I Can Do Hard Things: What My First HYROX Taught Me

When I signed up for my first HYROX, it wasn’t really about HYROX.

I needed to prove something to myself: Valmy, you can do hard things.

Life has a way of stretching us in places no one sees. And sometimes, I think we need to intentionally choose something difficult, not because life isn't already hard enough, but because there is something powerful about seeing yourself commit, prepare, struggle, and still make it to the other side.

HYROX became that for me.

For months, I trained. I ran when I didn't necessarily feel like running. I strength trained. I practiced the stations. I became more intentional about taking care of my body. Some days I felt strong. Other days, I questioned what I had gotten myself into.

And somewhere along the way, something changed.

I stopped simply trying to work out and started becoming consistent.

That may actually be one of my favorite things HYROX gave me.

My Body Was Part of the Journey Too

Training also taught me that doing hard things doesn't mean constantly pushing my body beyond its limits.

I had to learn to listen.

There were days to push and days to recover. Days when my body felt strong and days when it was clearly asking me to slow down.

For someone like me who can become very focused once I set a goal, that lesson mattered.

Rest wasn't weakness. Recovery wasn't falling behind. Taking care of my body was part of preparing it to do what I was asking it to do.

And that lesson goes far beyond HYROX.

Then Came Race Day

There is something very different about standing at the starting line after months of preparation.

The training is done.

The planning is done.

Now you have to trust the work you've put in and go.

But one of the best parts of my first HYROX was that I wasn't doing it alone. I competed in Doubles with Nahima.

And I couldn't have asked for a better partner.

We had both sacrificed to get there, and race day tested that partnership. Nahima competed through cramps and a hurting knee. There were moments when we had to adjust, encourage each other, and keep moving.

That is what I loved about our dynamic.

It wasn't about one person being stronger than the other. It was about recognizing what the other person needed in that moment and doing what we could to get us to the finish line.

There is something beautiful about struggling alongside someone.

You learn things about each other that ordinary moments don't always reveal.

I walked away from HYROX feeling even closer to her because we had gone through something difficult together.

And Then There Were the Strangers

One thing I wasn't prepared for was the spectators.

They were incredible.

Complete strangers were yelling, clapping, and encouraging us as we moved through the course. At moments when exhaustion started setting in, you would hear someone cheering and somehow find a little more energy.

It made me think about how powerful encouragement is.

Sometimes you don't know what someone has sacrificed just to make it to where they are.

You don't know what they're fighting through.

You don't know how badly they need to hear, "Keep going."

So cheer for people.

Even when you don't know them.

I Came Away With More Than a Patch

When I think about my first HYROX now, I'm proud that I finished, but the finish line isn't what means the most to me.

I'm proud of the woman who trained for it.

I'm proud of the days I showed up when no one was watching. I'm proud of the consistency I developed. I'm proud that I learned to listen to my body. I'm proud of the partnership Nahima and I built. And yes, I'm proud that when it got hard, I kept going.

That's what this experience represented for me.

And in many ways, that is what Hillight Living represents too.

Living intentionally isn't always candles, beautiful spaces, quiet mornings, and moments of rest. Sometimes intentional living looks like sweat. Discipline. Sore muscles. Early mornings. Choosing the harder thing. Keeping a promise you made to yourself.

Sometimes light looks like discovering a strength in yourself that you didn't know was there.

I went into my first HYROX wanting to prove to myself that I could do hard things.

I crossed that finish line knowing I can.

And perhaps that's why I'm already thinking about what's next.

Because once you discover what you're capable of, it's hard to go back to believing you can't.

Here's to doing hard things and discovering ourselves along the way.