GYM GIRLS LOCKER ROOM - Hyrox World Record Holder: Inside Sinead Bent’s Rise to the Top With Sinead Bent

Episode Date: March 31, 2026

S3 EP9 – Hyrox World Record Holder: Inside Sinead Bent’s Rise to the Top (@sineadbent)Join us for the first ever live recording of the podcast with Hyrox royalty Sinead Bent. Sinead is a current Hyrox world record holder… and she’s only just getting started. Sinead is officially one of the fastest and most inspiring athletes in the sport right now, but what makes her story even more powerful is how she got here, with relentless dedication, smart coaching, and an unwavering belief in her ability to perform when it matters most.From winning her very first Hyrox race to now holding a world record, Sinead’s rise has been rapid and relentless. Behind the performances is a highly structured approach to training, fuelling, and race execution, combined with a mindset that thrives under pressure, all while staying incredibly humble.In this episode, we break down what it actually takes to become a world record holder in Hyrox, from race-day execution to the small details most athletes overlook.In this episode, we cover:*From first race WIN to WORLD RECORD: how it actually happened*Training tactics for elite Hyrox performance*Race strategy secrets: pacing, judging drama & executing under pressure*Solo vs Doubles: key differences and picking a partner*Race day rituals, from fuelling to glam*The biggest Hyrox mistakes (and how they’re costing you time)*Training hard vs training smart: intensity, recovery & longevity*Genetics vs work ethic: what really makes the difference?*What’s next: future races, bigger goals & Olympic potentialSinead’s story is proof that greatness is built through consistency, trust in the process, and executing when it counts, and she’s only just getting started.🎧 New episodes every Tuesday
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Hello and welcome back to the Jim Girls' Lockerun podcast, hosted by me, Sydney Cassidy. If you do enjoy this episode and you do love the podcast and you would like us to keep bringing you more amazing, fantastic guests, then do us a favour and give our episode and our podcast a big five-star review on wherever platform you're listening to us on. It really means the most. In the space of just one year, today's guests went from not knowing the order of the stations to breaking world records. She is a Hirox Elite 15 athlete who entered her first race in May 24 won it and then ranked 8th in the world, just like that. By December, she'd set a 58-minute solo world record and a doubles world record in her age group. So how do you go from being a newbie in the sport to world record holder in seven months? In this episode, we're going to dive into what it actually takes to go from talented to world class,

how to build a mindset that performs under intense pressure, and what it actually takes. to reach the Elite 15. If you've ever wondered what it takes to get to the top, this one is for you. I'd like to welcome to the podcast, Shanei Bairn. Thanks for having me. How are you, house things, where you are at? God, do you know, I'm feeling so fit.

I'm really excited to race again. It's been so long, like, my last race was Melbourne in December and, what are we now, February, March. Yeah, so is that... Like, I'm excited. I'm wearing to go. I need a race. Yeah, because I feel like you are go, go, go, go, go.

But what is your normal, like, schedule you have going? I don't race a lot. I feel like some people race all the time, but I don't. I tend to give it 12 weeks is a good time to get fit. Like, you're not going to notice anything in a month, but give it a good 12 weeks and you can see a difference. So like going into Melbourne, I didn't feel my fittest. I just fought until the end because I wanted to qualify.

I was like, I'm not going to Australia to not qualify. So I think I just got through off like willpower, but now I've had time to get back fit. I'm feeling good. So I can't wait to do what I can do. I can't wait to dive into it all. But to begin with, we always like to ask people at the top of the episode, what is your workout split? So please tell us. What are you doing?

What are you doing? What are you doing currently or what do you normally do? What does Shanade's training split look like? I'm probably train every day, twice a day. No, I have one day off, but then sometimes it's an active recovery day. I run almost every day. I don't do a lot of compromise stuff, so let's say I'll do two to three run sessions a week and then one upper body, one lower in the gym and a full body hierarchy.

So that would be the split. Also, Shanada was telling me earlier that I find it really surprising that you don't have, You just train yourself. Yeah. So you're like at the top of the world, the game, like high rocks as a sport, and you're just doing it yourself. I just love exercise. Boring.

