But with increased intensity comes the need for proper recovery. Sean emphasised that sleep, good nutrition, and stretching were just as important.
To support my training, I fuelled properly with enough carbs and protein. This meant consuming 3 to 5 grams of carbs per kilogram of my target body weight daily, and about 1.5 to 2 grams of protein per kilogram of my body weight.
RACE READY?
In the final two to three weeks before race day, it’s recommended to incorporate more “compromised running” and to begin “tapering off”.
Tapering involves reducing training volume to ensure peak performance on race day, which means cutting back on running mileage and the intensity of workouts.
However, with only two months to prepare for the race, anxiety got the better of me and I probably did not taper off properly in the last few weeks. I continued pushing through with my training, trying to boost my endurance.
I also skimped on compromised running – training where you run before and after exercises like burpees and lunges.
Doing Hyrox simulations can reveal weaknesses and help fine-tune your strategy, but my schedule and space constraints kept me from doing enough.
In hindsight, not tapering properly and skipping those simulations were mistakes that likely cost me on race day.
SHOWTIME
I had set a goal of 1 hour 30 mins, but I knew on the competition day that I would take anything under 1 hour 40 mins as a win.
By race week, the fatigue from weeks of intensive training had built up in my body. I didn’t feel fresh on game day.
Still, I was ready to give it my all. My target felt achievable after weeks of preparation.
My strategy was to conserve energy early on, knowing that the sled push and pull would drain me. Once those were out of the way, the rest should feel easy – or so I hoped.
At the starting line, excitement mingled with nerves. The race began, and I set off at a steady pace, hitting 1km in 5 minutes. The Ski Erg station followed suit, and I was on track.
