- Morning Chalk Up
- Posts
- 🏎️ Why an IndyCar Champ Trains HYROX
🏎️ Why an IndyCar Champ Trains HYROX
POWERED BY
Good morning and welcome to the Morning Chalk Up.
In today’s edition:
🏎️ Two-time IndyCar champion and Indy 500 winner Josef Newgarden has found an unexpected training tool for racing's demands: HYROX.
👟 TYR says its new Valkyrie Elite V2 can compete with some of the best marathon shoes on the market.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
Indy cars are super physical. The more physically prepared you are, the more of an edge that you have.”
INDUSTRY
2-Time IndyCar Champ Driver Josef Newgarden Uses HYROX to Train
Credit: @hyroxworld / Instagram
Over the past few years, HYROX has attracted not only professionals and everyday gym-goers but also celebrities looking to test their skills in competitive hybrid fitness.
The Conjuring’s Patrick Wilson raced at the New York HYROX last year. Leading up to the event, Wilson was quoted in a press release praising the race:
“Fitness has always been an integral part of my life, but when my trainer Ayo told me about HYROX in 2023, I was intrigued. The idea of combining my two passions of running and functional fitness immediately hooked me. Keeping my mental health in check through physical activity is how I function best.”
He continued, “HYROX keeps me focused, grounded, and strong. It pushes me to keep striving. I’m so excited to be part of the HYROX community again this year, and to help bring the sport to a wider audience.”
Treat Your Feet
Most of us spend a lot of time thinking about our barbell, our jump rope, and our programming. But some people are still sleeping on foot health.
Superfeet Sport Ultralight is a thin insole made for the shoes you actually train in: snug-fitting trainers, running shoes, and lifters. It's 25% lighter than the brand's previous designs, so your shoes still feel like your shoes. Under the hood, responsive foam provides a little energy return, and carbon fiber-infused arch support keeps things stable without adding bulk.
If you've ever felt your feet fatigue before the rest of you does, it might be worth a look.
Superfeet offers a 60-day comfort guarantee, so you can see how they feel in your own gym.
*This newsletter relies on our sponsors. Please consider supporting them.
SPEED READS
🏟️🏃 HYROX is Taking Over Vegas: The fitness-racing giant is partnering with the Health & Fitness Association for its flagship 2027 trade show, giving gym operators hands-on access to HYROX training while connecting attendees directly with HYROX Las Vegas. It’s another move to turn HYROX from a race people enter into a year-round offering inside gyms.
📅🔥 The Countdown Is On: CrossFit has announced the dates for the 2027 Open, giving athletes their target as the road to next season gets underway.
❤️🩹💪 Justin Medeiros is On the Road to Recovery: After a motorcycle accident left him with facial fractures, a wired jaw, concussion symptoms, and hearing loss, the two-time CrossFit Games champ is navigating a six-week liquid diet while trying to maintain his fitness and bodyweight.
ICYMI: LT Games Attracts Noah Ohlsen, Lauren Weeks, With $25,000 on the Line (Rx article)
MEMBER EXCLUSIVE
Our Review of TYR’s Valkyrie Elite V2
Credit: @tyrsport / Instagram
Last month, as TYR’s new Valkyrie Elite V2 running shoe was set to launch, we spoke with TYR’s Director of Business Development, Corey Berger.
“They make you feel like the shoe is doing the work for you,” Berger said.
That wasn’t all he said. Berger believes so strongly in the shoe that he thinks it can compete with the shoes winning marathons today, such as the Asics METASPEED RAY and the Adidas Adizero Adios Pro 3.
As he spoke, I could hear the genuine excitement in his voice, and it was contagious. That being said, my excitement was matched by a healthy dose of skepticism. After all, TYR has only been making shoes since 2022, and running shoes for even less time.
First impression: It’s impossible not to notice two things about the Valkyrie V2: it has a very non-traditional-looking upper that is sheer, almost translucent, and, holy cow, this shoe is light.
Weighing just 5.3 ounces (150 grams) for a men’s size 9, it’s 35 percent lighter than the first iteration.
Just for fun: The Adidas Adizero Adios Pro 3 weighs between 7.7 and 8.4 oz, and the Asics METASPEED RAY is crazy light at 4.5 ounces (men’s size 9).
Stepping into the shoe, the first thing I noticed was how comfortable it was. The upper hugs your foot nicely but allows some give around the widest part of my foot. Essentially, I felt locked down, stable, and ready to run.
HIGHLIGHTS
Celebrating a PR, hosting a fundraiser, this, that, or otherwise? Send us a tip.
🎂Happy birthday to Gabi Migala.
Happy anniversary (9/30) to Tia Clair Toomey and Shane Orr.
Check out this 100-kilo/220 pound push press from Julia Hannaford. Daaaang!
😳Congratulations to Willy Georges, who just completed the Berlin marathon in 2:54:03.
🎶If you missed the Battle of the Camps playlist, be sure to listen here. All the athletes shared their hype songs with us over the weekend at Gymeapers WZA SoCal. Who do you think has the best taste?