No. I think I find it hard to like trust somebody to coach me because I've been a runner for so long. So everybody that does high rocks now hasn't really got the same background as me. So they'll tend to go into doing like lots of bike sessions and lots of. of compromise running but personally my fitness comes from running so I'm gonna work with what I've got and I think the high rocks coaches maybe don't necessarily work with you and they'll just give me a pro that's what I'm worried about not to say I've tried but I just think like if I've made it to the top by doing what I'm doing then

I'll just carry on doing what I'm doing. Yeah why don't you do it? Yeah so that first high rocks you did like talk us through it what the like my partner did high rocks and I saw that lots of people were doing it but because I love running so much and I wanted to be good at it. I just couldn't stop running and racing and I wanted to like get milliseconds off my time. I didn't want to stop until I'd got this time. So I just, I weren't buying myself a ticket. And then he bought me a ticket three days before. I was like, by the way, we're going to London in three days. You've got this high rocks. I was like, what? So we got there on the train. I'd worked on the Friday, got the train down there, looked at my time and it was 8.20 in the morning.

So no shops were open or anything. Didn't even get a call. just went into this race. By the way, that was when I started running with the farmers carry from day one. I was like, why not just get this race over with? Why is everyone walking just run? And then my partner filmed the whole thing and he was laughing his head off at me. I'm like, what are you laughing at? Is this not what you're meant to do?

And then I did 101 there and he was like, you've won this. I did that. We've got to wait until Sunday yet. There's a few more. He was like, no, you know, that's good. You've won this. What was like the atmosphere, there like was anyone kind of like whispering no it's dead i was 8 20 in the morning there's no one there

and i hadn't been to one before so i didn't know what to expect yeah um yeah i just felt like you're just in a random venue just racing like a sports hall like you're at school again um but when i'm in that race mode i will just send it like i am racing against myself and i just want to do the best i can do so i still um just went for it and then there was he asked someone maybe one of the judges and they were like, no, you've still got to wait until the end of the weekend. So in my head, I'm still thinking, oh, well, someone might beat me yet. And then a couple of weeks later, we looked on the rankings and that was when we saw that was eighth in the world.

So it's like, you need to go all in with this. And I was like, I still want to get a P.B. and running yet, though. So what happened, like, so you get eighth in the world? Yeah. And then does it explode from there? No. No. No, because Hi, Hirox was still new, so everybody was doing it.

like nobody knows a little me from Manchester with like 300 followers or something like who's going to recognise that I think at that time people weren't looking at the results and saying oh who's this person let's follow them I think this year maybe after the world 2025 it's massive compared to like previous years

I think even Hierox themselves said we've doubled in size and numbers and that's why like some of the events are four days long but it wasn't really like that last year it was probably half. So maybe I got in it the right time. I think you did. I think you definitely did. What do you, so are you like in it?

This is your thing? Like how much is it? Yeah. I think I am now. Yeah. But it took me a while to be like that. Because I have had to sacrifice some running for the gym and high rocks. And when you do the gym workouts, you do feel tired going for a run the next day.

So I'm probably not as fit as I would be if I was just running and probably a bit heavier as well, like more muscle than I had. So yeah, I've had to really think about stopping, like being really good at running to be okay at running and then good at this. Yeah, because what is like the, what are the things that like genetically are your advantages in high rocks? Like what are the things that are going to set you out and make you like? different. Yeah. Probably that I'm more musly than other runners. Like if I was to stand on a start line, I'd definitely look bigger than the other girls.

And I always knew that. I mean, we were always told that you need to be more powerful so that you don't get injuries. But I think genetically I probably do have, like, thicker thighs than some of the other girls who are genetically really skinny. So probably, like, when I was running, something was missing. and then now high rucks has come along. If I'd have done that when I was younger, maybe I would have been number one then because I liked the gym and running

and not just one. So like when, obviously you said you've always done sport, always done running. Are you used to winning? Like, is that new for you? Or are you just a talented little queen? I think maybe like when I was at school, I used to win.

And that's where my teacher told me that you need to go to a running club. But when you, expand that and then you go to national and then like you go to the English schools. I didn't win I came last at the English schools but I was still really good in Bolton

and then off. So no I wouldn't say I'm used to winning. I think I've nearly won all of my high rock races so going to the majors now obviously I don't win anymore but I'm still like well you're running against the best 15 people in the world

so it's still like unreal to be in that category. So no, I definitely achieve higher now than I did when I was just a runner. What is that feeling like, like standing on the podium, getting the PVs? Because I do feel like, I don't know about you guys, I feel like it's like constantly with you guys. It's like, got a new PB, got a new PV. I think all the courses change all the time, don't they? So I just don't take the PV seriously because like you might have done it on one course,

which has got five run laps and then you do it on a two run lap course. So you can't really compare it. So I just think go for position for me personally at the moment and just qualifications. What are the differences between the different like venues that really excite you? And like what do you see? Probably that, you know, like I think a lot of people do get bogged down

with trying to go for a time. So it then takes that out of it. So you're not thinking about that. You're just racing. And then maybe like if the venue is the same, wouldn't that get boring so at least you can mix it up honestly sometimes i forget what the stations are now and i just look for a number like have you you know when you did it right was it in order probably not it's like one two free four it's that all over yeah because it makes it fun i find it

i mean i'd love to know how it is for you as someone that's like at the top because me as a mere just like you know average person i'm just like what the hell like tracking the the brain power it requires to even just like track. It's a lot of thinking, isn't it? I think my last one I did. I think I actually did an extra lap. I'm pretty sure I did. Yeah.

