RACE DAY

This year started with a quiet goal: find something to compete in.

After floating for too long, I needed something to focus me physically, mentally, emotionally.

Signing up for Hyrox NYC gave me that clarity, that structure, that edge.
Here’s what I’ve learned along the way, plus a few events and ideas worth your time this month:

Agenda

• 5 hard-earned Hyrox training lessons

• Events you need to attend

• Media you should be consuming

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5 Lessons I’ve learned from training for the Hyrox Race

At the beginning of this year, I made a quiet decision:
I needed something to compete in.

I’ve always floated, until something was on the line.

Until I was forced to lock in. Moving to New York City was like stepping into a buffet of distractions: endless events, energy, food, noise. If I didn’t draw a line, I’d blur into it all.

So I drew one.

I signed up for Hyrox NYC — a race that once scared the hell out of me. A brutal hybrid of running, strength, and suffering. The kind of thing that forces you to meet yourself head-on.

The following are five (muy) importante lessons I’ve learned even before the race has started:

1. The Devil Is in the Details

I needed to research Hyrox. Instead of just thinking about it, I genuinely needed to understand it. I started by asking ChatGPT for a 6-week plan. Then found Hyrox on Instagram. Then went into a YouTube spiral….

Are you eating right? Recovering smart? Training the right way?

I didn’t know if I’d even get a ticket to the event, but knew I had to train like I was already in. That mindset shift changed everything.

It’s not just a run and a set of exercises, it’s a full on commitment.

Nutrition Is the Silent X-Factor

I’ve never leaned into nutrition before. This time I did. And it kept me going, especially when the training started to chip away at my mental focus. When I didn’t want to push, my fuel did it for me. It really kept me dialled. My mother would be very proud of my grocery shopping abilities.

And yes, Soda helped me choose the ripe avocados and the firm grapes, as well as the best pasta noodles.

The difference between giving up and pushing through is understanding what’s on your plate, and what it takes to finish it.

2. Learn to Love What Once Scared You

Every Saturday for the last 4 months, I ran the Williamsburg Bridge. Long. Steep uphill. Grueling downhill.

At first, it was pain. Then, over weeks, it became a ritual. The shin splints turned from groaning into singing.

By the last run, I looked forward to the incline, because I knew what was waiting on the other side: a solid workout and a steam at Lifetime on 23rd.

Consistency transformed my fear into fuel.

3. Recovery Is Your Friend

We glorify “grind mode.” But without recovery, you’re toast.

I had to get surgical about recovery: programming off-days, icing, sauna sessions, and sleep. Lots of sleep. This meant going to bed before 11pm (did it always happen? No because NBA and NHL playoffs certainly go past 11pm during overtime).

You’re not training for a moment. You’re training to last.

Polaris Perspective: Recovery isn’t laziness. It’s leverage. Leaning into Cannabis as a recovery tool, massage therapy, yin yoga and sauna’s are recovery lifesavers.

4. Don’t Blow It All Early

In the half-sim, I came out too hot on the SkiErg. That one mistake tanked my second run and left me scrambling to recover on other exercises.

I learned a hard truth: pace matters more than power. (Polaris Perspective)

And patience is the most overlooked performance enhancer in the world.

How are you patient on achieving your goals? Have you been impatient recently?

5. “I Get to Do This”

A simple sentence yet hyper powerful.

Yes, Hyrox is hard.
Yes, training has challenged me emotionally, physically, spiritually.
But I chose this. I’m lucky to be in a position where I get to test myself like this.

That shift — from “I have to” → “I get to” — changes everything.

Before the race. During it. After it.

That story you tell yourself matters more than any rep, time split, or finish line.

The Polaris Perspective summarized:

What do you get to do? What’s waiting for you on the other side of Hard? What are you creating space for?

Enjoy the journey and make space for growth, no matter how hard it initially feels.

See you after HYROX NYC, with a goal of 1 hour and 10 mins!

Events you need to attend

Hyrox NYC

Friday, I get to run/crush HYROX NYC. What a cool journey it's been training for this type of competition. It's my first one, and will not be my last. I had a chance to do a half simulation in Mid Town NYC on Saturday with F45 Training and it was a fantastic/challenging experience.

The Cannabis Collective Summer Retreat

Summer Retreat in Woodstock is just about sold out.

If you'd like to join us, let me know asap.

• June 18, dinner with NABIS,

• June 19 The Summer Retreat programming runs from 10-6pm.

• Lunch, breakouts, yoga, community with over 65 NY and NJ retailers signed up, it's going to be all about rest, rejuvenation and re-connection.

Get tickets here

Designers & Coffee are hosting Brewed & Built on June 3 in Toronto.

The evening will feature design and marketing leaders who are building across disciplines — from digital products to in-person brand experiences to physical goods including insights from leaders at HubSpot & The Coffee Party

🎧 Vibes include:

• One drink or pastry included with your ticket (matcha, espresso, herbal tea — your pick)

• Barista serving all night for any extras you’d like to purchase

• Music, good vibes, and creative conversations

• A giveaway featuring a curated basket of coffee, treats & surprises

• Access to BRANDOR’s curated shop of fashion and coffee merch — open for browsing and buying throughout the night

Get Tickets here.

🧘 Longevity - Protein Packed FroCo (That’s it)

Not an ad but Smearcase Ice Cream is unbelievable. 

Have you enjoyed this newsletter? Is it providing value? Do you know somebody that would find it useful? Send them this newsletter and if you refer 5 people your next coffee run will be on me. (3 referrals = $15 Starbucks)

As the world becomes more complex, it becomes more and more challenging to stay grounded, focused and aligned. Stay ahead by fostering unity, innovation, and trust across your teams and yourself. Don’t miss out on upcoming events and insights that will help shape your success in the months to come.

- SKV