HYROX Season Reflection: Looking Back to Move Forward

I’ve always felt like I was a dead-serious athlete. Even so, I don’t always give myself the appropriate space to truly reflect and become aware of where I am in my journey and how I can improve. It’s usually all in my head — but there’s something different about putting it down on paper (or in a doc) and really spending time with yourself.

So here’s a reflection I did to help set myself up for 2026.

You should do it too — you can get the doc here (make a copy to edit and save).

Take 45–60 minutes to really sit down and think about these questions. You know all the answers, but you probably need to think about them to truly make them clear.

What went well during training and racing this past year? What were your biggest wins?

This past season, I was able to achieve more than I thought I could. I’m more confident in my standing in this sport than ever before. I have a clearer understanding of what it takes to succeed at the highest level.

I’ve never thought anyone was out of my league as a competitor, but this past year was when that belief really became reality.

What went well is that I was able — or willing — to race in a few different ways. Up until this past season, I was resigned to caution. I didn’t believe I could run fast early and still manage the stations. That strategy is evolving as my fitness and preparedness as a HYROX athlete have consistently improved. I used to think I would never be able to run in or around the front, and that I would always be in some kind of deficit. I believe that much less now.

In previous seasons, I would go into the sleds, cross my fingers, and hope I’d come out the other side.

This season, I was able to attack the sleds because I was more prepared and willing to execute a different race plan. That has opened my eyes to what else is possible — like going out hard and still being able to compete. I’m not all the way where I want to be from that perspective, but I’m getting close.

In training, I continue to evolve. It’s a win to not be stuck with one method and instead build on experience. I feel like I’m continuing to do that, and I’ll be in a great spot because of it.

My biggest wins were a podium finish at the Glasgow Major, a Pro Doubles World Record in Miami, qualifying for my third World Championship, racing hard at Worlds, and racing hard in Hamburg — solidifying that I belong this season.

What did not go well?

There isn’t much that jumps out immediately. From a training perspective, I believe I did everything I could to keep myself healthy and fit. I showed up to key races the way I wanted to show up.

There was a stretch at the start of the year over the holidays where I took my eye off the ball with nutrition and recovery, and I think that cost me in Las Vegas.

I also didn’t pay enough attention to locking in BBJ form and standards. I was burned several times this past year by not cleaning that up. I was doing what I believed to be the standard, but several judges disagreed — so I should have made it dead clear right from the beginning.

I also didn’t get enough races in to practice a new game plan before Worlds, and I paid for that. I had the fitness to finish in the top five, but I ended up finishing 11th because of a poor plan — or not being ready to execute the plan. There isn’t much I could do there. I thought I was executing in practice, but it doesn’t seem like I actually was.

What are opportunities to make this year even better?

• Keep the same open mindset around training and progress
• Keep the belief that I can compete
• Now that I know what it feels like to hit things very hard early, I can train toward it

Top three attributes that contributed to what went well

• Persistence — there is no stopping
• Mindfulness — thinking deeply about training
• Excitement — I’m having fun and truly enjoying it
  

Top three things I can attribute to what did not go well

• Inexperience — I still have a lot to learn about racing and training
• Not fit enough — there is still room to grow as an athlete
• Arrogance — I didn’t think I needed to adhere to others
  

If you could change anything from the past year, what would it be and why?

I would have raced a bit more measured at Worlds. I wish I placed higher, but if I didn’t make that jump then, I wouldn’t have ever had a real opportunity to do it. I pulled the band-aid off. Worlds is the place to find out — and I wanted to find out.

I also would have emphasized high-carb fueling earlier in the season. It was an opportunity I was aware of, but I just didn’t think to look there closely enough.

Other than that, I’m pretty happy with how things went. I don’t have many regrets, which to me is a sign of a good year.

Did I meet my goal? Why or why not?

I surpassed my goal by quite a bit. I didn’t come into the season with aspirations of being at Worlds or running some of the fastest times ever seen — my goal was simply to compete, grow, and enjoy it. I didn’t have a hard outcome goal.

Single sentence to summarize the year

I raced hard, I learned a lot, and I’m ready for more.

Racing: Looking Ahead

What is my goal for 2026?

• Qualify for Elite Singles Worlds
• Win Elite Doubles Worlds
• Sub-54 minutes in Singles
• Be set up to race majors next year

Performance goals:

• Top 5 lunges at a Major/Worlds
• Top 5 farmers at a Major/Worlds
• Top 3 wall balls at a Major/Worlds
• Top 2 run at a Major/Worlds
  

Run my best, most complete race.

What is stopping me from completing the above? (In or out of my control)

• Others being more fit than me (out)
• Getting injured or sick (mostly in)
• Poor recovery (in)
• Not executing to my fitness level (in)

What can I do to give myself the best chance of hitting these goals?

• Doing harder workouts than I’ve been comfortable with in the past
• Staying as dialed in as possible with recovery
• More muscular endurance work for the back half of races
• More volume and smarter pacing across all stations
• Finding ways to recover through good movement and mobility
  

Final thoughts and mantra for 2026

I think I’ve got the juice. Having a newborn daughter definitely makes things more challenging, but my training is going well and I no longer feel like it’s a death blow to my competitive chances. I feel better than ever as the year comes to an end, and I’m finding ways to improve — or at least give myself the confidence that I am improving.

2026 mantra:
This year, I will qualify for Singles and win Doubles by trusting myself and controlling only what I can control.