Yeah. So how's that for you? And like what are your, what do you do? It's a fear every time going into it. Do you have like a little. No, I don't. I just try and count. And they say there's a screen that people look at, but I just don't have time to do that.

Too speedy? Yeah. Literally. No. I think I just, I don't know. I just hope for the best. or because when you're on the grid there's only 15 people in it so you work out who is in front of you when you last you pass the last station

so if they're going to go in then you go in so she's done a wrong lab I'm doing a wrong lap if I've forgotten how many laps I've done or is that's the most like anxious bit about it because in the elites now they make you wait at the war balls so you finish the whole race and then you have to wait at the war balls for your penalty so one of the girls had a three minute penalty because she forgot to do one of the lanes on the sleds. So she had to sit there for three minutes whilst everybody had finished and she was like third or something. She was crying her eyes out and it's on the live stream. So embarrassing. How are you under like pressure and performing when I've seen videos when you guys are doing your races and it's just like so many people

are watching. Do you thrive off of it or do you? Do you know what? I never thought I would but I actually do. I think I don't really think about everybody else. I just think about me and just get into the highest position I can. You know, like I just stay in my lane. I don't think about the external noise. Do you feel like you've got to a certain point now where you do know the sport like the back of your hand so you're able to kind of just like get in there

or do you feel like you're constantly still like discovering stuff about it obviously because it's still relatively new in terms of sport, you know? No, I think it's changing all the time. the elite grid is new five laps was new like imagine all of those corners five times no i think every time i go into it i still feel just as nervous yeah i think well you've put all the effort in to get here and you've done all the work so whatever happens happens and just don't like deep it too much what are some like favorite memories of yours probably doing Manchester and i mean it wasn't like it wasn't as fast as the time as I've got now,

but all of your friends watching you're in cheering you on and you're sat on the row and you're dying and they're just stood in front of you're screaming at you. And then at the end all of the hugs, that's probably one of the most memorable. Yeah, like, home crowds. Are you a, like, what kind of... I remember when I did my high rock loss,

one of my friends was like, I need to ask you this before because it's very, like, important. Are you a sympathy, like, you can do this, Sid? or are you get out there and like what kind of what do you throw over oh my god definitely sympathy really don't shout on me don't shout me yeah I feel like I would have expected you to be the other way around no be nice to me but are you like pretty like are you aware of what's going on around you or are you pretty

locked in yeah I think I'm just locked in just waiting for it to end yeah talk about that like dealing dealing with the pain, fighting through it. Like the solo race, it's different to the doubles because if I was to compare it to running, I'd say it's more like a 10K where you're just constantly going through this state of tempo. And if you go too fast and you reach lactic, then you burn out and you need to just go,

it's like torture, isn't it? Going steady the whole way. And then if you do doubles, it's like a 400 metres session, so you get a rest. So you do 400, you get rest, do 400 get rest. So they're very different workouts. But I find that exciting because it's not the same thing over and over again. What is your preference on doubles solo?

Yeah, good question. It's on home. She's like, I can do it all. No, I like them both. They're both different. They are really different though, if you think about it. Like from your, like, from the perspective of someone who's like really trying to like absolutely smash you do it obviously for your job and stuff they are yeah i i feel like the difference from i i certainly

notice like from having a partner to then being in it by yourself yeah the strategy is different the way you're like going about it like i was really surprised to see that with a solo you are always keeping something in the tank i don't know why i expected to be like literally on the floor i mean you probably are because you're competing and i'm just like la la la la you do you do do you have to hold a little bit back, don't you? Yeah, because you've got to get to the end. It's like you can't, well, that personally, I can't physically push myself to that level because I subconsciously know that I'm only halfway. Or like sometimes I feel after the row, I come into my own and I actually, I start getting faster. And I think it's because in, say,

a 10K race, I'll start off faster and I sort of die and I lose motivation a little bit or like your head goes. And then I come back through and I do the same. high rock so I'll like start off good and then I'm like okay this has got an hour left and then you're like okay nearly there now it's like a process that go through I I couldn't I couldn't do it you have well yeah but I mean at your level at the moment I get like a little bit of like oh I don't want to do it I'm not walking I had my solo I had like judges that wanted to chat with me and I was so here for it just have a chat um what are some like things like share some little secrets and some tips you found along the course for anyone else

that's like thinking about competing or does compete like what are some nuggets of information you can give us. Yeah, some secrets. Yeah. As long as you look good, you feel good. So wear a nice outfit. Yes, yes. You know, wear you make or put your mascara on.

