Rachel Joy Fitness (2025)

31/08/2025

☀️ August wrapped up 🕶

Lots of sunshine 😎 getting outdoors and time with friends

A full month back 'proper' training for me

Starting back again was a battle to begin and a shock for the body 🫠

But I don't give up easily

-Ran everyday 🏃🏼‍♀️ roughly 100-120km/week
-Daily hybrid training: 1k Ski, 1k Row, Sleds, KBs and Burpees
-Upped the interval pace ⬆️ 3.33/km
-Dropped a day of heavy lifts, just x2 week 🏋🏼‍♀️
-Training torched ⬇️ 3% bodyfat without changing anything I eat
-Plenty of summer fruit, caramel lattes and chocolate as standard ⛽️🍓 🍫☕️

A lot can change in a month

Consistent, focused work can deliver fast results 💪

4 weeks of tough training has been sufficient to get me close to where I was before 2 months off

I'm actually running quicker now in my hybrid reps than I ever did previously 🚀

I have 8 weeks of training ahead to work on my weaknesses- wall balls 😫

The time off was needed
It gave me a reset

I also got jobs ✔️ in other areas of life, work was hectic 🙃 but had heaps of time with friends too 💖

It's been a good summer ☀️

17/08/2025

😎This week's hot & humid training🥵
10 weeks out 😬 no time to waste

It's been a big but tough week:
▪️Hybrid training on gym floors that felt like saunas 🌡
▪️Clocked up miles outdoors 🏃🏼‍♀️ one with my friend marathon training
▪️Classic runner's tan 😎
▪️Cute gym outfits to lift 🏋🏼‍♀️& a lot of laundry this week
▪️Consumed heaps of electrolytes 🫗 iced coffees and Kinder Buenos 🍫 to bring up my blood sugar

Finally, my fitness is returning ⬆️

A full 'PRODUCTIVE' week of training despite the heat

Garmin ⌚️ says May was the last time I did anything 'productive'
Which is fair, I dialled it down for a few months 😆

On the up now 👊

10/08/2025

Very few athletes share about this part of the journey

The struggle to get back in race shape
The fitness decline ↘️
The strength loss📉
The battle to get through what used to be second nature

After a 2-month break, it's been tough 🥵

10 days back Hyrox Pro training
But feeling almost 'back at square 1'

Struggling to hit 10 passable Wall Balls (with 6kg) when I need 100 reps
Seeing 🌟 on the sleds as my HR 🚀
A slight increase in pace 🏃🏼‍♀️ takes so much effort
Wobbly legs through sandbag lunges🦵

By Tuesday, my legs were gone finishing my session with Burpee broad jumps 🤣

And then ticking off another 5 days training to get through the week ✔️

We 👏 for the flags and ❤️ podium photos

But the real work happens over the months of buildup

It's messy, it's sweaty, it's uncomfortable and there's no medal at the beginning of the process

Starting is the hardest part

Made slightly easier by buying new hybrid trainers 😁 I recommend it

05/08/2025

🔴 RED-S, menstrual cycles & active women ♀️

The female reproductive system is directly responsible for:

Day-to-day moods 😊 concentration, energy levels 🔋 metabolism, muscle growth 💪recovery and overall health 💚

The loss of periods is a warning sign ⚠️

Menstrual abnormalities are estimated to impact:

2️⃣0️⃣% of females who exercise
4️⃣4️⃣% of ballet dancers
5️⃣1️⃣% of female endurance runners

That is more than HALF of women who run long distance! 🏃🏼‍♀️

This is not just the Elites but amateurs and women who stay active as a hobby.

A study by the British Journal of Sports Medicine estimated that RED-S impacts up to 60% of female athletes 🚺 and 15% of male athletes at some point🚹

It's important to be aware and spot signs of Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S)

RED-S is often caused by insufficient energy intake to support training demands ⛽️

For women it can trigger menstrual abnormalities, low bone- mineral density resulting in more injuries, bone-health issues as well as gastrointestinal distress, fatigue, and slower recovery.

Spotting the signs early can help address it sooner rather than later, reducing long term health impact and injuries.

If anyone is struggling with irregular or absent periods and wants to reach out, I'll happily signpost to further resources and support

31/07/2025

July Round Up ☀️
Ran Everyday 🏃🏼‍♀️ (500km+ this month 🥳)
+ daily cardio 1K Row & 1K Ski Erg
⬆️ Heavy Squats & Deadlifts to 70kg 🏋🏼‍♀️

1 Weekly Hyrox + 1 Hybrid session to give myself a chance back training

⌚️Garmin regularly tells me my
'Performance is poor'
'Fitness is declining' 🙄
Good- that's supposed to happen, it's off season

Gained strength & muscle mass on my shoulders, back and 🍑

Dropped muscle elsewhere with increasing cardio and purposely upping body fat %

Overall no scale/weight change in 2 months off, just a shift in muscle & fat distribution from training 📈

