Chasing world fitness glory
One act of fitness has led to another for Alex Valadja and Rachel Legacy. Now the two are chasing an ultimate fitness feat together.
Legacy, a Meridian resident, and Valadja of Harmony recently teamed to finish second in the HYROX New York City Doubles Mixed division in the age 30-39 category. That qualifies them for the HYROX World Championship in Manchester of the United Kingdom on May 27, 2023.
“We are definitely going,” Legacy enthused. “HYROX considers itself to be the World Series of Fitness Racing ... And that’s exactly what it is, a fitness race.”
Legacy was a high school athlete who went on graduate from Duquesne University before earning her Doctorate in Physical Therapy from Slippery Rock University. She is employed as a physical therapist and began working out at Total Pursuit Athletics (TPA).
Valadja owns TPA and coaches there. Legacy does some coaching there as well. Both are into CrossFit training and have done CrossFit competitions. Valajda was a pitcher at North Catholic and James Madison University and became a strength and conditioning coach at JMU.
They originally tried a HYROX competition in men’s doubles and women’s doubles, meeting with moderate success.
“We were both planning on going to the New York competition with our partners and try to improve, but Alex’s partner couldn’t make it and neither could mine,” Legacy said. “That’s when we decided to try Doubles Mixed and compete together.”
Unlike CrossFit — which can mix up the fitness elements and exercises from one competition to the next — HYROX is a series of eight 1-kilometer runs, with a fitness exercise following each one. Those exercises include, in order, a 1,000-meter ski machine workout, a sled push, sled pull, a burpee broad jump, 1,000-meter row, 200-meter Fireman’s Carry (with kettle bells), 100-meter sandbag launches and Wall Balls.
“In doubles, you divide up who’s doing what portion of each exercise,” Valadja said. “It doesn’t have to be a 50-50 split. You play to each other’s strengths to complete each exercise the quickest, which means you have to know each other’s strengths.
“Rachel and I have coached together, worked out together. We know each other pretty well.”
Legacy and Valajda completed the HYROX NYC event — held at The Meadowlands Expo Center in Secaucus, N.J. — in 1 hour, 7 minutes and 38 seconds. They trailed age division winners Toni Smith and Phil Serzo by a minute and 11 seconds.
“The most effective way to have time in HYROX is by running the 1K portions faster,” Valadja said. “You can only save so much time during the exercises. We believe we can get better.”
“HYROX is more popular in the European countries than over here,” Legacy said. “We have a lot of work to do to prepare for next spring.”
Valadja is working on the tandem’s training program.
“All of the qualifying times aren’t in yet, of course, but our time is not too far off the best,” he said. “Some preparatory workers we’ll do better. We will do a lot of running on our own. We know what the exercises are, so we’ll work on those as we go.”
Legacy said she enjoys the challenge of HYROX.
“There are no surprises,” she said. “You know what you have to do and when you have to do it. It comes down to how well and how fast you can get it done.”
Total Pursuit Athletics will host a HYROX informational clinic and workout from 9 to 10:30 a.m. Saturday at the facility, located at 129 McCarrell Lane in Zelienople. For more information, contact meghan@totalpursuitathletics.com.
