I signed up for Hyrox at the beginning of May. Where have the last two months disappeared to? Back then I had over 6 months to train and prepare. I have, of course, continued to train as per usual but but I’ve not been focusing on the Hyrox disciplines.

What I have been doing is scrutinising the results of previous events. I’ve concluded that women in their 60s are a rarity. Of the nearly 5,000 women that have competed in Hyrox only 16 have been in the 60-64 age category. Many events don’t feature any women in this age group. Men fare slightly better but not by much.

This has generated some mixed emotions. Pride that I’m doing something that is unusual for someone of my age. Fear that there may be a reason for that. Sadness that the world of fitness shrinks as you get older. And loneliness. But I’m not deterred.

One big setback has been catching covid. I’ve dodged it for over two years but as cases soar it was inevitable that I’d get it. As did my husband and daughter.

I took to my bed for a couple of days but recovered quickly but not completely. The impact on my fitness and the ongoing fatigue is annoying.

A loss of fitness can make or break you. Many just give up, retiring to more leisurely pursuits. But I seem to becoming a bit of an expert in the recovery of fitness.

Heart surgery in 2015 brought particular challenges and an overactive thyroid at the end of last year saw my fitness fall off a cliff edge. At the end of 2021 my V02 max dropped from over 31 to below 28. My resting heart rate increased to over 80 bpm. 6 months of treatment and training have got my VO2 max back to 31.6 and my resting heart rate to below 60 bpm . Both excellent for a woman of my age. My recovery heart rate is also good. 55bpm over 2 minutes.

But I’m so slow. My running speed is about 8 mins/km. It use to be 6.30. I did aspire to do a sub 30 minute 5k.

It is demoralising to be the slowest in a gym class when you use to be one of the fastest. To only have individual events open to you as team pursuits are a no go. You become that child in the playground that is avoided and excluded.

I’ve returned to a book I read a few years back ‘Fast after 50’ by Joe Friel. It is aimed primarily at athletes but is very useful for us more normal folk. What I’ve been reminded of (if I ever needed to be) is that the ‘best antidote for the ravages of age is exercise’. What I had forgotten is the research that supports intense exercise for those in their 50s, 60s, 70s and even 80s.

‘Continuing to train with high intensity results in roughly half as much decline as training with long, slow distance only’ and ‘volume is important but intensity is vital’. On reflection I have probably focused too much on strength training and steady state running. It’s time to reintroduce my daily burpees. They don’t get more intense than that.

One boost that I’ve received in my Hyrox experience is that my daughter has signed up. We already train together but now we can both focus on the same goal. And we can start the event together even if she has to wait around for me at the end. I’m going to do my best not to keep her waiting for too long.