My 12-week Hyrox journey
Twelve weeks ago, I signed up for something that felt completely beyond my reach. Hyrox - the global fitness race that combines functional strength with endurance - was coming back to Glasgow and my friend Roz and I had secured tickets for a female duo race. I wasn’t just pushing my limits; I was stepping way outside my comfort zone into something that felt almost impossible.
This wasn’t the first time Roz had set me a challenge. 6 years ago Roz suggested we do 100 days alcohol-free together. Which I did - and I just kept going!! I’m now over 6 years sober and it’s been a massive game-changer for me. So when Hyrox was on the table, I thought there may be a similar outcome and an opportunity for me to drastically improve my fitness.
I knew I couldn’t do it alone. I needed a plan. I needed accountability. And, most importantly, I needed people who would push me harder than I’d ever push myself. Enter Greater Than gym, and Harry and Shona - the team who made all the difference.
From day one, they had my back. The 12 week Project GLA programme they built took all the thinking out of it; all I had to do was show up and trust the process. They didn’t just train me - they tailored it too. They knew when to push, when to pull back, and exactly how to get me race-ready. Even on the day itself, they had every detail covered - from what to eat and when, to keeping my mindset sharp.
The result? A race experience I’ll never forget (it was hellish at the time, but now it’s over I reckon I will do it again!!). But more than that - a realisation of what’s possible when you have the right people in your corner.
Here’s how it all unfolded…
Hyrox training with Greater Than
The training was intense, I’m not going to lie! I’d gone from one boxing session a week to five sessions - a mix of Hyrox strength and conditioning and running, and my body felt every bit of it!
My first session didn’t exactly go to plan - I took a wall ball straight to the face, my glasses left a lovely bruise on my nose, and I walked away wondering what on earth I’d signed up for. But I went back. The second session was better. And the third even more so. Soon, I was knee-deep in a mix of track running in the pouring rain as well as strength and conditioning. I put a pin in my boxing sessions - because I broke my pinky finger and I didn’t want to risk any further injuries! Then I proceeded to slip down the stairs on my birthday week at Greater Than, and had an almighty bruise on my posterior. It was painful for a good few weeks… everything seemed to be going wrong!
With the increased training load came the inevitable aches, pains, and adjustments. My knees, in particular, were not happy about this sudden ramp-up, so I had to be smart about recovery and inflammation management. I started taking cod liver oil and Spice capsules (turmeric, ginger, and black pepper) from Will Powders, upped my calorie and protein intake, and increased the use of my infrared sauna blanket. A trip to the physio confirmed what I already suspected - I wasn’t injured, just asking my body to do a hell of a lot in a short space of time.
Despite the fatigue, the soreness, and the occasional moment of wondering if I’d lost the plot, I kept going. The support from Harry and Shona at Greater Than was the reason I didn’t quit. They knew when to push me, when to remind me to rest, and how to keep me going when my motivation wavered. I remember being on the bike warming up, and Harry asked me how I was. And I started to cry. Things were tough at home, and I was doing a lot with all this additional training. But I kept going; a reminder that I can do hard things.
Harry helped me trouble shoot why my recovery was difficult… one thing I needed to do was drink more water. But there was also the recognition that with the immunosuppressant tablets I take for Crohn’s Disease, I was starting at a disadvantage.
I was also having issues with shin splints when running and my trainers weren’t great. Something else we worked through, and I ended up with a new pair of Puma Deviate 3 which were perfect!
Training for Hyrox wasn’t just about getting physically stronger - it was about building mental resilience too. I can see just how much those 12 weeks transformed me.
Race week
The week leading up to the race, I tapered my training sessions to give my body some much-needed rest. In hindsight, I eased off too much - a lesson for next time. My body clearly noticed the shift, and I ended up with a cold just before race day. That made breathing harder than I’d expected, but with a couple of ibuprofen in my system and sheer determination, I was getting through it - one way or another.
Standing in the starting pen, I felt excited. This was it - the moment I’d trained so hard for. But after that first 1K run, when my mouth went dry and my breathing was already laboured, I had a very real “Why on earth am I doing this?” moment. The race was relentless. I don’t really remember smiling much - I was completely in the zone, focused on putting one foot in front of the other and getting the job done.
One thing that kept me going was the support from the sidelines. My daughter was there with her best friend and her mum, cheering me on, and even though I barely looked up, hearing their encouragement was everything. Roz’s family was also there, as well as some of the girls from the running club we’d been going to each Sunday morning. Their shouts cut through the exhaustion, pushing me forward when my body wanted to quit. I also of course had Roz, by my side on the track… I can't imagine doing Hyrox solo!!
Then, finally - the finish line. Crossing it was an immense feeling. A mix of relief, pride, and complete physical exhaustion. And then? I did what any sane person would do after such an effort… I lay down! There is a hilarious video of Roz and I at the end. She’s sitting up waving happily for the camera, and she gives me a nudge to do the same… but all I manage is to stick my wee hand in the air and wave from my prone position on the floor!!
Lessons learned
I wish I had given myself more than 12 weeks of training; I found the running the hardest part, and I know that if I had been doing more running for longer it would have made a huge difference for my race day experience.
Time management made training possible. Thankfully, I had the flexibility to fit in five sessions a week (which, let’s be honest, you’d hope would be the case as a time management expert!). But a big part of what made this feasible was the class schedule at Greater Than, which worked with my life. That’s something to keep in mind - if my schedule ever changes or if someone else is looking for the right gym, making training fit your life is key.
Boundaries matter. Over the past 12 weeks, my training has demanded a serious level of focus, and that meant saying no - a lot. No to late nights, no to skipping sessions when I didn’t feel like it, no to anything that would take away from the commitment I’d made to myself. It reinforced something I already knew: if you want to achieve something big, you have to protect the time and energy it requires.
Nutrition is fuel, not an afterthought. One reason I found the very first conditioning session so hard was that I simply hadn’t eaten enough. I was running on empty. As part of the programme, I was given a calorie and protein target and had to increase my calories to fuel the training plan.
Rest is such a huge part of the training too. Rest and recovery weren’t nice to have; they were essential. I continued to prioritise sleep, I increased my protein intake, I started supplementing with magnesium, cod liver oil, creatine and Spice inflammation capsules, I increased the time I spent in my infrared sauna blanket, I was taking Epsom salt baths, I was drinking more water and electrolytes too and started going to yoga classes.
During race week, taper but don’t stop completely. Next time, I won’t take my foot so far off the gas before race day.
Going to the venue the day before to see the course, and go over the race day plan with Roz was super helpful. A number of people were confused with the number of laps you had to run, and we didn’t want to risk any penalties… so we talked it through in detail to ensure it was clear in our heads prior to the race.
The mental battle is as tough as the physical one. That first wave of doubt after the first 1K run was real, but pushing through it proved that I was stronger than I thought.
Support makes all the difference. I wouldn’t have managed this without Harry and Shona at Greater Than. They got me here, they believed in me, and their training made this possible.
Self belief matters. At the very start of this journey, I didn’t think I was capable of Hyrox. I can remember thinking at the simulation, which we did at the halfway point of the programme, that I just wanted to get to the end of it in one piece - I really wasn’t convinced that I could do it. With each session, and every small win… I built my confidence…I completed the sim, and completed the race too!
The community at Greater Than was also fantastic. From the very first session I was welcomed, and have made new friends. What a buzz there was at the SECC cheering on all the other participants from the gym this weekend.
Hyrox pushed me beyond my limits, but it also showed me what I’m capable of. And after a bit of rest (and maybe a lot of food), the inevitable question popped into my head…
What’s next?