Hi Reader,
Happy Friday, Vitalizers β‘
Race week energy is in the air. VTLZR x UCC final HYROX NYC prep workout drops tomorrow, the retreat is filling, and one of our own just ran a 3:16 BQ on Long Island.
Before we begin, a shoutout to all the moms in the community and the ones who shaped us into who we are today β Sunday is for you. π€
Let's dive in π
Hereβs what to expect this week:β
π§ Mindset
βπ Vitalizer of the Weekβ
π
Retreat Update
π₯ Training
π§ Must-Listen
π° The Industry
π§ Quote of the Week
"The impediment to action advances action. What stands in the way becomes the way." β Marcus Aurelius
This rewires how you see almost everything.
Most of us treat obstacles like detours β something blocking the path to where we actually want to go.
The injury that derailed the training block.
The schedule that won't cooperate.
The weakness we keep avoiding in our programming.
The conversation that's been put off for months.
Marcus Aurelius is saying the opposite. The thing in your way isn't keeping you from the path. It is the path.
The bad workout teaches you more than the good one. The setback forces the rebuild that makes you stronger than you were before it. The weakness you've been hiding from is the exact thing that's going to unlock the next level.
You don't get stronger by lifting the weight you already own. The whole sport is built on walking straight into the thing you'd rather avoid.
So this week, look at whatever you've been treating as the obstacle. The thing that's "in the way" of your training, your goals, your week. Then ask whether it's actually the next rep.
It usually is.
π Vitalizer of the Week: Elizabeth Spadafino
If you've been around VTLZR for any length of time, you know Elizabeth. And on Sunday, she did something only a small fraction of marathoners ever pull off.
She ran the Long Island Marathon in 3:16 β a massive PR and a Boston Qualifying time.
But the number is only half the story.
Elizabeth grew up in Hillsdale, NJ, born on Long Island (which is part of why she picked this race β full circle moment). She's a physical therapist at the Hospital for Special Surgery in Manhattan, and just started her first job in November. Which means this entire training block happened on top of 12-hour days and 4:30 am alarms.
She still hit 50-mile weeks.
She grew up playing every sport β focused on soccer year-round in high school, played club soccer and lacrosse at Sacred Heart. Ran her first half-marathon in college when a friend roped her into it. No fuel, no pacing - and just no clue what they were doing. Their goal was to finish because 13.1 miles seemed insane.
That's the path that ended at 3:16 on Sunday.
When we asked her why she runs, this is what she said:
"Running has been an escape for me and a way to reset my mind when I'm stressed or anxious. My why is that I'm so lucky to be able to do these things. So many people would kill to move their bodies the way I can β I see that firsthand as a physical therapist. Never want to take that for granted."
That's the part that hits hardest. She spends her days helping people get their bodies back. Then goes home and uses hers like a gift.
And here's what she said this race taught her.
"It showed me what I'm capable of on my own. I trained by myself and raced by myself β which shows a lot of growth for me because I used to struggle doing even little things on my own."
A 3:16 BQ built on 4:30 am alarms, 12-hour days, and 50-mile weeks.
What's next?
HYROX NYC with her boyfriend and VTLZR, Matt Zelaya, and her sister, Alexandra. Sydney Marathon in August. And she's eyeing a 100-mile ultra this fall. π
That's real VTLZR energy.
Check out Elizabeth's latest post on the race and follow her journey on Instagram!
π
VTLZR Events
π Saturday, May 9 β’ VTLZR x UCC: Final NYC Prep Workout
The last one before HYROX NYC. If you're racing, this is your final tune-up, race-pace stations, real reps, real intensity. If you're not racing, come anyway. The energy before a major event is the whole reason we built this community.
π June 12β14 β’ VTLZR Hybrid Athlete Retreat β’ Long Beach, NY
A few more spots filled this week. The room is getting tight. Three days of training, recovery, brand partner sessions, and the kind of community moments you can't manufacture on a screen alone.
If you've been on the fence, this is your sign.
π₯ Fitness Tip of the Week: Wall Balls β The Great Equalizer
Wall balls don't ruin races β bad wall balls do.
By the time you reach Station 8, you've run 8K and torched 7 stations. Legs gone. Shoulders smoked. Finish line right there. And the racers who blow up here aren't blowing up because they ran out of fitness.
They're blowing up because of no-reps.
Shallow squats. Missed targets. Edge of the strike zone instead of the middle.
Every no-rep is another squat, another throw, more time, and higher heart rate. They compound fast.
Here's how to win it.
Get the form right β every single rep.