Wear some cool shoes. Yeah. Maybe like tips for the race, I would say keep moving and try not to stop. So as long as you're just doing a little power walk or a jog, because the clock's always ticking. If you were to take a rest, or not like a, maybe an active rest, I'd probably do it on the row. The rows of my sort of recovery.

And then some people do that on the farmers carry. So if you're not conditioned to run and you're more of a gym person. don't run the farmers carry. Like I run because I'm good at running so I can keep running after that. But if running is your weakness, then I probably won't run that station and then run after that as well.

So just, yeah, plan it and tactically think about it and work with your strengths and your weaknesses. Because everyone's a different. So you might be really good at the urgs. So you send the urgs and you might maybe hold back a little bit on the sled. Yeah, there is like so much nuance in the race.

Every race you do, you think, I'm going to try better at that next time. And then you do. And then the next race, you're like, okay, I need to try better at that now. And I think that's what keeps everyone coming back. Because there's so much to think about eight different things you got to get good at. The other day I was watching the guy who is the world record holder for the ski.

And he skis so differently to everybody else. So I tried it. And I was like, whoa, I'm so out of breath trying to do that. But if you did that and then got really good at the next station and the next station, like, is that going to tax you because you're putting it all together? You know, like if you was a professional skier, doesn't mean you're going to be really good at high rocks you've got to be okay at all of these things yeah what are like the things that you've seen have really made like vast improvements in terms of like

your performance as a whole yeah for the race like be it technique or yeah oh my god yeah if you watch my first high rocks to now my technique is rubbish people still on the live commentary take the make out of my technique and i'm thinking you do it hey as long as you get it done Yeah. I'm still going faster than maybe if I were, so on the row you have to be really composed, right? And sometimes I'm like throwing myself back and forth. But if I can go faster doing that, then keeping composure, then do it, right? Is there some validity of what they're saying or no? What's your opinion on that like in terms of form? Yeah. I just think, well, do it the most efficient way possible. And if that means throwing yourself, then do it. Because like on, say burpees. if you were to jump up every time, how tired are you going to be after 80 meters?

But if you kneel up, yeah, that's not a proper burpee, but it's allowed. So why wouldn't you save your energy and then use it somewhere else in the race? So yeah, I think efficiency over proper technique. Valid. You know, in terms of, I know a lot of people struggle with the judging,

how is it for someone who's like at the top elite? Oh my gosh. Because I imagine you're under like intense. scrutiny. Yeah, it's really harsh. Every single person has a judge the whole time watching your every move, literally when you're doing the lunges, they're like this, bobbing the red up and down, watching if your knees touching the floor. I think the first time I did it and I had lots of judges all around me, one of my first pro races, they gave me so many no reps on the wall balls. And I just dropped the ball and I was really frustrated because I just was like, I'm running out of steam here

and you're criticizing me on something that probably is parallel, like, you come and do it. It's so harsh. But I get it at the same time. Like if we weren't following these standards and we were all just getting away with it, then they're never going to make an Olympic sport. They do have to standardise it somehow.

Yeah, because that's the debate at the moment, isn't it? Is that like there were perhaps areas where Hirox wasn't. standardized and it's like I've heard murmurs about oh is it going to be in the Olympics and so is that what they'd need to do they'd need to make sure that it's something that's like completely repeatable yeah that yeah they have control over yeah definitely um so I think just learn the tennie just learn the rules anyway um where do people mostly go wrong is it like lunges because perpies if your feet aren't parallel so you you have to Before you jump, your feet have to be parallel, which is really hard if you're tired.

To step up, and you need to be flexible as well, to step your foot there and the other one right next to it. If you're rushing, you're like a little bit in front, but that's then a warning and then a 15 second penalty. Yeah, that's the hardest one. Yeah, burpees. They're horrible. Rough. Like, I feel like I'm fairly decent at that, but when you combine, like, all of the running with it, you just get so gassed out. And you said you don't do much like compromise training.

