It started simply enough as a personal fitness goal. Like countless other athletes and everyday fitness enthusiasts drawn to the modern functional fitness boom, she found herself captivated by the sheer energy, grit, and physical strength displayed by the thousands of women embracing HYROX competitions. Watching packed arenas filled with competitors tackling a rigorous blend of cardiovascular endurance and weight-based strength work, a familiar question emerged: Could she do it, too?
After years spent maintaining a consistent athletic routine, she had felt a persistent void—a distinct lack of real cardiovascular training—coupled with a long-standing aversion to treadmills. She was looking for a new frontier to push her physical limits. The unique multi-modal structure of HYROX, which seamlessly alternates between grueling running segments and demanding functional strength stations, offered the ideal prescription.
Her athletic baseline heading into the challenge had already been evolving. Following a move to Miami in 2022, she began incorporating strength training more intentionally into her daily life. By 2024, she had partnered with personal trainer Ashley Damaj. What started as traditional weight training gradually transitioned into functional fitness workouts layered with strategic cardiovascular elements.
Though she initially felt she was already in peak physical condition, reality set in rapidly once she and Damaj officially committed to competing together as a doubles pair. Looking back, she notes that the grueling preparation and ultimate success of the adventure would not have been nearly as achievable or enjoyable without her training partner by her side.
Running Again (And Actually Loving It)
The initial hurdle on the road to competition was running. Their inaugural training session took place along Miami’s scenic Rickenbacker Causeway—a modest three-mile route interwoven with functional movements that served as an immediate cardiovascular wake-up call.
During that first outing, she spent 26 minutes trapped in heart rate Zones 4 and 5, ultimately hitting a stark max heart rate of 194 beats per minute. The biometric data delivered an undeniable truth: her cardiovascular fitness required serious development.
Undeterred, the duo built a consistent regimen consisting of at least two runs a week, averaging about five miles each, punctuated by a brief stretch break at the halfway mark. What surprised her most was the unexpected affection she developed for the discipline. Running together rekindled an appreciation for cooperative training—that specific, shared camaraderie born from moving through physical adversity side by side. Over time, those grueling runs evolved into something much deeper: genuine conversations, authentic human connection, and an intimate partnership distinct from standard running clubs.
As working mothers, training often meant stepping out the front door by 5:30 a.m., establishing a disciplined new rhythm for daily life. While running proved to be the most efficient method for driving her body rapidly into high-intensity training zones, it also transformed from a dreaded chore into a valued cornerstone of her routine.
How Fueling for Training Evolved
Taking on the rigorous demands of HYROX required a complete reassessment of her nutritional strategy. To ensure her body possessed adequate energy for high-output training sessions, she actively increased her carbohydrate intake while remaining strictly intentional about protein and creatine consumption. Because building and maintaining muscle mass has historically presented a challenge for her body, these nutritional adjustments were foundational.
Her supplement protocol shifted to include a daily intake of 12 to 15 grams of creatine, cycling through variants like creatine with taurine and creatine brain formulations daily, while incorporating a creatine and electrolyte blend specifically on race day.
Beyond standard gym performance, she emphasizes that the broader benefits of creatine extend well into overall wellness, supporting muscle maintenance, cellular energy production, and cognitive function—reasons why a growing number of women are integrating it into their daily wellness practices.
The Setback That Taught a Lesson
Approximately two months before the main event, the training partners put their preparation to the test with a full race simulation in a gym setting. Rather than alternating tasks as they would during the actual doubles race, each athlete completed every single modality back-to-back. Pushing herself too hard during the simulation exacted a physical toll, resulting in a painful knee injury.
The experience provided a sharp lesson in body awareness, highlighting how functional racing demands a different level of physical mindfulness than traditional weightlifting. When fatigue sets in and movement accelerates, maintaining pristine form becomes difficult, leaving joints vulnerable to overload.
The injury necessitated a shift in focus. Working alongside her trainer and a chiropractor named Jenna, she concentrated on strengthening her quadriceps and stabilizing the affected joint. Consequently, the weeks leading up to the race involved significantly less running than planned.
Yet, at 46 years of age, the ordeal brought a liberating realization: the physical body rarely operates at absolute perfection, and that reality is entirely acceptable. Fitness does not require a 100 percent state of readiness to be worthwhile; it simply demands a willingness to adapt when circumstances change.
Race Day in Miami
When race day arrived, the atmosphere inside the Miami Beach Convention Center was nothing short of electric. With a scheduled start time of 2:40 p.m., the schedule offered a welcome departure from her previous morning competitions, allowing ample time to sleep in, rest, and avoid any pre-race rush.
The sensory experience of the pre-race tunnel—marked by surging adrenaline and vocal crowd support—proved deeply moving. Out on the floor, the fitness stations matched their formidable reputation. Following the completion of each strenuous station, competitors navigated laps around the track, utilizing the first lap as an active recovery period to lower their elevated heart rates.
A long-time user of the WHOOP fitness tracker, she noted a desire for more immediate, real-time biometric insights during the high-speed competition, noting that the experience has her reconsidering her aversion to smartwatches and looking into alternatives like Garmin, while continuing to avoid devices that pull focus via calls and messages.
Having her family present added profound meaning to the day. Advocating for physical movement and taking on difficult challenges is a core value in their household, and demonstrating that work ethic to her children remains a priority. Entering the arena without a rigid time goal, the pair crossed the finish line with a final time of 1 hour, 27 minutes, and 6 seconds.
In the aftermath, the post-race debriefs with her partner—analyzing nutrition strategies, pre-workout fueling, and ways to optimize station exchanges—proved that the analytical aftermath is an intrinsic part of the appeal.
What Stays Beyond the Finish Line
Whether another competitive race is in her future remains undecided, but the commitment to maintaining this elevated standard of fitness as an everyday lifestyle is absolute. The experience reframed physical conditioning not as a temporary sprint toward a single event, but as a permanent way of living.
Amidst a demanding news cycle, walking into an arena filled with tens of thousands of individuals unified in mutual support left a lasting impression. From married couples and adaptive athletes to pregnant and postpartum mothers, seniors, and solo competitors, the collective energy underscored the resilient human spirit.
That perspective is what ultimately carries forward: the realization that true fitness is never defined by perfection or personal records. Instead, it is found in the simple act of showing up, adapting gracefully when plans unravel, and discovering joy in the process—ideally alongside people you love.
