You’ve trained.
You’ve questioned your decision more than once.
You’ve probably had workouts that made you feel incredibly confident — and others that made
you wonder what on earth you were thinking when you signed up.
And now it’s here.
Race day.

If this is your first HYROX, I’m going to tell you something right now:
You’re going to be nervous.

I’ve done six HYROX races, two with my husband and one with a female partner, and three by
myself. I have also done countless marathons and other races and I still get nervous! Every
time.

That’s okay.

Nerves don’t mean you aren’t ready.
They mean you’re about to do something that matters to you.
Walking Into a HYROX Is an Experience.

The music is loud. I mean REALLY loud

People are everywhere.

Athletes are warming up. Spectators are cheering. You hear the announcer. You see people
coming through the Roxzone looking exhausted and people crossing the finish line looking
absolutely elated.

There’s energy everywhere.

And then you start looking around! This is one of my favorite parts. You will see some incredible
athletes. There are professional athletes there! But you’ll also see regular people.
People of different ages.

Different sizes.

Different fitness levels.

People doing their first HYROX.

People doing their tenth.

People racing solo.

Couples.

Friends.

Teams.

And suddenly you realize:

I belong here too.

Then They Call Your Wave

This is when it gets real.
You’re standing there waiting to start and every possible thought starts going through your head.
Did I train enough?
Why did I sign up for this?
What if I can’t finish?

And then the countdown starts.

The music is going.

Everyone around you is nervous and excited.
3…
2…
1…
GO!

And just like that, there’s no more wondering. You’re doing it!

Don’t Race Someone Else’s Race
This is probably one of the biggest pieces of advice I can give someone doing their first
HYROX, or any race…..Run YOUR race.
The adrenaline at the beginning is incredible, and it’s really easy to get caught up in everyone
around you.

Someone flies past you. Let them.

Someone is moving through a station faster than you. Let them.

You have absolutely no idea what their goal is, how they’ve trained, or whether they’re about to
completely blow themselves up!

Your job is not to beat the person next to you.

Your job is to keep moving forward.

Especially for your first race.

Take it in and enjoy it.

There Will Be a Moment When It Gets Hard
I can almost promise you this.

At some point during the race, you’re probably going to have a conversation with yourself.

Maybe it’s during the sled.

Maybe it’s the burpee broad jumps. (Most likely the burpee broad jumps!!:-)

Maybe your legs suddenly feel like cement during a run.

Maybe it’s those wall balls at the end.

There may be a moment when your brain says:
“I can’t do this.”

But here’s what’s so amazing about training for something hard, you have already practiced this
moment. You certainly have had workouts when you wanted to stop. You have run when your
legs were tired. And you have shown up when you didn’t feel like showing up.
So you don’t have to think about the entire race. Just do the next thing!
One more step.
One more rep.
One more station.

Keep moving.
And Then Something Really Cool Happens
People start cheering for you! Sometimes they’re people you know and sometimes they’re
complete strangers. Volunteers will even encourage you. Other athletes encourage you! That
is something I always make time to do, encourage the people around me.
Your partner looks at you and says, “We’ve got this.”

And if you’re racing solo, you realize you’re really not alone at all.

That’s one of the things I love most about HYROX.

Yes, people are competing. But they’re also cheering for each other.

There is something pretty incredible about a room full of people voluntarily doing something
really hard — together.

Then Come the Wall Balls
If you know, you know.
You’re tired.
Your legs are tired.
Your arms are tired.

And you know what’s waiting on the other side?
The finish line.
This is where you find out that you usually have a little more left than you think you do.
One more.
One more.
One more.
And then…
You’re done.

Don’t Rush Past This Moment
Crossing that finish line is an incredible feeling. But here’s what I want you to remember: The
medal isn’t really what you earned that day. You earned it during all those weeks beforehand.
Every workout you didn’t want to do.

Every early morning.

Every run.

Every time your workout partner was waiting for you.

Every time you thought, “I don’t know if I can do this,” and showed up anyway.

The finish line is simply where you finally get to celebrate it.

And your time?

Of course you’ll probably look at it. We all do!
But especially for your first HYROX, don’t let a number steal something pretty incredible from
you.
You did something you weren’t sure you could do.

That’s the victory.

And Maybe HYROX Isn’t Your Finish Line
If you’ve been following this series and HYROX still sounds completely crazy to you, that’s okay.
Maybe your finish line is your first 5K.
Maybe it’s walking that 5K instead of watching from the sidelines.
Maybe it’s your first CrossFit competition.
Maybe it’s hiking somewhere you’ve always wanted to go.
Maybe it’s something that has absolutely nothing to do with fitness.

Because this series was never really just about HYROX.
It’s about being willing to try something new.

It’s about choosing a goal that scares you just a little.

It’s about finding people who encourage you.

It’s about discovering what happens when you stop saying:
“I could never do that.”
And start saying:
“Why not me?”
Because the coolest thing about crossing a finish line isn’t the medal around your neck….It’s
realizing that the person who once wondered if she could do it……just did!!!