"Fitness isn’t about suffering daily"

Mike Fecik, co-founder of The Holistic Athlete, has two decades of experience coaching endurance athletes. He is also a high-level Hyrox competitor, winning the doubles competition in the 40-49 age group at the Hyrox North American Championships last month with his partner Tiago Lousa. The pair completed the race in 52:15.

The Hybrid Letter spoke with Mike about his approach to coaching, the importance of a race plan, and how to overcome a bad race.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

The Hybrid Letter: What is your athletic background?

Mike Fecik: I started off in the triathlon world. I lived in Pennsylvania for most of my life and mostly raced 70.3s at a fairly high level. I got to work and train with some incredible athletes, and I really fell in love with the sport. After college, I did triathlon for about 15 years and eventually wanted to give back the knowledge I’d gained.

I bounced around a bit—worked at a physical therapy clinic doing front office work and also as a physical therapy tech. That’s where I learned a lot about body mechanics and how people move. From there, I shifted into the hybrid space. I actually prefer to call it “concurrent training,” with a main focus on building plans around bodybuilding and strength.

Later, I branched out on my own. My wife Maria and I created The Holistic Athlete. We’ve been doing that for the past three years, though I’ve been coaching for more than twenty. It’s been amazing to see how sports and training philosophies have evolved.

THL: What is your coaching philosophy at The Holistic Athlete?

MF: A lot of what we do is highly personalized. We’ve recently started offering group coaching, but our bread and butter is still one-on-one. I have a psych certification, so we incorporate psychology, and Maria has certifications in nutrition, which adds another dimension.

We’re trying to develop athletes in a truly holistic way—not just handing over a training plan and saying “report back.” There’s a big gap in the coaching world if you don’t take that broader approach. We’re always checking in with our athletes: How did this feel? What did you notice? The relationship becomes deeper than just coach and client.

THL: What’s the most important aspect of your work with clients?

MF: Our assessments take a deep look at running. It’s the best way to make gains in a Hyrox race—especially if you’re plateauing. A lot of people want to run fast all the time. They love speed workouts because they’re fun and punishing. But often, we have to pull people back and tell them: you need to run a little slower.

People tend to overestimate their Zone 2 and lactate threshold efforts. So we make the work fun but purposeful. We use interval-style workouts where you push hard and then come down again. We bring in track sessions that mix in compromised movements—like jumping lunges or jump squats after a run.

We see very little injury or burnout in our athletes. That’s often eye-opening for people, especially when they go from running 10–15 miles a week to 30–40, just by doing it right: hard days followed by easy days, followed by recovery. That progression matters.

THL: What’s your approach to improving strength?

MF: With concurrent training, the common trap is trying to go 100% all the time. But when you’re doing that day in and day out, you never actually hit 100%—you’re stuck at 70%, chronically fatigued.

People stack class after class or build programs that don’t allow for recovery. The result? They stagnate. Then they get worried if they’re not PR-ing or “dying” at the end of a workout. But fitness isn’t about suffering daily—it’s about making steady progress week after week, month after month. You can’t just bang your head against the wall every day.

THL: How do you prepare athletes for a race?

MF: We’re very performance-based. Everyone we work with is focused on hitting goals. One of the biggest things we do—something I brought over from triathlon—is creating a detailed race plan.

We start two to three weeks out and go through everything: the taper, race morning nutrition, warm-up, pacing. There’s always a Plan A, B, and C. That way, they’ve mentally run the race 15 times before the actual start. Nothing is left to chance.

We also prepare them to run without GPS, since Hyrox is an indoor race. A lot of people still don’t know how to handle that. So we build indoor pacing strategies based on 1K times, background, and goals. If it’s a two-lap course and you need to hit 2:45 per lap, you’ll know that heading in.

It’s part of broader athlete development. Some people show up on race day, eat a bagel, hit a few sprints on the ergs, and that’s it. But everyone’s different. I wouldn’t give a 60-year-old the same warm-up as a 25-year-old. We tailor everything so that on race day, it all feels like second nature.

THL: How do you help athletes recover from a bad race?

MF: It starts with how we frame races from the beginning. Every race is a learning opportunity. A bad result doesn’t mean your fitness isn’t improving—it just wasn’t your day.

We usually give our athletes 24 hours after a race with no contact. It gives them space to reflect without judgment. Then the conversation becomes: what did you learn? Not: what was your time or placing?