A lot less gym, a lot more living
😎 Summer Running
🏠 Redecorated top to bottom
🌼 Gardens done and powerwashed
💪Launched my own coaching business
💚Dental & medical appointments
🎂 Celebrated birthdays including mine
🩷Spending time with friends & family
🌅 Summer walks
🍓 Enjoying all the summer fruit
🧋Lots of caramel lattes

The whole point of a break is to have time away for the body and mind 😌
To recharge 🔋
And do other things
I've stayed active and switched my focus through July to 🏃🏼‍♀️ outside and strength work

Ready to start back at training with a much stronger body 💪house & garden done 🌱 and better work:life balance with my own business based at 🏡

2 months off season over 🙌

29/07/2025

The reality of a Female Athlete- Pre-Menstrual Syndrome (PMS)

If you are an active female and experience PMS around your cycle
A menstrual cycle is a positive sign your body is functioning healthily 💚

I'll do a separate post on why periods matter

If you get PMS:

❌️ Don't go near scales or take measurements
I've coached women who retain up to 7lbs of water during this time

❌️ Don't panic!
This is not 'weight gain' overnight and you haven't 'lost your abs'
It'll pass

✅️ Do stay active if you feel up to it
You might need to adapt training + expectations

✅️ Fuel sensibly ⛽️
Women can burn up to 300 extra calories each day during their period
Blood sugar dips are common ⬇️
Eat regular meals to keep your energy + blood sugar up ⬆️

If you crave sugar, this is a normal response as your body ramps up your hunger hormone 🍽 to prepare for the extra energy needed for menstruation

Eat the chocolate if you want it- just not excessively

✅️ Nourish your body

Foods to help with PMS
-magnesium rich foods: dark chocolate, nuts, seeds, leafy greens
-fiber: fruit, veg, wholegrains
-calcium: dairy, tofu, leafy greens
-iron: lean meat, leafy greens, legumes, fortified products
-B vitamins: meat, fish, eggs, wholegrains

Foods to reduce that add to inflammation:
-high salt
-processed foods
-caffeine
-saturated fat

💚 Be kind to yourself
Go to bed early if you're tired, try a hot bath or take it easy if you're not feeling 100%

I typically suffer through a day or two of PMS with bloating, stomach cramps and fatigue
I took photos to show the changes my body goes through 📷

Sunday-Very bloated 🎈
My longest run of the summer (metric marathon 26.2km 🏃🏼‍♀️) + standard strength session

I put a baggy vest over my swollen stomach and still lifted heavy 💪
Skipped glute thrusts as too uncomfortable

Early bed 🛌 😴

Monday- Standard work day of 5 classes Modified core, burpees and high impact exercises
Much less bloated but bad stomach cramps 😫

Tuesday- feeling better
Hybrid Session 🏃🏼‍♀️🏋🏼‍♀️

PMS can be inconvenient, especially around training but it can be managed and made a bit easier

Periods are normal and important for overall female health 🩷

05/07/2025

📖 Closing Chapter 32, the year I really grew 🌱

Not just my shoulders 😅
Growth within myself 🦋

Growing resilience to keep going & growing

Carving out a new path
Heading in a different direction 👣

😃 Putting what makes me happy at the centre

Giving up running for Team GB 🇬🇧 because of injury
Adapting and finding alternatives
Doing stints of therapy to help manage all the emotions leaving behind a sport I love 💔

Staying in the game as a Hybrid Athlete
Where Biceps do win races 😆
Lifting Big Girl weights 💪
Becoming so much stronger in body & mind 💚

Learning to stand on my own two feet
With a circle of key people that support me in so many ways 🌟

Becoming a homeowner 🏡
Being the only responsible adult in it
Learning new practical skills (or when to pay professionals) 🔨

Creating my own coaching space 🏋🏼‍♀️ as a base for my coaching business

Making moves to take my life in the direction I want to go

With people that enrich my life ❤️ and positively contribute
Whilst protecting my own peace, time & energy

Life is too precious to waste it

Chapter 33 pending 📘
I think it's going to feature plenty of gym...

04/07/2025

📆 A year on from the fall that abruptly ended my running career 🏃🏼‍♀️

Injuries are frustrating, accidents even more so.

It only took a bit of tree debris to end my time as a GB athlete 😢

I knew my ankle was badly damaged when I tried to get up off the pavement and couldn't walk. It was a done deal 🤝

Later that same day, I put an offer on my dream house. No time wasted.

I also started on ski erg 🎿 and rowing knowing I'd be out from running, but not out altogether.

This led me into Hyrox, Hybrid training and collecting podium flags in a new sport 🏁

I moved into my dream 🏡 in September, started a house project and created my own coaching space 🔨

I now have my own home studio/gym 🏋🏼‍♀️ and outdoor space where I can run my own coaching business.

I've had the vision for 5yrs+ and I've only fulfilled it because I fell and took early retirement from international running.

I've since adapted and won't be retiring from sport anytime soon.

Seasons change 🍂
Still a Former GB Athlete and International Marathoner 🏅

My house is full of medals, trophies, 🇬🇧 and my GB vest is on the wall. The dream 🏡 I would never have had the time to buy whilst structuring my life around marathon blocks.