I'd heard people say that about like high rocks in general that like there's so many different approaches to training because people don't really know because it's so new. And yeah, do you think that works out for you? Yeah. Not doing. I think because my run sessions are so intense, I then can't run intensely the next day. So where would that fit into my program? It's like if I've done a track session, it's a VOTOMX session.

so it's hard and the next day would be my easy arrest day and that's how my weeks planned out but if I was to do a compromise run then I'd sacrifice my track session or my track session is what makes me good so you just got a way up what works it's always it's always about like intensity like you know when people say like oh like you know your average like gym goer when they say like oh yeah I'm going gym like every day it's like yeah but to what intensity yeah so I mean so I guess Yes, yeah, that makes sense. What was I going to say? I was going to say something about that.

But everyone's effort is relative. You know, like, I might be going at a faster pace than you, but we're still our P-E-8. Yeah, no, definitely. I was going to ask you, so obviously she's training every day. What does recovery look like for you? Is that a crucial element to be able to do this level of intensity, this volume? I have learned since being more of a full-time athlete. not to train more, but to recover more.

It's so easy to just go, okay, I've got a little bit more time now, shall I add in an extra session? But when you're at this level and you're so fit, you're just like tinkering on injury all the time. You wake up with a niggle and then something else might, you know. So, yeah, just lots of rehab, prehab, like massage. I never used to be able to afford it. But now that I have a bit more money,

I am investing in having a massage every week because I just think like, I'm not going to be here forever. I'm not going to be able to do this forever. I've only got a couple more years left because she's old. So just do it. Just pay for it. Just pay 40 quid for the massage. And what does the massage?

Helps with the circulation, get rid of any lactate, and blush that out. Yeah. And then diet, nutrition. Yeah. I just love food. As you should. So I make sure that I get all of the things

that I should get in, but don't get me wrong, like, I'll still snack in the evening if I want it. I don't count calories. I think for me, like, I drain so much that I need the fuel. So I'll eat if I'm hungry or I'll eat when I'm not. I just keep eating. Is it more like, are you just kind of in tune with, like, macros and making sure you're hitting? Yeah. Like, I don't gain weight and I don't lose weight.

So I probably, I just know my body, I think. You know, make sure you have your three big meals. But if you've gone to the gym and it's been an hour, you're probably going to need a snack as well. What are your like go-to pre-workout meals? Bagel, banana and honey. Yeah, definitely. Nice. Do you know what?

It's really rogue, but I like to drink bone broth. Okay. Because it's got collagen in it. Yeah. And like if you're getting older, your ligaments are, you know, you've got less estrogen in them. So bone broth has lots of collagen in it. So maybe that's like my trick. I've seen loads of pregnant women.

Yeah. been having them post-birth. That would make sense. Maybe you just everyone should get on it. Yeah. Wait, what did you say? Your ligaments are more lax when you're pregnant. Well, I was going to say to you, so I don't know if people know this,

but you're actually trained as a physiotherapist, right? How does that impact, well, or how does it benefit you as a athlete? Things like that, knowing that you need to have the collagen. Yeah. Prehab stuff. So make sure you do your activation exercises, running drills. Yeah. Don't get me wrong.

I'll still get injuries like. I'm not like, what do you call it, made of steel. Like, I still get injuries just because you do so much. Is it, because I know you've always trained like with some level of like intensity and like frequency, but do you think it's just because you're like going for it? You always, because this is your thing, you're like trying hard with it all the time. Yeah, because it's still new. Haryks is still new to me.

So I guess I don't know how sometimes to hold back in the gym and I probably might go too hard even now. And in terms of like where you train and how you train, are you solo? Are you group? Oh, I love running a group. It's so much better. Have you tried? Like running in a group or just on your own? Yeah. If you was in a run session, it's so much better in a group. Oh, I can imagine. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Because like, even if you're not, you're not competing with them, but it's having someone there that pushes you. Even if not in front behind you. I don't want them to come past myself.

Yeah. And then what about like your gym sessions? I do them on my own. I'd like to do it with people. But finding someone where your session aligns and you both doing the same thing. Yeah, that's the thing. It's like also, I imagine for you

because you're on like a program, that's tough. And then also just like, I always find when you're with people, it's so great for a social activity, but then you actually just are there forever and you don't really do much. I was talking. Yeah, yeah.

Oh my God, I've done nothing. I've got another session to go, that's when you'll probably get injured because you talk too much and not eating. Yeah, me. So you've got, what's your next race you've got coming up? London in two weeks. London in two weeks.

