Before HYROX, my training looked complete on paper. I ran consistently. I lifted regularly. Both mattered to me.

But they were trained separately. I rarely asked how one affected the other, especially when fatigue was involved.

HYROX exposed that gap.

For context, HYROX follows a fixed race format:

8 rounds of 1 km running, each followed by a functional workout. The movements stay the same. The order stays the same. What changes is how well you manage your effort from start to finish.

That consistency made it impossible to hide from your habits.

Singapore 2024 — Seeing What Didn’t Connect

My first HYROX Open in Singapore finished in 1:27:28.

I remember feeling confident going in, but unsure once the race started.

I pushed the runs harder than I should have.

I approached the strength stations like isolated workouts.

By the later rounds, everything felt heavier, slower, less controlled.

It wasn’t a lack of fitness.

It was a lack of connection between running, strength, and recovery.

That race didn’t discourage me. It clarified things.

Bangkok — Learning to Be More Efficient

A few months later, I raced Men’s Double Open in Bangkok.

Racing with a partner changes how you see effort. You become more aware of wasted movement, rushed transitions, and decisions that cost more than they give.

We finished in 1:09:55.

Leading into that race, I didn’t overhaul my training.

I simplified it:

• running while already tired

• lifting without rushing my breathing

• treating transitions as part of the work

The race felt more controlled, not easier just more deliberate.

Hong Kong 2025 — Trusting the Approach

By the time HYROX Hong Kong arrived, the format felt familiar.

I knew how fast I could run without compromising the stations.

I knew which parts required patience rather than effort.

I knew when to hold back so I could finish strong.

I finished the Men’s Single Open in 1:19:59 — a personal best.

What stood out wasn’t the time, but the feeling.

The approach worked because it felt repeatable. I wasn’t guessing anymore.

Why the Half Marathon Still Belonged

After HYROX, I raced the Maybank Bali Half Marathon.

On the surface, it’s a different world. No stations, no equipment. Just running.

But the habits carried over.

I stayed within myself early.

I respected fatigue instead of reacting to it.

I focused on holding effort, not chasing pace.

I finished with a PB of 1:39:52, placing Top 90 out of 5,511 runners.

HYROX didn’t turn me into a runner overnight.

It taught me how to manage output over time, regardless of the format.

What HYROX Changed — And Who Made It Possible

HYROX didn’t introduce a new training philosophy.

It made me more honest about how I trained.

I stopped separating strength and endurance.

I trained them in sequence, under realistic fatigue.

I valued sessions I could repeat over sessions that just felt hard.

Each race didn’t teach me something new.

Each race confirmed the previous one.

Singapore showed what didn’t connect.

Bangkok improved efficiency.

Hong Kong stabilized the approach.

Bali showed it carried over.

And none of this happened alone.

The guidance of my coach, Dani Fauzi, and the support from coaches and friends at Bodyfit Jakarta shaped how I trained, recovered, and showed up, especially on days when motivation wasn’t there.

This journey is still ongoing.

There are more races ahead, and more things to refine