5 months ago, she gave birth to her 4th child. Last week, she crushed a Hyrox.
Bridget Brown is a hybrid athlete and a working mom of four. In December, only nine weeks after giving birth to her youngest child, Bridget placed fourth in the Deka Fit Teams World Championships in Dallas. In February, just five months post-partum, Bridget finished third overall in the pro division of Hyrox Ft Lauderdale, with a personal best time of 1:07.
The Hybrid Letter talked with Bridget about balancing training with a packed schedule, bouncing back from pregnancy, and race strategy.
The interview has been edited for length and clarity.
The Hybrid Letter: What got you into Hyrox, Deka, and hybrid racing?
Bridget Brown: I did a Spartan race in West Virginia in 2020 and went with my friend Ricky. I ended up doing all three Spartan races that weekend, the Trifecta. I loved it, and I podiumed two of them and got first in my age group for both. That was my first ever Spartan. I was like, wow, this is really fun.
After that race, I started following some of the elite runners like Alex Walker and Kris Rugloski. Somehow Yancy [Culp, co-creator of Deka] and I got connected, and he reached out and asked me who’s my coach. I told him I didn’t have a coach, I don’t even really know what that means. I didn’t even know there was this elite world of the sport. I started following his program. I won one of the races, and he asked me how many burpees I ended up doing. I told him I did 120 burpees, I suck at obstacles. [Ed note: In Spartan races, burpees are assessed as a penalty for failing at an obstacle.] He said I must be really good at running and should try Deka. I did Deka Austin a few months later and ended up getting third in my first Deka behind Kris and Alex. I went all out in the first four zones and was in first. You can’t do that! I realized if I actually trained for this, I would know what to do.
THL: How has your training evolved from your early hybrid days to now?
BB: I’m not a “runner.” I’ve always been naturally good at running just because I grew up playing soccer and around soccer. But if you ask me my 5k time or 10k time, I have no idea. Running is just not in my background but I’ve always been competitive just playing a college sport. Since college, I’ve mainly done Orangetheory or HIIT-type classes. I dabbled in a little bit of CrossFit but never did CrossFit competitions.
I started working with Yancy and the volume was a lot higher than what I was used to. I would on average run four miles a week and some sprints on the treadmill during the classes. A few months later, I got a lot more specific and started working with Rich Ryan and his reinforced running program. I stopped working out at my local gyms and just did an open gym membership. I followed his online program, and my running increased a lot. I went from four miles a week to 20 to 25 miles a week. I know some people do 60 miles a week. But I also have a time restraint. I can’t put in more than 45 minutes to an hour. A one point I was pushing an hour and a half of exercise a day. Working full-time with kids, I just can’t add more than that.
THL: With four kids and a full-time job, how do you balance all your responsibilities and train?
BB: Family is definitely my top priority and they are what push me to do everything else. I’ve always been an early-morning person, even when I wasn’t in this hybrid world. 5 AM has always been my training time. Now I push it a bit closer to 4:30. I try to get it in because I walk my kids to school every day at 7. So I try to get a solid hour in during the morning. Every once and a while, I won’t go to the gym in the morning. And my kids are like: Why are you here? My husband is awesome. He helps get the kids ready for school and I come in and we are able to finish it off together. If I don’t get it done in the morning, I really don’t have time to do it. Even on the weekends, I still wake up around the same time because if I am going for a longer run or something else, I still have to get up in that 4:30 or 5 AM window.
THL: With all of the other things going on in your life, how have you approached race planning?
BB: I was pregnant most of 2023. In 2022, I tried to do one race a month. That could be at a local gym, a local Deka, or a stadium race. But I was definitely traveling more in 2022 than I ever had. I don’t remember the logistics of it all. But I felt like that was a lot. Now, there is no way. I don’t even know when the next race is for me, honestly. I definitely have to stay local. Even for the Fort Lauderdale Hyrox race, the logistics for me to get there were wild. Friday night, I was at my kids’ flag football championships for my two older ones, nine and seven. We had five football games starting at 5 PM in Tampa. My daughter ended up winning the whole thing. She won the championship, got a ring. We didn’t leave Tampa untill about 9 PM. We drove four hours to West Palm Beach, got there around 1 AM, and went to sleep around 1:30. woke up at 5 am, and drove another hour to Fort Lauderdale. I raced early in the morning Saturday. And then actually did a half marathon on Sunday morning. I wouldn’t have done Fort Lauderdale if it wasn’t driveable. I can’t miss my kids' things. I have major FOMO of missing even their practices. They definitely come first.
THL: You were pregnant five months ago. How have you managed to get back into race shape so quickly?
BB: This is baby number four. With the other ones, this was not a thing. I was always training but not for anything specific, just getting back into the gym. When I got pregnant this time, I was probably in the best shape of my life. Coming back, I knew my numbers and the things I wanted to hit. I qualified for Deka Worlds, and I was nine weeks post-baby. I tried really hard to go easy right after I had the baby. It’s hard when your mind wants to get back so much. I tried to work with Rich a little bit, but it was hard to do. I also went back to work at six weeks, part-time. I was nursing and pumping. Sometimes that is the hardest logistics – trying to feed your baby and your body. At Deka Worlds, my mind was there, but my body was definitely not prepared for that. I did fine. I was happy with it. But it was really at 12 weeks that I turned a corner, and my body started feeling better. I started working with Rich a little bit more, he was giving me workouts again just to be more consistent.