And like, do you go into each one with a set goal? What's like the... Yeah. So if it's a major, you want to qualify for the world. So you have to come top three in one of the majors to qualify for the world champs. Um, this one is the euros. So you just want a position, I guess, to be whatever position you are in Europe.

Um, there's three of them. So there's an Asia one and then a America one. And then there's this Europe one. Um, the top person, the winner does go to their elite 15 worlds as well. However, because I've already qualified, it doesn't matter. It'll roll down to the next person. So yeah, this one's more of a position just to see like, how you compare to everyone else in Europe.

And then as well, they have just changed the system for the elites to, you have to do five races from September to September and gain points to qualify for the next year's majors. So you've got to think about that now. I wouldn't really have done London because it might be too many races back to back with Warsaw a month later. However, I've only done one race so far between September and September. So I need four more races now before then to qualify for next season. So it's a little bit tricky. Wow, I've got.

They are adding so much and like changing it. This is it. Like every year there's a new rule. Yeah. You're only allowed to race with somebody's from the same country as you now in the next season. Yeah. So I'm quite lucky that me and Lucy joined up ages ago because we're from the same country. So it's fine.

Don't need to find a new partner. Because then you'd still have to do, I think, three races as a double to qualify for next season. So imagine five. finding a partner now and having to race three times as well as five solos. Yeah. There's a lot. Are a lot of the people, like the elite people, are they switching over into the different races or are a lot of them kind of like, would you call it specialising?

Like, are they? Yeah, I think that might happen. I think you might get more specialist doubles athletes and then solo athletes. I think you might start seeing that because it's tough doing two back to back. Yeah. Yeah, because you do them literally. Yeah. within the weekend right yeah you don't sleep which is not good for you

insane I need two days off after that because I always see it like when I see when you've raced I see on my feet I'm like oh my god amazing and then it will literally be like a cycle in the next 24 hours I'm like oh okay she's done that again and she's broken another record that's crazy do people um get territorial over like their partners like yeah oh my god yeah I felt like maybe yeah that would be the case yeah I think tell us what Maybe on the men's side, they seem to switch a lot, but I don't know, how would you feel if you was with someone and then they decided to go with somebody else? Yeah, but I would feel not great. Yeah.

Do people do that or not? Yeah. I think maybe on the men's side more. I guess because you, also, it's hard because you're probably like working on it together, like, pouring into, like, technique and, like, how to get better. And then... Maybe. Me and Lucy don't. You just swing it. Yeah.

Because I'm from Manchester. She's from London. And we have two different coach. Well, don't coach myself. She has coach. But like, we're completely different athletes. I think the difference is we both just want to do really well. So it works because when we're in a race, we just recognize that someone's tired.

Okay, you move. And you're just watching all the time. So, yeah, I don't. really feel like you need to work with each other in training to be good at it. Have you done mixed before? Yeah, with my partner. Oh, yeah. Yeah.

So it's not something you regularly do. No. I feel like once you get to a certain time, there's only so, like, you can't really get any faster. I don't know if you've noticed with the mix, the times are all quite similar. So it is always based on how fast the girl is. because the guy could run faster, right? So they're just waiting for you.

And they tend to say that the guy will do all of the stations and the girl just keeps up. So it's not as fun. Yeah, I get that. You don't feel like you've, you just ran. You basically ran just 8K. It's not high rocks. I know, I know.

I notice that, and I find it really interesting when I see people that have done the mix and seeing the different, like, physique. Yeah. Because they differ a lot with the guys. Like, it's like, I don't know. Obviously, you said earlier, like looking good is a big crucial element of racing what do you look for I feel like are you just

an aesthetic person or do you look for like clothing that you can like that's more performance focused when when I train I wear different stuff to what I race in when I race I like to wear something really thin and movable when I'm squatting I don't want to get called up on those no reps anymore from depth so I make sure I can move in my shorts and then I like to wear like minimalistic in training, but then when I'm racing, I like it high, just so you've got nothing to worry about. Yeah.

You know, you don't have to worry about your kit. You're just thinking about the race. So, like, this set is about to come out, interval. And it's good for everything running and gym. However, when I'm racing, I'd probably wear an everyday seamless, something that's really thin from gym shop. I know what you mean because, like, I, prior to, like,

my last high-rox I did. You wore a high one, didn't you? Yeah, so I'm like, you know, I like to say I've got enough boobs for just a handful. And so I'm like, I can get away with minimal bras, but I also do need like high support as well. And I thought it was such a nice experience because like you go to a high rock, because you see everyone has sports bras. But I thought it was so nice. I went for like a high neck like long line vest.