Even after a great race, there are lessons. Fitness builds day by day, race by race. It’s never just about one event.

THL: How was your race with Tiago Lousa in DC?

MF: We had both raced the day before in the solo open, so we knew the course layout well. I wouldn’t call it a warm-up—it was still a tough race—but having that knowledge was a kind of cheat code, as long as you don’t destroy yourself on day one.

Tiago is a stronger runner, so we had him start and finish each station. The course was packed—our wave alone had 88 people. As new waves kept going off, we had to constantly ask people to move out of the lane.

Our strategy was to move fast, recover at the stations, and stay smooth. Tiago would sprint ahead to each station, and I’d clear a path through the crowd so he could follow. It was cool to see how it all came together.

THL: How did you two become race partners?

MF: Tiago is actually my coach. He’s been coaching me for quite a while now, and we’ve worked closely together this year. He knows my body and training really well—and he’s great at reading people, which is super useful in doubles.

He’s in Portugal, and I’m in Canada, but we follow the same training plan and both have coaching backgrounds, so we’re able to play off each other really well.

THL: How did your solo race go in DC?

MF: Both races were priorities, but I beat my solo time by two minutes compared to last year, which I was happy with. That said, the solo open wasn’t my main focus. I hadn’t raced one in a while, and honestly, planning it was tough—the weights are lighter and it’s a different type of effort. It’s like comparing a 5K to a half marathon.

Because I didn’t have big expectations, it actually helped me. The lower-stress atmosphere let me relax and still perform well.

THL: What are your plans for the rest of the season?

MF: I’m heading to Barcelona with Maria, who’s doing the last chance qualifier. I grabbed an open ticket there just to race for fun. Then I’ll head to the World Championships in Chicago. That’s my big focus—solo on Saturday, doubles on Sunday.

So recovery planning is going to be huge. This race will help me fine-tune my nutrition and recovery strategy for going back-to-back.

You can follow Mike and The Holistic Athlete on Instagram.

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Watch: Red Bull's Hyrox documentary

Red Bull, one of Hyrox's sponsors, has created a four-part documentary series on the sport, "Beyond the Rox." The show follows Elite 15 athletes before and during the current season as "push themselves beyond the ordinary, racing against time and each other for a coveted spot at the World Championships in Chicago."

It could be an important step for gaining more mainstream attention for the sport. F1, for example, dramatically expanded its fan base after it was featured in a documentary series on Netflix.

Among the commentators featured in the series is Hybrid Letter contributor Lauren Smith. You can watch Beyond the Rox on Red Bull TV.

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Athlete of the Week: Sabine Nater

Name: Sabine Nater
Age: 49 years
Hometown: Leonberg, Germany

When did you start hybrid training? I started hybrid training in January 2024 when I first heard about HYROX. The combination of strength and endurance sounded like the ultimate challenge. I love pushing my limits, and hybrid racing—especially HYROX—felt like the perfect fit. The mix of running and functional fitness keeps things exciting, and there’s always something to improve.

Favorite race to date? HYROX Open Asian Championships in Hong Kong has been my favorite race so far. It really tested my resilience, and the energy at the event was unreal. I could have pushed harder, but I genuinely enjoyed every moment—and that’s what mattered most. Plus, the community at these races is incredible. The support from fellow athletes makes all the difference.

Race goal? Right now, I’m focused on leveling up in the HYROX Pro Division with the ultimate goal of winning my age group. Running is my biggest challenge, so I’m working hard to sharpen my pace while maintaining my strength for the stations. In April, I’ll take on my first Pro race in Taipei. An ankle injury has slowed me down, but it won’t stop me. Every race is a chance to grow, both physically and mentally.

Favorite station? Definitely the sled stations—both push and pull. They play to my strengths, and while they’re brutal, I love the feeling of powering through and seeing my training pay off.

Least favorite station? Wall balls. It’s an area I’m still working on, and I know improving here will make a big difference in my overall performance. But that’s part of the process—turning weaknesses into strengths.

Something you wish you knew when you started racing? I wish I had known how important running is in hybrid racing. Strength is key, but if you can’t run efficiently between stations, your time will suffer. Learning to pace myself, improve my running economy, and recover while running has been a game-changer. Hybrid racing isn’t just about how strong you are—it’s about how well you move between challenges.