, maintaining high energy and providing an almost 'dance club' type vibe while you try not to die during burpees. And there are so many start waves that it is difficult to tell when one single person started, so if it takes you one hour, or four hours, nobody will really know. It can be a bit overstimulating and draining, especially if you aren't used to loud, and high energy crowds. Even if it's a new environment I found the energy to be a boost. A lot of people recommend arriving an hour before your start so you don't get fatigued before you race, and leaving soon after you are done to begin your recovery.

Similar to Crossfit, it has a 'you v you' vibe, but amplified. Because the event is always the same eight stations, measurable growth and improvement happens in weeks to months as opposed to the sometimes years that it takes to master Crossfit movements. While the unpredictable nature of Crossfit was one of the huge draws, after years of trying, and often failing, to progress to the RX level many people felt stuck or overwhelmed. Coupled with increasingly complicated workouts at the competition levels, and athletes that have done this sport their entire lives and it is their job, a lot of 'normal' athletes can't see themselves progressing beyond the open level. Hyrox has made its simplicity it's big selling factor. Run, do this, run some more, do this ect. Now I know what exactly to expect on the day I compete. Perhaps in the future it will get monotonous, maybe not, but for now the predictability is one less variable to worry about in training. In the future I could write pages about overtraining and burnout but again, not what this is about.

I think the growth of Hyrox is also coming at a time when other sports have become unobtainable for a non pro athlete. Yes, there are several professional athletes in Hyrox. The 'sub 60' crowd are prevalent on socials along with their six-pack abs and matching gym sets. The GOAT herself (Tia) has competed. BUT... don't let all of that fool you. Anyone can sign up, and with no finish time requirements you can take as long as you need. The fun part of this type of event is the mishmosh of fitness levels happening side-by-side.

I choose to enter my first Hyrox after traveling to watch one in person, and months of training. I was fortunate enough to get a coveted ticket for a professional women's division(tickets for all divisions sold out within the hour). There are multiple YouTube videos on the best way to buy a ticket, how to get an advantage to improve your chances of buying a ticket, and even how to avoid ticket scams. It sounds overwhelming and intense, much like the atmosphere at the events. I understand how fortunate I was to get a ticket on my first attempt! The downside to all of this growth is that I may not even have competed in my first Hyrox before ticket sales begin on the next event I would want to do. With the mass amounts of equipment that the Hyrox teams need to move and complicated venue schedules, there are very few true Hyrox events in the U.S.. Gyms have startd having Hyrox sims, and there are Hyrox supported workout groups and gyms scattered across the United States, but a true Hyrox event is going to be hard to come by.

If you want to do a Hyrox be prepared to wait months to a year for an event to come around, and be prepared to commit to tickets, travel expenses and extensive training. Like I said earlier, I may have to decided if I want to do another Hyrox and try to get tickets before I even do my first event. I am also traveling several states to get to Dallas, where I will be competing. Airfare, hotel, and the like have added cost, but I also feel that the ticket price was fair. This isn't the type of event I could afford to do all year, and we have budgeted for it so in a way I am grateful I had a full year since I decided to do a Hyrox before I pulled the trigger! I have two and a half more months of training before my first event, and I have days where I feel solid, and I have days where there is absolutely no way I will be able to do one hundred wall balls. But I look forward to my experience, and hope it is a good one! If nothing else it has given me some great directionality in my training and a concrete goal that I haven't had in a while. Will I be looking to set a sub 60 time? No. I am hoping for a sub 117 minute time. I also know that for all the work and effort I have put into this event so far, I am really just going to do my best to have fun!

See you out there!