Me vs Me: My First Hyrox Pro Experience

When it comes to fitness and physical challenges, my general approach is simple: it’s me versus me. Of course, there are other participants, however as I'm not a fitness professional, I don't necessarily expect to finish top of the pile against trained athletes. What I do expect is that I’ll push myself to my personal limits and leave it all on the track or in the arena.

For context, I average 90–100 miles of running per week and weight train five to six times weekly. I've maintained this level of training consistently for the past 10-15 years now. The reasons behind this somewhat intense regime are varied, which I cover in more detail in other posts. This post, however, is about the key lessons I learned from taking on Hyrox Pro late last year.

I’m not particularly into social media anymore, so the driver for me wasn’t necessarily to be able to share my photos or experience online (albeit I realise I’m now doing exactly that!) What prompted me to enter Hyrox was the topic coming up in several conversations with friends given their awareness of my partial hybrid training habits. It felt like something I should try while I’m still physically capable and able to test my limits.

Securing A Spot For The Event

Signing up for Hyrox is not exactly easy these days, with its growing popularity. I opted for Hyrox London primarily for convenience and as it made logistical sense as my closest event. Entry last year was through a ballot, so from a probability perspective, I figured entering the Pro category might improve my odds of success ie fewer people might apply compared to the Open division.

I cast my ballot and waited. Honestly, I didn’t expect much. A friend of mine had completed the mixed doubles previously but had failed to get into the last couple of events.

In the meantime, nothing changed in my training. Part of the reason I felt reasonably comfortable going straight into the Pro category was that while I respected the challenge, it ultimately came down to moving my feet and pushing/pulling weight; something I was familiar with.

Six weeks or so later, I got the email notification…I was in!

Training & Preparation

My standard training revolves around traditional weightlifting rather than functional or class-based workouts, so I hadn't yet tackled the sled, wall balls, or ski-erg. If you’ve done Hyrox Pro, you're probably thinking "This guy’s dead in the water."

Over the next few months, I integrated all the key movements into my regular training on an ongoing basis. Saturdays became chest day with a side of heavy sleds. I also added wall balls, ski-erg, and other Hyrox elements into two to three weekly sessions.

My regular gym is a PureGym, which has a functional area but not a particularly large one so limited my ability to simulate the full event. I typically run 3.8–4.2 miles to the gym and 5.8–7 miles after dependent on exact routes, so getting in the cumulative distance and effort was ok but I wasn’t mirroring the actual event structure.

Race Day Arrives!

I wasn’t necessarily nervous when race day arrived however the unknown did still loom large on my mind. It left me in a state of somewhat ‘calm focus’ which I’m pretty sure was a first for my girlfriend to experience having not seen me ‘getting in the zone’ in this way before. I’d consumed numerous Hyrox focused podcasts in the run up to the event allowing me to pick up useful techniques and race-day considerations. Still, nothing quite prepares you for the real thing!

I started at a comfortable pace and went into the SkiErg feeling ok. Ironically, I’d joked to my girlfriend about why people take their tops off at the start of the race however after the SkiErg, I understood!

Sled Push was my first "come to Jesus" moment. The sweat drenched flooring made after nearly 2 days of events made it even more brutal. Midway through, I stood up, hands on hips and inhaled a deep breath with a forward focus. A friend later told me, "That’s the first time I’ve seen you look human." Thank you…I think?!

Sled Pull was slower timing wise however I found it more manageable. Apart from having to manage the rope and your feet in a relatively small space I certainly found the movement and weight more comfortable than the push.

Burpee Broad Jumps completely blindsided me. This is another of the exercises that was an easy win in the preparation for the race in that I could practice them without too much requirement on equipment or space however honestly speaking I hadn’t given them nearly enough respect. As I rose from the last leap over the line and up into the next run I felt somewhat disorientated for the first 100 metres or so, another sensation I wasn’t expecting.

Rowing, Farmer’s Carry, and Lunges felt okay overall. Functionally they’re less intense on the body and the focus is more on maintaining continuity of movement, getting the right grip on weights and finding flow through your lunge lengths. The flooring for the lunges is a bit brutal on the knees but I think that’s something you realise afterwards rather than in the moment when the adrenaline is flowing.

Then came Wall Balls…undoubtedly the exercise I’d underestimated the most and one that will have a place in the dark depths of my memory banks for the rest of my life! It was an exercise in endurance, frustration and questioning ‘when will this end?!’

I’d trained with 12kg wall balls but hadn't banked nearly enough reps. I reached the wall ball station around 1:13 and crossed the finish line at 1:23. The photo below is just after the finish line with an expression a combination of disgust, despair and probably some regret. My underperformance in this station left a bitter taste to a feeling of disappointment that had been building ever since I saw the clock tick over 1:05 knowing I still had a station and a half to go.

The Aftermath

Is 1:23 good for a first-time Hyrox participant going straight into the Pro? Maybe it’s debatable, however for me, it wasn’t. I’d let myself down in the battle of me versus me.

My girlfriend who knows me better than anyone else knew it as well. When I crossed the 1:10 mark and wasn’t done, she turned to a couple of my friends spectating and said, "He’s not going to be happy. He’ll want to do it again."

She was right.

In the run up to the event I’d told myself and others this would be a one and done. But feeling like I underdelivered has earned Hyrox Pro a spot back on my to-do list—this time, with a full training cycle.

If I leave it all on the track next time, I’ll be happy, regardless of the clock.

Key Takeaways and Lessons

Preparation, Preparation, Preparation

Nothing beats reps, both mentally and physically. I’ve found a gym relatively local that offers Hyrox Pro simulations meaning going into the next event I can run through a few sims alongside incorporating more reps into my standard routine. Having gone through the experience of the toll that the race continually takes on the body and mind I feel like preparing against the clock and the full set of stations will pay off hugely compared to the first attempt.

Do Your Research

One thing I was relatively happy with is the research and due diligence ahead of the race. Given it was a first experience for me having not even attended a Hyrox event as a spectator it was important to deep dive into the race and prep through numerous podcasts, articles and Youtube videos did well. They gave me tactical insights which definitely helped me on race day. Without them, things would’ve definitely been rougher.

No Skimping On Gear & Accessories

Not upgrading my basic Garmin was a schoolboy error and silly mistake. It prevented me having a clear view and track on my pacing and key metrics throughout the race meaning I was dependent on basic time keeping and tracking. In a race of this nature if you lose time at any point its almost impossible to get back so having an effective and efficient way to monitor your pacing and performance is essential if you want to get your best time.

Dial in Nutrition Early

Energy-wise, I felt good. I’d tested different supplements in advance and found a pre-race routine that worked. The evening race starting at 20:00 added complexity, given you have to keep hydrated and well fed throughout the day but my plan held up. Tips from podcasts certainly helped here too as I focused a lot on hydration in the days coming up to the event to avoid over hydration nearing it and the subsequent concerns of having to go to the loo too many times.  I’ll continue refining it, but the fundamentals from the first attempt are in place.

Overall Assessment of my battle against Hyrox Pro - a partial fail. However it came with lessons I’ll use for a better, stronger comeback.