HYROX Season Kickoff: What I Learned, What I’d Change, and How You Can Train Smarter
Quick context (and why this is worth your time)
New season, fresh legs, same chaos. I just opened my HYROX year and came away with a clearer plan—how to pace, when to press, what not to chase, and how to keep the mental game steady when the venue, turf, and pressure try to tilt you. This post is me turning that experience into simple, repeatable steps you can use for your next race.
I’ve used it all year because it makes my training better. I’ll show exactly how below.
My biggest shift: from “win or bust” to “perform on purpose”
For a long time, I treated every start line like a referendum on my identity. That’s a great way to run hot for three weeks and then wonder why you’re fried.
This year I flipped the script:
Outcome → Process. My job mid-race is not “win.” My job is “execute the next 400m and the next station at the agreed effort.”
Race the plan, not the panic. If I feel good, I add 2–3%, not 20%. If I feel rough, I stabilize—clean reps, steady breaths, then rebuild.
Compete with myself first. If I can beat my sloppy tendencies (rushing reps, careless transitions, emotion spikes), the leaderboard usually takes care of itself.
Try this: Write a one-sentence race rule on your forearm:
“Run smooth, arrive fresh to each station, make clean reps, then go.”
It sounds boring. It’s also fast.
Pacing the course (the way I actually do it)
Runs (8×1km): I aim for “conversationally uncomfortable.” If I can’t say two words, I’m overshooting. If I could sing, I’m sandbagging.
Transitions: I treat them like a ninth station. Eyes on the path, jog the shortest legal lines, breathe through the nose for the first 5–7 seconds to settle HR.
Station intent: “Arrive calm, leave confident.” I never sprint the first 10–15 seconds of a station. I earn my rhythm, then build.
Station-by-station cheatsheet
SkiErg (1,000m): First 200m is a setup, not a split. Tall posture, heels down, 24–28 spm, smooth.
Sled Push: Short, stacked steps. Knees over toes, hips under shoulders. Push until the second urge to rest—then quick shake, go again.
Sled Pull: Sit down to stand up. I lock lats, walk back under control, re-stack, then pull. No pogo steps.
Burpee Broad Jumps: Pick a distance you can always hit and stay there. Consistency beats hero jumps + penalties.
Row (1,000m): Same as Ski: first 200m settle, last 300m squeeze.
Farmer’s Carry: Hook grip, short strides, eyes forward. If in doubt, one set > two wobbly sets.
Sandbag Lunges: Big breath, brace, eyes on a fixed point. Knee kisses the turf, don’t bounce.
Wall Balls (100): I chunk 20–25–20–15–10–10. If I’m gassed, I protect the bottom—don’t squat sloppy; it costs more energy than a smart break.
Penalty-proofing (how I keep my time intact)
HYROX has tightened standards. Good. Fast and fair is the point. My rules:
Rep quality over rage. One clean rep saves 15 seconds later.
Judge handshake: I make eye contact, nod, and confirm the standard in five words: “Depth + target? You good?”
Two-count rhythm: Anything that has a target or depth gets a one–two cadence so I physically can’t rush the standard.
Transitions slow = race fast: I’d rather take one extra breath entering a station than bleed 30s to slop.
Racing less to progress more
Chasing qualifiers every other weekend feels productive. It rarely is. Every race steals 10–14 days between taper, travel, and recovery. I plan my calendar like this:
Block A (4–6 weeks): Build aerobic floor, polish two weak stations.
Race 1: Pressure test. No heroics.
Block B (4–6 weeks): Keep the floor, raise the ceiling—threshold running + strength where I bled the most time.
Race 2: Execute slightly sharper.
Optional Race 3: Only if the fitness trend says “it’s there.”
If you’re new: two focused races > six rushed ones.
How I use RoxopT (so you can steal the workflow)
Roxop lets me see where I’m actually losing time versus where I feel slow. My simple loop:
After a race: I tag every station and each 1k split.
Find the leak: Is it pace decay? Transition sprawl? A specific station?
Pick two fixes: One running, one station.
Program the next 4–6 weeks around those two fixes, not twelve random “needs.”
👉 Want to copy this? Get a free custom Roxopt report and circle the largest single time leak. That’s your next block.
My go-to HYROX microcycle (2 weeks you can copy)
Week A
Mon: Threshold run (3×2k @ ~10k pace + 1–2% with 2–3 min easy)
Tue: Station strength—sled push/pull EMOM (quality over load) + lunges (4×16), core
Wed: Easy 40–50min aerobic + mobility
Thu: Brick: 3 rounds → 800m run @ race effort + 20 burpee broad jumps (race standard, no rushing) + 200m jog
Fri: Upper pull + Farmer’s grip work (timed holds, carries), easy spin
Sat: Long aerobic 60–75min (nasal breathing first 20min), 6×20s fast strides
Sun: Off or 30–40min recovery + soft tissue
Week B (sharpen)
Mon: 6×1k @ target race effort, 90s easy between
Tue: Station complexes: Ski 500m + 10 WB (x3), Row 500m + 10 WB (x3), full rest between blocks
Wed: Easy aerobic + mobility
Thu: Sled focus: 4–6 × (push 12.5m steady + walk 50m + pull 12.5m steady), finish with 3×20 lunges
Fri: Easy 30–40min + breathing drills (box breathing 4–4–4–4)
Sat: Simulation lite: 3km continuous run with 2 stations inserted (your two weaknesses) at race effort
Sun: Off
Progress the second pass by adding time under quality, not chaos.
Warm-up that actually works (especially on cold mornings)
I raced after some frigid sessions (hello, 34°F track). Here’s my “I want to feel my legs before Zone 2 ends” warm-up:
8–10 min easy jog + arm swings, hip openers
Primers (2 rounds): 10 air squats, 10 reverse lunges, 10 KB RDLs, 10 band rows
2×60s build on Ski or Row, not hard—just “awake”
3 strides at race rhythm (60–80m)
Arrive to start breathing calm, shoulders loose
For newer athletes: confidence beats chaos
Pick two stations to get great at. Maintain the rest.
Practice legal standards every time you’re tired. That’s real life.
Build your race like Lego blocks: 1k + 1 station, recover, repeat.
Don’t chase someone else’s split. Chase your next clean rep.
Common mistakes I just made (so you don’t)
Rushing the final station. One ugly rep can cost you the podium (and your mood). I now pre-script my final WB sets.
Letting emotion set the pace. If my legs feel like heroes at 1k, I still keep the governor on until after Sled Pull.
Skipping the boring breathing. Two slow exhales entering each station drops HR faster than macho pacing.
FAQ (the stuff people DM me)
How fast should my 1k splits be?
Take your open 10k pace, start ~5–10s/km slower, and fight to not slow down. Negative split the last 2–3 kms if you nailed your station control.
How heavy should I push/pull in training?
Heavy enough to preserve position, light enough to keep technique. I cycle: technique weeks (smooth, submax) → pressure weeks (race feel).
How do I pick race frequency?
Every 4–6 weeks is plenty. If life’s busy (hi), race less and train like you mean it.
Your next step (make this actionable)
Pick your leak. Which single area cost you the most last race? Circle it.
Write a 4–6 week plan that attacks that leak twice per week.
Track it. Use a tool (I use Roxopt) to see if the leak is shrinking. If not, simplify and try again.
👉 Grab your free Roxop custom report from the show notes and start with data, not vibes.
Train with intention, not hope
If this helped, listen to the full breakdown on the RMR Training Podcast. Then go get your free Roxopt report, highlight your biggest time leak, and build the plan above around it.