And it was so nice to just not have to think about it. Yeah. It really does make a difference. not having to like readjust and I did that because I was doing a solo and I was just like I really don't want to have to be like worrying about this as well um but yeah do you do you struggle with like taping or anything like that do you have any tips I know so many people when they're running I just like yeah how do I stop the chafing um I haven't really noticed it you know in high rocks but I have like in running races I think it's when you get wet so like moisture

but just vasili in it um In terms of footwear, what are your trainers that you're going to the grave with? The new Hirox Pumers. Oh, yeah. And how so? They are wider, so they've got more grip and more stability when you're going around the corners. They still have a carbon plate in them, so they're fast. They're a bit heavier than just a running shoe on its own, but obviously with Hirox, it's not just running, so you need the stability.

I have noticed in other shoes that when... if you've got more corners, it's less stable, so you want a wider base. So, yeah, they're really good. How did you find the, because they switched up the turf, didn't they? Oh, yeah. So like this. Yeah, how did you find footwear, like, affected that? Oh, it's slippy, I think, because there's more, like, fibers.

The new rule is you're not allowed to even step on the front line now if you're doing the pull. so if you're just on the line and you go to pull your feet will like just they won't slip but the carpet moves forward slightly so you'll just get a penalty for even touching the line it's not even worth it now but I think that's probably all shoes it's the carpet more so yeah so yeah so people were like not happy about that when they they switched that people were like kicking off um I have to ask you as a curly-haired girl yeah what is the situation with training that much and washing your hair. Like you'll get one good day out of it.

Then it's like wonky. It's not even curly. You know what I mean? As soon as I put it up, that's it. I'm going to have a line there now. So yeah, it curls, but it all curls to the movement of whatever you're doing. So what are you like updoes most of the time? Yeah, because it's the gym.

I'll go to the hairdressers and then I'll train and that's it. It's done one or two days and we're done and then we're scraping it back. You could literally follow my Instagram of the journey of what, what day I'm on for the hair wash. I always think that. Okay, it's curly. She's just washed it. Right, it's scraped back.

She'll do a wash. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And it's just getting like more and more slick back. Yeah. Yeah. Do you have like a race day hairstyle? I'll make sure I wash it the day before. So it's just ready, it's curly.

And then shove it up. I always do like, I always have to do like off my face. I can't be having it in my face. Oh, I still do. Oh yeah, you do. Yeah, like I don't know. I just like to frame my face, I guess. I guess.

Hey. We're all different. What do you do in terms of like makeup and being sweatproof? I feel like you always look super glam in all your photos. And we need some tips and tricks. It's hard, isn't it? When you go to the gym. Like you do want to look good, but what's going to stay?

I've trialled so many things. But I heard you talking with one of your podcasts, the Charlotte Tilbury, flawless villa. How good is that? Yeah. Because it's shiny. You're going to sweat anyway. It looks a bit more natural.

And then I don't use the setting spray of that, though. I use the L'Oreal, I think it's three second or something, it's a red one, and it feels like hairspray. So back in the day when we were kids, we used to hair spray our face from the 90s. So, yeah, that feels like that. It doesn't budge. I think I'm still finding with the mascara, though, if you wear black mascara, it always runs. Don't know about you? I don't wear mascara.

Do you not? No. You got nice eyelashes? I just like lash lift. Do you? Yeah. I don't like the feeling of it. like I don't know it's just clunky isn't it yeah but like a lash lift sorts you right out yeah yeah

yeah yeah um in terms of high rocks and young women wanting to start and wanting to like potentially take it somewhere like what advice do you have for them i would say don't think about like winning or like how well you want to do and just do it and just be consistent at it. Like when when I was a kid I didn't think I'd be here now but I still did it and I turned up every day so it's more about the consistency and the building blocks and the journey like if you think of it as like an exam the exam isn't the whole that's not all of the information that you've learned it's everything you've learned along the way so like everything that you do every gym session just builds you into the person you want to be and it's not the result I see online so often of

people not racing well but who are you comparing yourself? against like someone who's been doing it for ages or they've been running all of the life, you know, just think about you and your journey and how much better you are in yourself. Because you were saying that earlier, you were saying to me, like when we were just having a conversation earlier, you were saying about how you think part of your edge is just that you have been doing it for so long and that you've just like, this is what you do. So like, I guess people listening can take that as just like keep showing up, keep doing it. What does it mean to you as well?