Squat below parallel. Hit the center of the target, not the edge. Stand an arm's length from the wall. Eyes up. Breathe in the squat, exhale on the throw. Catch soft. The cleanest reps are the fastest reps.
Break it before it breaks you.
For most people, going for 100 unbroken sounds heroic. It's actually a mistake. Once form collapses at rep 47 and you set the ball down, the wheels come off. Plan your breaks before you need them.
Try 10 sets of 10 with short rests, or do a descending set like 16, 15, 14, 13, 12, 11, 10, 9 = 100. Intermediate athletes can try 25-15-15-15-10-10-10. Pick one before you pick up the ball.
Pro tip β train heavier. HYROX World Champion Jake Dearden trains wall balls with a ball heavier than race weight, stacked inside HYROX-style intervals. By race day, standard weight feels manageable. Steal the strategy.
The athletes who PR are the ones who go in with a plan and make every rep count.
π§ This Week's Must-Listen: RMR Training Podcast β "How to Taper for a HYROX Race"
With HYROX NYC on the horizon, this is the episode to throw on during your easy run this week. Hosts Rich Ryan and Ryan Kent β both elite HYROX athletes and coaches β break down exactly how to taper into a major race. When to start. What to cut. What to leave alone. And the mistakes that wreck more race days than bad training.
β3 Key Takeaways:
The taper window starts 2 weeks out.
For most HYROX athletes, 10β14 days is the sweet spot. The first week sees a light reduction in volume. The final week is sharper β less volume, less intensity, more recovery. You're not building fitness anymore. You're absorbing it.
Cut volume, not the work itself.
Reduce aerobic volume by 20β40%. Keep familiar movement patterns in the gym but drop the load. Maintain one or two quality sessions for sharpness, not fatigue. Short shakeouts and strides keep your nervous system primed without taxing it.
Don't try anything new during race week.
No new recovery tools, no new stretches, no first-time massages, no DIY projects, no pickleball. Don't try to cram training. And don't cut calories β your body still needs fuel even if you're moving less.
Bottom Line: As Ryan Kent puts it, "Just don't screw it up. You've already done the work." Trust the taper. Show up Saturday sharp, not exhausted.
π§ Listen on Spotify or read the full RMR breakdown.
π° In Other News (this week in fitness)
π Rachel Entrekin becomes the first woman to win Cocodona 250 outright
On Wednesday (May 6), Rachel Entrekin became the first woman to win the 253-mile Cocodona 250 outright, finishing in 56:09:48 and breaking the overall course record by more than two hours. Total sleep across 56 hours of running: 19 minutes. Her words at the finish: "best day ever."
π Read more about her victory
πββοΈ Pittsburgh Marathon delivers a historic three-peat
This past Sunday, Jane Bareikis won the Pittsburgh Marathon for the third year in a row, a feat that puts her in rare air for any major U.S. marathon. Will Loevner took the men's race in 2:14:52.
π Read about the historic resultsβ
π₯ Hoka Skyward X v2 drops May 15
Hoka's max-cushioned super shoe gets a refresh next week β a redesigned carbon plate for a more aggressive stance, a lighter build, and the same hyper-bouncy PEBA midsole. If you're stacking long runs into HYROX prep or marathon training, it's on the radar.
π Check out the Outside previewβ
π 1.3 million people just entered the 2027 London Marathon ballot
A record 1,338,544 people applied for the 2027 London Marathon, an 18% jump from last year and more than double the entries from just two years ago. About 1 in 20 will get a spot. Organizers are even considering splitting the race across Saturday and Sunday in 2027 to fit more people in. Running has never been bigger.
π Read more about the recordβ
π This month in VTLZR+
With HYROX NYC a few weeks out, the next VTLZR+ calls are locked in on race execution from people who've done it and PR'd.
We're breaking down what helps you PR, and the mistakes that wreck races. Pacing strategy. Station-by-station tactics. Transitions. Race-day fueling. What to actually do in the final 7 days.
If you're racing NYC, this is the prep work that matters. If you're not racing, this is how you get hooked.
VTLZR+ members get the full live calls, the recordings, and ongoing access to every expert session in the library. Plus the perks β $50β75/month in savings on gear, fuel, and food across our partner brands.
As always, thanks for being part of this.
Keep showing up and conquering hard things.
Speak soon!
βDerek Morgen
βFounder & Coach, VTLZRβ
βLift for your mind. Run for your soul.
π© Forward this to someone who needs a little extra motivation this week.
Questions, ideas, feedback?β
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