Is it possible to train for ATHX while recovering from severe hypothyroidism? I’m about to find out. 

Earlier this year, as a result of having Radioactive Iodine (RAI) for Graves’ Disease,  my thyroid became severely underactive. I felt as if I was wading through treacle but I put it down to my inactivity during the winter months. I was still going to the gym, but due to the relentless rain during the winter months I hadn’t done much running. My VO₂ max had dropped but I was confident that I’d get it up again once the skies cleared. 

But then I got the blood results. I was ill. I realised that it wasn’t just the rain that was stopping me running, my body was just not up to it. 

Since then it has been a long process to get on the correct dosage of thyroxine. And I’m still not there. 

Whilst some aspects of my health have improved others are stubbornly not budging. On the plus side my renal function is back to normal. An underactive thyroid reduces the blood flow through the kidneys so they are not as efficient. My eyes aren’t so puffy and my fitness is slowly improving. But I can’t lose the 8kg of body fat that I accumulated, my eyes still won’t tolerate contact lenses and my VO₂ max remains at 28 despite the training I’m doing. 

So is completing ATHX even possible. 

ATHX is a 2.5-hour hybrid fitness competition that tests strength, endurance, and conditioning across three structured zones.

These are the three zones in 2027 for an individual competitor:

I admit I signed up without even knowing what the zones would be. There is always a similarity but there are always differences. 

The first issue I identified as a problem was that deadlifts were in Zone 1 but needed to be completed without straps. Deadlifts are my favourite strength exercise. I can currently deadlift 115kg. But due to the psoriatic arthritis in my fingers I have to use straps. The damage to my fingers has resulted in a poor grip strength. However, there is the provision to seek a dispensation for a disability. This is something I’m going to pursue.

Next problem is in Zone 2. Currently, I’m running at about 8 minutes per km. This means that I’d never get on the ski erg within the 24 minute time cap. I need to speed up even if it is just to get 30 seconds on the machine. I’m certainly not out to break records, I just want to  get on the scoreboard. 

Finally, there are those burpees in Zone 3. I haven’t done a burpee in months. I’m still due to do my 67 birthday burpees which I had to postpone due to being ill. So I need to get back to doing those little darlings.

The event is at the end of January. I now have 21 weeks to get competition fit whilst at the same time recovering from severe hypothyroidism and getting on a dose of thyroxine which will stabilise my body. 

There is no guarantee that I’ll make the start line in January. My thyroid, rather inconveniently, doesn’t care about my training plan. But if my health continues to improve, I want to see how far I can get. And even if ATHX eventually proves to be a challenge too far this time, I will still be stronger and fitter for having trained for it.

Given my current health challenges this is my 21 week training structure:

Phase	Weeks	Main objective
1. Rebuild	1–4	Aerobic base + strength foundations
2. Build	5 -10	Strength + VO₂ max/work capacity
3. ATHX development	11 -16	Combine strength and conditioning
4. ATHX specific	17-19	Competition-style sessions
5. Taper	20-21	Arrive recovered and confident

Rebuild

During this period I’m aiming to do three strength sessions and three aerobic sessions each week, with one of these being a  hard conditioning session. This isn’t far off what I’m currently doing so my training programme needs just a couple of tweaks. I’d also like to gradually lose some of the body fat I gained while hypothyroid. Carrying less excess weight should make the running and bodyweight elements of ATHX easier, but recovery and getting my thyroid levels stable come first.

I’m sure there will be people who think training for ATHX at 67, particularly while recovering from hypothyroidism, is a step too far. I see it differently. The UK physical activity guidelines encourage older adults to combine aerobic activity, strength work and activities that improve balance, while people such as Peter Attia, a physician that focuses on longevity, make a compelling case for building and maintaining strength and cardiorespiratory fitness as we age.

My training plan may, on the face of it, be a little more extreme than the guidelines suggest, but the important words in those guidelines are ‘at least’. I’m simply taking those recommendations a little further. I don’t want to train like I’m 30. I want to train intelligently for the 67-year-old I am now.

Twenty-one weeks. Let’s see what this 67-year-old body can do.