I spent most of 2025 training for something: three HYROX competitions, a marathon, and a half-marathon… always with another finish line on the calendar. It taught me a lot about discipline and drive, but it also showed me how easy it is to confuse busyness with progress. Honestly, all of that in one year (considering I am a regular person, not a sponsored athlete) was a bit ambitious.
By the time the last race was over, I felt strong, proud and absolutely toasted. It was the kind of year that looked and sounded impressive on paper, but mostly felt like one long cycle of pushing, recovering and repeating.
HYROX, for anyone unfamiliar, is a global fitness competition that combines running with functional workout stations. Each race includes eight one-kilometer runs, each followed by a specific exercise like sled pushes, rowing, or burpee broad jumps. It’s designed to test both endurance and strength in a standardized format that allows athletes to compare times across events.
I loved the structure of training for things so measurable, because every run, lift and workout felt like it was leading somewhere. Every gym hour had a purpose, every week a plan. But after nearly a year of nonstop training cycles, I realized constant progress isn’t sustainable if you never pause to maintain what you’ve built. Turns out, progress without pause isn’t progress, it’s burnout (which I definitely had at the end of the year).
There’s something addicting about having a plan (and making a declaration about doing something). The miles, the lifts, the countdowns… all neatly laid out. It gives you a sense of direction. But it can also make it hard to simply be, to move your body without measuring it, to rest without guilt, to accept that sometimes maintenance is the work.
After my last event, I realized it wasn’t just my body asking for a break. My motivation, energy and focus just weren’t there, and honestly, they hadn’t been for my last HYROX or even my half-marathon at the end of the year.
Heading into 2026, things are shifting for me. I’m not quitting training, but I am planning to approach it differently. I want to rebuild a routine that supports longevity. More mobility, more strength without feeling like I need to prove anything and more runs that don’t require a watch or a goal attached. I want to feel healthy and well, not just strong enough to cross another finish line.
This past year showed me that I can do hard things. This year, I want to do smart things: listening, adjusting and resting when I need to. Sustainable health isn’t just built during race season; it’s built in the slower, quieter months in between.
Here’s to a year of maintenance mode—more balance, and a little less hustle just for the sake of hustling.
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