In a previous post we looked at some of the hidden time killers that can be increasing your time at HYROX. Many of those were largely out of your control (though there were some steps you could take to mitigate them). You can read that article here.
In this article, we’ll look at some further hidden time killers in a HYROX event, and this time all of them are in your own hands.
Here we go…
Slowing in Roxzone
As we’ve seen in this article, and this article, the slower athletes typically spend a longer time in the Roxzone. That might be expected, but they also spend longer in there relative to their average running pace. That doesn’t necessarily make sense and seems to indicate that people are either slowing down as they enter the Roxzone, getting lost in the Roxzone, or stopping for drinks for a long time.
Awareness of this is the first step. It’s easy to subconsciously slow down as you enter the zone. I’ve done it myself in the past. But it’s not necessary.
In terms of stopping for drinks, the most important thing is to make sure you are well hydrated before the race. During the race you should consider if you REALLY need to stop for a drink, or if you just fancy doing so. It’s hard to find the science on this but I think it’s a fair question to ask whether you need to stop for a drink more than once if you are going round in less than 90minutes and are well hydrated prior to starting. That’s not to say you shouldn’t stop more often – I’d just question whether you really must, and how much stopping for drinks might be eating away at your time. For more info on how to appropriately hydrate (it’s not just by drinking water!), check out this article.
Aside from stopping for drinks, it can be easy(ish) to get lost in the Roxzone. To help avoid this issue, I do think it’s worth memorising the lay out of the venue prior to the race. You will be sent the floor plan in the Athlete’s Guide (and technical briefing video on the HYROX YouTube channel) in the few days prior to the event. Personally, I memorise where each station is so when I get into the Roxzone, I’m not spending time looking around for where I need to go next. This probably only saves a few seconds, but they all add up!
It’s also worth checking the way in and way out of each of the functional stations. I’ve certainly seen people run out the wrong way which can result in time loss or even a time penalty.
Rowing Machine
Vital time can be lost getting yourself into and out of the rowing machine. Again, this might only be a few seconds, but if you can save yourself 5 seconds getting strapped into the machine, and then have 5 seconds to row a bit slower, your energy systems will thank you for it!
This is something to preferably be practising in the gym. You want to seamlessly get your feet strapped in, have the straps at the right height for you / your feet, and adjust the damper setting (if necessary) before rowing.
As a little tip, if I enter the rowing zone and am not told specifically what rower to get on, I will be looking to try and get on one where the straps are already at the right height for my feet, as that is one less thing I’ll need to adjust once I’m there.
Inappropriate Footwear
If you use inappropriate footwear for the event, you can really mess with your time. Simplistically speaking, you want something that will be fast, effective and comfortable to run in, but which also won’t slip when pushing the sled. The wrong footwear can cost you a LOT of time at HYROX.
Check out this article where we look in more depth at the best shoes to wear for HYROX.
Forgetting to Chalk Hands
Chalk is primarily helpful on the sled pull and the farmers carries at HYROX as it provides added grip. Normally, at the entrance to those stations, there will be buckets filled with chalk for you to use.
If you are anything like me, this chalk will be very useful as your hands can get very sweaty during the race. However, chalking up your hands is an easy thing to forgot to do when you just want to get on with the race as quickly as possible. I do, however, believe the few seconds you lose by stopping to do this is time well invested. If you lose your grip on the farmers carries, for example, and have to repeatedly stop to put the kettlebells down, it will eat into your time.
No Reps
It probably goes without saying, but if your technique is not where it needs to be for some of the stations, and the judge observing you gives you some “no reps”, this is valuable time that will be added to your finishing time.
This is especially common on the wall balls, but potentially may also happen on the burpee broad jumps and walking lunges.
I personally think it’s worth filming your technique prior to competing in HYROX, and / or having someone knowledgeable observe you in training. This way you can be sure you have nailed your technique and aren’t risking no reps when it comes to race day. If / when doing so for wall balls, plan to do it at a time when you are already under some fatigue (i.e. at the end of your session), as wall balls are the last station in the race and that’s when technique is more likely to go out the window.
Running Incorrect Number of Laps
Running an incorrect number of laps is a surprisingly common problem for athletes during HYROX. If you run too few, you’ll incur a time penalty. If you run too many, that is time and energy wasted.
You can, and should, try to use the screen in the venue which will tell you what lap you are on. That’s not always easy to see though. Therefore, for additional tips on avoiding this problem refer to our running pace article, where I discuss how I use my watch to time my laps.
Notice how all the hidden time killers mentioned above don’t require you to get any fitter to resolve. Most athletes will put hours and hours into their training for a HYROX race but can lose valuable time by failing to address the above time killers. Use some of your training time to ensure you aren’t one of them!
Photo credit – sportograf.com