It is truly hard to juggle and I just try to not beat myself up. For Hyrox Ft. Lauderdale in particular, I just wanted to do a couple of Hyrox workouts before I jumped into it. But I really didn’t put a lot of pressure on myself. I wasn’t able to get to the gym like I wanted to and put in the hours so a lot of times I just ran. I felt much better with my running than the sled. I may have had the slowest time on the sleds. I got there in the middle of the pack and then everyone started lapping me.
But then remembered, two years ago, Kris [Rugowski] was last on sleds and won. I kept telling myself this is a marathon, it’s not a sprint. I have to pace myself. I know I didn’t feel good on the sleds but I knew once I got out of that station, I could catch up a bit on the running. Honestly, I hadn’t pushed a sled in a year and a half before that race.
If I had a 30 minute window, it’s much easier to run outside and take a stroller – build volume as much as I can. That is what Rich had told me to do. He said to just run whenever you can. Something is more than anything and it’s going to come back to you. I do think my running has come back pretty quick. Not where I was prior to getting pregnant but I feel really good.
THL: These races can be tough, and you have to mentally battle to keep going hard. What are your mental strategies to keep pushing, even when things aren’t going your way?
BB: I am not as strong in the stations, and I know that. In Ft. Lauderdale, the girls next to me on the rower were hitting 1:50 splits. If I really tried to run their race, I would blow up. It is about knowing what you can do. Having a plan, and sticking to your plan. My plan was to be a bit more conservative upfront because I know people go all out sometimes and burn that match. I stay in my lane and run my race rather than trying to chase someone.
THL: How do you think being a mom has prepared you for the unpredictability of a hybrid race?
BB: I mean, I feel like I have been preparing for a lack of sleep for the last nine years! You hear a lot of people talk about traveling and racing overseas. Just don’t let it be a problem. I know I can still function on four hours of sleep because I have been doing it for nine years. Ultimately, this is fun for me. It truly is. I was training a lot more in 2022, and I actually did have a lot of race anxiety, and it started to become not as fun. I had to step back and be like why am I doing this? No one else cares how well I do. I am putting pressure on myself.
My family is my priority, and they like to see me do well and put in the hard work. I have a lot of kids, and work full time. But I try not to make excuses for myself. It’s 4:30. It’s time to wake up. It doesn't matter if I woke up four times last night because my kid peed the bed. There’s no excuse. You need to get up and get it done. You’ll sleep tomorrow.
THL: What is your best piece of advice to someone racing for the first time?
BB: Hyrox, especially, is a marathon. Don’t get discouraged. Don’t go all out. It’s not a sprint. If I try to sprint that first 1000 meter ski, I’m done. Get uncomfortable, but not too uncomfortable. I’ve run three solo Hyrox races. After the rower, if I have extra juice, that is where I push.
But also, have fun! Especially if it is your first time. It’s an experience. The second time most people will cut minutes off their time just because and they’re familiar with the layout and what their body can really handle. Many people can go out and run an 8K, or do a 1000 meter ski, but when you put it all togethe, it’s a whole different ball game.
The community is really fun. I’ve met so many cool, like-minded people. Everyone is cheering everybody on. You run by your competitors, and they’re say, “Good job!” That is not how it is in all sports. The sport is really uplifting and positive competition.
You can follow Bridget on Instagram, where she shares more about her life and training.
Tip of the Week: How to throw a wall ball
Monroe Miller, a coach who specializes in technique, offers a key tip on wall ball form. Miller advises athletes to “keep your hands on the bottom hemisphere of the wallball” prior to release. Grabbing the ball on the sides “overuses your shoulders and makes it so you can’t finish the shot as high.” Putting your hands toward the bottom of the wall ball not only reduces the load on your shoulders but also allows you to increase your cycle rate.
Hybrid Athlete of the Week: Kam Khosh
Name: Kam Khosh
Age: 28
Hometown: Simsbury, CT
When did you start hybrid racing? As a former athlete I needed high level competition in my life again. I've been working out for 13 years now, but I haven't had anything specific to train for since college. When I found out about Spartan, DEKA, and Hyrox, it sparked an energy inside of me that was dormant for years.
Favorite race to date?: The first race I did was a Spartan Stadium Sprint at Nats Park. This was before doing any specific training for it. I went in blind, and thought I had to do 20 burpees after the rings and spear throw because everyone was, even though I was successful at both. At the finish line I thought I had done terrible because of the extra burpees, but checked my placement and got 16th out of 3000. I thought, "What if I actually trained for this, and didn't do those burpees?" And that's when this journey really began.
Do you have a race goal? I would love to do another Stadion Sprint and get on the AG podium. I have more fun and do better in shorter races. I have a love/hate relationship with Hyrox and a hate/hate relationship with long-distance running in general.
Favorite station? Wall Balls in Hyrox. Cause when you're done, you're DONE.
Least favorite station? Sled Push in Hyrox. This is where you realize what you've gotten yourself into, and have 6k and 6 stations to go.
Things you wish you knew when you started racing? Watch out for any symptoms of overtraining, and don't ignore them. There's a point where doing more and going harder will hurt you more than it'll help you. Be just as disciplined with your recovery as you are with your training.