I wrapped up my time as an Elite marathoner last September. I spent the summer training on pan flat treadmills. KT tape held my ankle together for the final 26.2 road race round Berlin 🇩🇪 somehow finishing in 2h36

Whilst I won't be on start lines anytime soon, I am busy living my life off strava. It's packed full with things and people that bring me joy 😊

Retirement looks pretty good when you're achieving other goals and living dreams that don't feature UK Athletics

I've done marathon chapter, I did it well.
Next chapter now 📖
Life moves on

23/06/2025

✨️When HybridNW 4.0 comes to LIVERPOOL 🎉
in our city

It was always going to be special 🫶

Bringing together Hybrid communities
Friendly competition 💖
Celebrating what each & every person can achieve 💪

It's been a blast 🔥

Big thanks to Kieran for all the hard work that goes into putting on these events 🙌

They just keep getting better & better...

22/06/2025

Meet this machine Jess 💪

At just 20yrs old, she is flying in the Hybrid World

Collecting flags 🏁 topping podiums 🏆 and representing 🇬🇧 she is smashing it for the U23s

She's also an organised athlete who gets to the start line ON TIME 🕑 and with her Timing Chip ✔️

Unlike me who disappears for a quick 10k 🏃🏼‍♀️ warm-up
Downs a pre-workout ⛽️
And is on the start line with 2mins to spare...

Without my timing chip (yes I forgot it again)

Remembered my timing chip 5 mins in 🙃

It was in my 🎒 still sealed in my start pack

Fortunately, accommodated my washing machine brain 🧠 and I restarted in my own special wave

The Forgetful Athlete Wave 🤣
With my timing chip on 👍🏻
Take 2 🎬

I quite enjoyed doing the whole event on my own

I got to watch Jess in action as we both raced round the course 🚀

Shared the Women's podium 🏆

And including the Men's results, we finished 3rd and 9th overall
👊

Girl Power 💪🩷

Really excited to see where Jess goes in the future...

17/06/2025

A month into my 'Off Season' 😎

I've been on a Hyrox training break since Berlin mid May🇩🇪
That doesn't mean stop altogether 🙃

My training looks different, my physique has changed and my focus shifts to:

▪️Work on weaknesses (glute and hip strength)
▪️Injury management
▪️Build more muscle
▪️Maintain as much fitness, strength & power as possible
▪️Do other things

This means a lot more heavy squats and glute thrusts and a lot less burpees & wall balls 🥳

I slacked on my strength and injury rehab work in the build up to Hyrox Berlin.

I've since resumed my full strength and rehab routine, built back my 🍑 and increased my muscle mass.

I was very lean and tiny for my first Hyrox Pro

I've deliberately gained some lbs, eaten extra calories and enjoyed more desserts than I would in a training phase.

Strong 💪 beats skinny, especially in the Hybrid World

I am running 6 days a week 🏃🏼‍♀️ but 90% is outdoors and plodding at a pace where my injuries don't protest

I still do a full hyrox run-through at weekends but slow down my 1k treadmill reps to 6min mile/3.43km

I practice each of the stations 2-3x each week but less reps/weight or intervals to reduce the load

Winning Hyrox Pro in Cardiff a fortnight into my 'time off' was a nice surprise 🏆

You can take time off targeted training and still perform well

An athlete's Rest & Recovery phase will still include plenty of activity

But it's a break from targeted or structured training towards a set goal/event

It's often a maintenance or base phase
With time to work on weaknesses

And as much a mental break as a physical one 😌

15/06/2025

How much money do you get for winning at Hyrox?
😂😂😂

I get asked this a lot. It makes me howl 🤣

You don't win prize money at Hyrox Competitions

Here's the break down:

▪️You win a flag 🏁

▪️Usually a can or two of Red Bull ⛽️
(I give these away as I don't drink them)

▪️Sometimes a product from sponsors

I got some Deep Heat 🔥 and Deep Cold 🧊 when I broke the Open 🇬🇧 record in Birmingham

▪️And if eligible, an invite to compete at the World Champs ✉️
(With 48hrs to accept and pay an entry fee of $287 for Chicago 24/25 🙃)

If you are fortunate enough to be able to cover the costs of attending the World Champs:

You can compete in your Age Group

And if you become AG World Champion 🏆

That's a special flag 🏁🤩

But still no prize money

However, IF you qualify through a complicated process for Elite 15 (top 15 in the World) 🌎 then yes- there is PRIZE MONEY available 💰

But only if you jump through all the above hoops

And cover all the expenses yourself to climb to the top 🪜

Selling your 🏡 is optional
But it would help with costs 🙃

And that is how to win prize money in Hyrox 💸 💲

Rachel Joy Fitness

31/08/2025

17/08/2025

10/08/2025

05/08/2025

31/07/2025

29/07/2025

05/07/2025

04/07/2025

23/06/2025

22/06/2025

17/06/2025

15/06/2025

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