Hi Reader,
Happy Friday, Vitalizers β‘
Race week is here. If you're feeling a little nervous β good. That's your body telling you that you care.
This week, a vitalizer who just keeps on going, everything you need for HYROX NYC, and a VTLZR+ call you don't want to miss if you're racing.
Let's dive in π
Hereβs what to expect this week:β
π§ Mindset
βπ Vitalizer of the Weekβ
π
Events
π₯ Training
π§ Must-Listen
π° The Industry
π§ Quote of the Week
"What you are afraid to do is a clear indicator of the next thing you need to do." β Ralph Waldo Emerson
Most of us treat fear like a stop sign.
We feel the resistance, the self-doubt, the "I'm not ready," the "maybe next year", and we take it as a signal to back off. To wait until conditions are better and we feel more prepared.
But Emerson is telling you the opposite. Fear isn't a warning - it's a compass.
Think about what that actually means for your training. The race distance that intimidates you. The weight on the bar you've been circling for weeks. The goal you've written down but haven't said out loud yet. That discomfort isn't random β it's pointing at exactly where your next level lives.
That's your next move. Don't wait until the fear goes away. Run toward it until it becomes another finish line.
What are you afraid to do this week?
π Vitalizer of the Week: Kat Campbell
Kat Campbell grew up in Hasbrouck Heights, NJ, a cheerleader and basketball player who lifted and ran all through high school. Her goal was always to be the best version of herself.
That instinct never left her.
When Kat's dad had a heart attack, something shifted. He'd lived an unhealthy life, and watching him almost lose it made her make a promise to herself: that she would never put herself in that position. She started running with intention. With purpose. With a why that went deeper than PRs.
Fast forward to Patriots' Day 2026, and Kat is crossing the finish line in Boston.
Not just as a runner, but as proof.
"Boston was a tangible reminder β a newer version of myself that was self-accepting of who I am and a realization I'm capable of more than whatever limiting thoughts I place on myself."
That's the thing about Kat. She doesn't talk about fitness the way most people do. She doesn't chase motivation. She doesn't wait to feel ready. Her definition of commitment? "Doing it regardless of how you're feeling, your motivation, what's going on in life. Commitment is the ultimate form of self-respect."
Week after week, that's what it looked like. Trusting the process. Being patient. Accepting delayed gratification. Getting faster anyway.
Her why is simple, and it's everything: be the healthiest version of yourself β for you, and for the people who love you.
That's real VTLZR energy.
π
VTLZR Events
π No run club this weekend β Happy Memorial Day!
Rest up, recharge, and we'll see you on the other side.β
ββ
πTuesday, May 26 β’ VTLZR x Adidas Shakeout Run β’ Haraz Coffee House, Hoboken
A shakeout run with Adidas the week before HYROX NYC β perfect timing. Meet us at Haraz at 7 AM. RSVP coming soon β stay tuned.
βRSVP coming soon β stay tuned.
πJune 12β14 β’ VTLZR Hybrid Athlete Retreat β’ Long Beach, NY
Three days of workouts, mindfulness, and transformation. We just added Tonya Oxendine of the Wounded Warrior Project alongside Matt Long β two people who know what it actually means to conquer hard things. Only 12 spots left.
π Coming Soon: VTLZR x Lululemon HYROX Workout β’ Union City CrossFit
We're closing out June with a HYROX session powered by Lululemon at Union City CrossFit. Date and RSVP dropping soon β keep your eyes on your inbox.
π₯ Fitness Tip of the Week: Stop Guessing Your HYROX Splits
Most athletes show up to a HYROX race with a goal time and zero plan for actually hitting it. That's not a strategy.
RoxFit's race calculator fixes that.
Plug in your goal time, your division, and your venue, and it maps out exactly how long you should spend on every run and every station. The whole plan syncs straight to your Apple Watch or Garmin. You go into race day knowing your number at every single checkpoint.
How to use it:
- Open the RoxFit app and tap PaceMe
- Select your venue (HYROX NYC is in there)
- Enter your goal time...MAJOR: Be honest with yourself
- Review your splits and adjust for your strengths
- Sync to your watch and race to a plan
The coaching nuance:
Tap into your individual station splits and adjust them around how you actually race. Own the Ski Erg? Take a second back. Wall Balls, your nemesis? Give yourself the extra time. A plan built around your strengths beats a generic split sheet every time.
Pro tip: If your running splits look terrifying at your goal time, that's the calculator doing its job β not a reason to panic, but a reason to recalibrate before race day, not during it.
π Build your race plan hereβ
π§ This Week's Must-Listen: How to Mentally Prepare for HYROX β Meg Jacoby & Rich Ryan
NYC is one week out. Your fitness is locked in. Now it's about the mental game.
Two Elite 15 athletes sit down to break down exactly how they prepare their minds for the biggest races of their season, and the takeaways are directly applicable to anyone toeing the line next week.
βπ§ Bulletproof Your Processβ
Meg breaks down how confidence on race day isn't built race morning. It's built in the weeks of intentional training, sleep, nutrition, and movement quality that lead up to it.
π― Visualize Every Scenarioβ
Don't just picture the perfect race. Picture the hard moments β the bad run, the wall balls getting ugly, falling off pace β and decide how you'll respond before it happens. That's what keeps you calm when it does.
π Run Your Race
βChanging your strategy on race day because of the athletes around you is a recipe for blowing up. Know your plan. Execute your plan. Let the result come.
Bottom Line: The race is already happening in your head. Make sure you've already won it.
π° In Other News (this week in fitness)
π€ Nike Just Made Its First Global Gym Partnership, And It's a Hybrid Training Brand
Nike Training and The Yard Gym are teaming up, with TYG becoming Nike Training's first-ever global gym partner. Nike will be the exclusive provider of footwear and apparel for all TYG trainers and team members, while co-creating training experiences and community events together.
π Check out the partnershipβ
πͺ Strava Just Got a Major Strength Training Upgrade.
Strava is rolling out dedicated workout logging, auto-populated muscle maps, 14 partner integrations, including Garmin and Whoop, and five new strength-specific shareable formats β driven by over 500 million strength uploads on the platform in 2025 alone. Strava is finally catching up to how hybrid athletes actually train.
π See what's new on Stravaβ
π Oura Is Going Public
The Finnish smart ring maker confidentially filed IPO paperwork with the SEC as sales, revenue, and healthcare partnerships surge, projecting over 5M paid members this quarter at an $11B valuation. The wearable that half the endurance world wears on their finger is about to be a public company. Big moment for the space.
π See why Oura is worth $11Bβ
π This Week in VTLZR+
HYROX NYC is one week away. And we're not letting you walk in without a plan.
This week in VTLZR+, we're sitting down with Kat Fahsbender β Elite 15 HYROX athlete β for a full race execution deep dive ahead of NYC. If you're toeing the line in the next two weeks, this call is for you.
Kat is breaking down everything:
- π§ Mental strategy β how to stay locked in when it gets dark
- π Pacing β how to run your 1Ks without blowing up by station 5
- β‘ Station execution β where athletes lose time and how to get it back
- π Fueling β what to take in, when, and how to practice it before race day
π
Wednesday, May 27 β’ 6:00 PM ET
This is coaching-level insight from someone who has actually been on the Elite 15 floor.
Already a member? The call details are in the community. See you there.
VTLZR+ members save $50β75/month on gear, food, and fuel from our brand partners. The call pays for itself.
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
Reply to this email!
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