Erika Odlaug Mind-Body Wellness

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Hyrox Anaheim 2025 in some bullets:
1:10.18 PR
🥇 AG win 40-44
#10 overall Pro Women.
Hot & Humid! A slow course!
A thrill to race with & .athlete & . Champions!
No regrets for going out a little hot. I rode over my threshold line a tiny bit in 1st half & it caught up with me though.
Usually go unbroken on Farmers, but my system said “Nope” despite my grip strength being tip top.
A wall ball PR. Change is happening!
Fasted run & rox zone to date.
Lunging felt 🤌🏻
The sweet feeling of the final ten walls. Enough to celebrate on its own.
2 weeks of rest now as we nerd 🤓 out on future plans with .matrix and the
How many donuts a week is too many donuts? I’m really into the choc glazed from Dunkin rn. Happy Holidays! 🎄❤️

Last June World Championship I finished 301/731 in the world & 38 in my AG in the Women’s Pro Division. This was with a brutal 3 minute penalty for entering the wrong station early. I went into the Farmer’s Carry before the Row. Had I not done that I would have been top 200 in the world overall & top 25 in my AG (my goal was top 25). My biggest Hyrox embarrassment. But, if you’ve competed at this level, you know the race brain is a real thing & I forgave myself & moved on. Looking back it’s a blip that has barely left a mark. I say that to mean if you’re stuck on a poor race performance now, it’ll surely pass. Look forward.

There are times in racing where I am completely disoriented. Wondering where I am & if I’ve done the right thing. We know that when the body isn’t getting enough oxygen & we are pushing at or slightly over threshold the brain deprioritizes “thinking” to protect survival. The limbic system takes over & the pre-frontal cortex down-regulates. Brutal!

I vowed to commit deeper this season. Dedicate more time. Lay a bigger base. Collaborate with .matrix. It paid off with 2 AG wins so far this season & taking the overall win 🥇in Mexico City. I even got to meet my favorite hyrox athlete .athlete in Anaheim. ❤️

I am proud of this, but I do want more & I refuse to believe I’m too old. I don’t just want to be fast for my age. I want to be fast.

Now, I’ll hang up my Hyrox hat for 2 weeks & let the body rest. I need this reset big time.

Not too many people talk about the post race feeling, but it’s an important time to let the nervous system reset. Mine is screaming to come back down to earth. Carbs, warm fires, family, reflection. Looking forward to a rejuvenating holiday season with the ones I love & excited for what’s to come.

.matrix

My first Hyrox Race was November of 2023. I wore leggings & No Bull high tops. I used to run in those because they had zero support & felt like running in converse. Minimalist shoes were a big help in my foot and ankle healing journey. Much of it was about coming home to myself, and what better way to come home than to feel? Minimalism made me feel the ground beneath me. After that Hyrox, my toes turned black & were bruised so I decided to switch to some Adidas shoes that felt ok on my foot for my first World Championships in Manchester in June of 2023. Since then I transitioned to . You’ll still catch me barefoot in the gym sometimes though. Thank you, feet!!

Chicago 2025 was my last World Championships & there have been several races in between. I’ve done 12 total races to be exact.

My best race was Houston 2025. My worst was Chicago 2023. I don’t remember a single race that didn’t hurt or where I didn’t kind of want to quit at the ski erg . Every one has been a test of character & shown me parts of myself that only these kinds of physical tests can.

When I look at these photographs, at first, I judged my body.
Then I embraced the memory & that noise faded toward the background a bit.

I cry after every race. Hard. Full blown meltdown. A release 😅

There was a time in my life I was Elite. When I felt exceptional.
I used to worry then. A lot.

Sometimes I’m chasing that old time. That elite feeling. But. I think the more important feeling is coming home to myself. That place where the noise falls toward the background, like I said. Where my life feels on fire (but, like, in a good way). When I train, I feel home. When I race, I feel home. When I sit quietly and watch my thoughts, I also feel home.

My story is not a triumph story. It’s more of a “she didn’t but it’s ok” story. I’m not exceptional. No one knows my name. I’m becoming.

That doesn’t matter, though. I know what greatness feels like to me. I’m chasing that feeling. Some days it’s on top of a podium. Other days it’s in the stillness of my breath. It’s sharp & it’s alive. I’m chasing that.

.matrix

A first taste of December & this I know to be true:
I am a seeker. Always have been. Always will be. That which brings pleasure & satisfaction & meaning & even purpose doesn’t necessarily have clarity. It’s messy & uneven. You can have purpose without clarity. 🤯

Call me a scientist too? Because I’m dissecting the psychological ingredients. The heart of what feels right. And change is coming. I can feel it. I can taste it.

We are going one more round in Anaheim December 14, but my body is not happy with me. Taking a couple days to recalibrate & give the body some TLC to get it race ready. I think she’ll come around! 🤞 😏🙏🏼

Yesterday’s threshold:
50 m sled push
2 min assault bike (hurts so good)
50 m lunge
2 min bike
40 wall balls
4 rounds
😂 Thanks to .matrix for putting up with these shenanigans!

November was full of highs & lows. There’s much to be grateful for. Sunny sports bra & shorts days. A body that can jump & Autumn colors. Before & after faces. A gym to call my own with quiet space to scream yes I can. I’m grateful even to those that took advantage of me this month.Reminded that what you put out always comes back to you. I’m reminded that I’m messy, but I’m disciplined too. And perhaps the key to success is listening inside to your deeper calling & chasing that full throttle. Looking in the mirror, but also looking up at God, and saying thanks, You. To both. And thanks to those that came before me to show me what it means to be good. To be kind. And to lead with love above all else.