Running Together: Adrian Wong shares his expertise on the track, paving the way to HYROX
Written by Annie Set
While most of our members at CrossFit Mobilus were perhaps drawn by the challenge of developing their skills across the ‘constantly varied, functional movements’ employed in CrossFit training, the approach of Singapore’s first HYROX race has marked a shift in training focus for many.
The HYROX race comprises a handful of familiar movements– Ski-Ergs, wall balls, and burpees, as well as sleds and sandbag work. For most athletes who have been training in CrossFit, these movements are nothing new– the real challenge posed is the 8km run, with one kilometer completed between each movement station. Though intervals and shorter distances of 200-800m are not unfamiliar, 8 kilometers is a much longer run than would typically be prescribed in a CrossFit gym.
Image credit to HYROX
In the past couple of months, Mobilus’ MobEngine program has shifted some of the classes towards a HYROX prep focus. Available to both members and non-members alike, we’ve garnered large groups of up to 30 for our HYROX program, as athletes seek out guidance for their race training.
Yet with HYROX being set in the Singapore National Stadium, and the run taking place around the stadium track– the training gap of track-specific running was left untouched.
Silver Gen Running Club
Adrian and his wife Shu Zhen have been members with Mobilus for a little over two years. The parents of 3, (“one boy, one girl and a dog”) have become familiar faces to many around the gym. As regular fixtures in the community, they have set an example as dedicated parents and athletes, to the admiration of others.
Adrian: We are 40 plus, and there are people in the gym that have said that they hope that when they have their family and kids that they can still move as much as we are.
To give those unfamiliar a little sense of their capabilities– this year, Shu Zhen participated in her first CrossFit Open. She finished 3rd in Mobilus Clarke Quay for the scaled women’s division, and was a featured athlete in Mobilus’ Clarke Quay’s Open Showdown for 23.3.
As for Adrian, his experience as an athlete started outside of the gym,
Adrian: All my life I've been doing cardio-based sports. I was a triathlete when I was in my 20s, when I was in uni I was a cross country runner for school, I did sailing when I was in JC. In 2007, I qualified for the world championships half (marathon) in Florida Clearwater 2007. My next biggest triathlon achievement was swimming across the San Francisco Bay, the ‘Escape from Alcatraz’.”
With HYROX approaching, people began asking Adrian for advice on their runs, which led to him hosting small group track running sessions.
Adrian: There were people in the gym asking how to train their runs. Those who know me well, know that Mondays and Wednesdays you don’t see me at the gym, because Monday and Wednesday are my track running days.
I started an experiment in June and when I changed my program to something more scalable, the feedback was good. More people started asking, and I started publishing the workouts on the SilverGen profile.
The couple share an Instagram account, @silvergen_tsf, named after a comment about the couple’s athletic pursuits at their stage in life,
Adrian: The SilverGen name came about during the CrossFit Open. My wife did her first open in Mobilus this year and was doing quite well, and someone was saying, ‘you guys are old people, why are you competing with the youngsters? You guys are not Pioneer, not Merdeka– you guys are Silver Generation!’
Regular attendees with the running group have been making good progress, naturally leading to growth in the group’s size over time. The running training is scaffolded, with cones laid out to mark out 100m distances, helping athletes use the markers to familiarize themselves with their paces cone to cone.
Adrian: Some of them now know their pacing well enough that the cones can be removed. The current focus is more on pacing and catering to a wider group of people.
August 9th was around 20plus (attendees), 1st September was 39. Some in the group weren’t even doing HYROX, just training for other reasons.
A quick glance at their Instagram profile will reveal just how much the running group has grown. With posts detailing the running program, a list of timings to guide pace, as well as cheerful, sweaty group photos– it is clear to see what an impact has been made.
Adrian: Every Wednesday morning I’ll publish a workout. Some will do (it) remotely, however, for now because of HYROX, I set aside some of my time to coach some of them on a Saturday afternoon. The focus has definitely changed over time, it started as a small group wanting to improve their running, now to a bigger group, covering topics about how to pace.
Adrian’s commitment to providing weekly programming as well as in-person coaching across two Saturday sessions at the track is– for lack of a better word– remarkably generous. With a full time job, family, and training of his own to complete– I asked him to share a little bit more about what motivates him to contribute to the community.
Adrian: It’s important to be an influence to other people, rather than (just) improving on your own. It's okay, it’s efficient. But to have company makes it a lot easier, and it’s better because everybody improves and there’s a bit of healthy competition. People message me saying that they see the results and are so happy that they’re doing this.
It ‘warms the cockles of my heart’. You cannot ask for anything more when you feel that you are being an influence in people’s lives, people see results and want to turn up.”
I asked Adrian if he had any advice for folks having trouble getting started on their running training
Adrian: Most CrossFitters don’t like to run, but it’s not that they cannot run, it’s more that they feel it’s too long and boring, but if you make it something more achievable and bite-sized, people will appreciate it and when they see results they’ll do it more.None of us ever thought when we started CrossFit that we would hold 60 kg on your chest. You look back and you could never have imagined yourself doing a 60kg snatch or clean and jerk or whatever, we all have to start somewhere, same for running.
It’s daunting to run 5 kilometers at one go, but it might not be a bad idea to run 800m, walk 400m, 800, 400. If you do it with a group it’s much easier, you keep each other accountable and it’s more fun and when it’s something more achievable and you feel more accomplished– you’ll keep turning up.
Just put on your shoes and do it as a group. It’s the easiest exercise, you don’t need any equipment, it’s just a matter of getting out there and putting one foot in front of the other. Set goals that are achievable and over time it gets easier. Chart your process and don’t get too concerned about the matrix and numbers and heart rate. Just go out and when you’re having fun with a group of people, the results will come.
Leading up HYROX on October 7th, The SilverGen running group meets for a morning and afternoon session on Saturdays. Head over to their Instagram page @silvergen_tsf for more information.
Mobilus MobEngine HYROX is happening every Thursday, Friday and Sunday until Oct 7. For more information, please visit here.