Why January is the Most Misunderstood Phase of Hybrid Training

January makes people rush to prove themselves. After December, everyone wants evidence that they’re still disciplined, still fit, still in control. Hybrid athletes feel this pressure immediately. Numbers, pace, effort, all demanding answers before the body is ready to give them.

January isn’t for proof. It’s for positioning.

The advantage isn’t training harder, it’s holding back. Those who do are usually the ones still progressing when early intensity starts to collect its debt.

Quote of the Week

“Progress rarely announces itself week to week.”

It shows up months later with receipts…

2026: year of the hybrid - Garmin reports a 29 per cent rise in strength training activity. Endurance athletes are lifting. Lifters are running.

Hybrid is becoming the default training style. The problem has moved on. It’s no longer what to train, but how to let strength, running, and conditioning coexist without one adaptation cannibalising the others.

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When Strength Redefines What’s Possible..

Julius Hafþór Björnsson announced in January that he will attempt to extend his own deadlift world record later this year. He currently holds the mark at 510kg and believes 550kg is possible, if not now, then eventually.

The ambition goes back to 2020, when he targeted Eddie Hall’s 500kg lift. That record attempt, and the controversy around it, shifted expectations regardless of debate.

What matters is the pattern. In 2015, the world record stood at 463kg. One year later, 500kg was pulled. Now 550kg is being discussed seriously.

Whether it happens or not is secondary. Strength progresses when someone proves the limit was never fixed, only waiting to be moved.  

Jamie Barker, Edge Performance Coach

HYROX is Becoming a Social Platform, Not Just a Race

HYROX has partnered with SURF, a US-based dating app, to launch HYROX-specific dating preferences, branded meetups, and a Station 9 after-party concept built directly into race weekends.

The signal isn’t novelty, it’s intent. HYROX isn’t just organising competitions anymore, it’s facilitating connection. Shakeout runs, singles events, and shared preferences tied to training culture point toward a format that sees athletes as a community, not just competitors.

Racing is becoming the anchor, not the endpoint. HYROX is positioning itself as a lifestyle ecosystem, where training, identity, and social life overlap by design.

What to Eat Before a Park Run

January always brings new runners to parkrun, and this year the most common question isn’t about pace or shoes, it’s food. What to eat before a 5k, how early, and whether it even matters.

Focus on easy carbs and nothing experimental. A mix of simple and complex carbs with a touch of fat. A great example of this would be toast, peanut butter and banana/honey.

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3 Things Worth Watching

🏁 Jake Dearden’s 2:22 Marathon - Jake absolutely smashed his Marathon pb by 6 minutes with a 2:22 race, his journey to sub 2:20 continues.

🏃‍♂️Justin Truett’s Road to Olympic Trials - Justin is reaching for qualifying for the Olympics for team USA in the marathon distance, incredible athlete and watch.

🤕 Brock Kelly’s Build From Injury - Brock is a college runner, coming back from injury, with some great tips on how to avoid setbacks.

🏋️ DITL of Amanda Kimiko - Hybrid Athlete - A full BTS of how Amanda trains for strength and endurance whilst maintaining recovery.

Our Final Note

Strength doesn’t improve by forcing outcomes. At Edge, we prioritise long term capacity so progress lasts beyond one lift or one cycle.

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