Like I know your kind of background you come from is like a big thing for you as well. And kind of going from that to this, could you like explain there and like how does that feel for you? I think it's made me more resilient. Like I've been through shit, but there's obviously people who've been through worse and better. And I think because no one's given me anything and I've had to get it myself, it's made me maybe. maybe when I'm in a race, I want it more. You know, if you've maybe grew up, I'm not saying that this is everyone,

but if you have been, if you've grown up in an environment where you had lots of money or whatever and you've had opportunities that I didn't have, I might say that I might have more of a fight because, like, I've had to get there. Do you know what I mean? Like, I've been through more to get myself there. So, yeah, I think the background makes me,

resilient yeah i think it's also it just makes it so much more like rewarding yeah that you like you got yourself yeah no one thought you'd be here and now look because it's it's so easy i know i've been the same like oh you know why why can't i have x y and z like handed to me to help me you're like oh well who's me like i wasn't dealt that card yeah but you did it yourself um outside of high rocks what does shenay do like to un what or is it is it all is it all sit and watch Netflix. Not a lot. Just, I mean, yeah, what, yeah,

what more do you have time for, really? I still work, I still do a bit of physio because I feel like that gives me comfort. Yeah, because like giving back to someone and then them going away feeling good about the information I've given, it gives me something else, so it still makes me feel good.

And I don't want to lose my skills that I have trained so hard to get. If it, you know, once this is all over in a few years, then what? I might have to go back to a day job. and then I think like with obviously with your sponsors you do have to do some events and things so if I was to do that and I'm training I potentially could do too much and burn out so you just have to be careful with how much you say yeah to and what you say no to so on like a rest day

I try not to do too much yeah take it as a rest yeah I know I know I've had a conversation with someone else about that like you know when people are saying like about rest days it's like They're like, yeah, active rest today. It's like, yeah, but when are you actually just resting and like truly switching off, resting, allowing your body to recover? Yeah, like calm your central nervous system. You know, like if you were sometimes personally, I find if you're socialising, that can drain my battery as well. So if I've been training and loving socialising, my battery's gone. So you want to recharge it in whatever way suits you.

Any pre-race rituals that you have? There's the boring stuff. like have your carbs and um i'd maybe just say like we were saying earlier like wash your hair the day before put on your makeup make sure you've done your mascara maybe whiten your teeth like just look good and you feel good it makes a difference though yeah yeah yeah do you have any like lucky underwear pieces of not really not really something seamless so you can't see it and don't have to worry about that yeah I do think though just like making sure you feel good is like so good. You know that you've done the work.

Yeah. At that point you've done all of the, you can't do anything more. So it's probably try and calm yourself. You know, like think about the race, maybe visualize it, watch a race back, something like that to really get you in the zone for it if we're being serious. But yeah, what about you? Do you do anything rogue? Probably.

I am definitely the same though I definitely need to like I love a fake turn before a race absolutely we can't forget about it but that we just do that anyway so forget about that I actually don't

I literally only do it for races stop so you basically just change colour on race today you need to make sure your outfit bits of that yeah I'm trying to be quite a Are you been on holiday Yeah actually yeah

Right final thing before we get into audience questions is a little thing segment we have called cool cool down quick fire although it never is quick fire everyone always seems to expand and I love that so feel free to um so morning or evening workout or evening because then I've fueled eating a lot yeah I know this is the thing I don't know people are doing in the morning I don't get it I literally weeks up and like and touch the toes I need a full belly of like food yeah um favorite rest day activity oh like said before just chilling, watching a series or something.

We've done this already, but solo at a group session. I think I know the answer. Group. Yep, group. Guilty pleasure workout song. I really like sad songs in the gym. It helps, honestly. Really?

Yeah, because your whole system's calm. Like I said before, I can't have someone shouting at me. So if I just feel really calm, like Rihanna, California King Bed or something like that, honestly, I'm like, right, go. We'll have to give it a go. Dream training partner. Oh gosh. Maybe someone like Tia, Claire, to me.

To me. Yeah. Baddy. Because she would put me through. Yeah. I don't think I could do CrossFit though. But maybe she's been put at High Rocks. So if she could put me through a high rock workout.

Yeah. What's one thing that's always in your gym bag? Lip balm. Yeah. Yeah. What did you do you have? E-press, because I went like that. I was like, is it there in your watch?

It's touchscreen. What's your current go-to-s snack or hyperfixation meal? This is hard. At the moment, I eat every single day, rice, scrambled eggs and broccoli with soy sauce. Okay. Yeah, every lunch. That's fine.

That's fine. That's fine. I have been weird. Do you know what I have started doing, though, turmeric and ginger shots. Oh. I've not been ill for ages. And you make them yourself?

No, I buy it. Oh, right. But I feel like it helps. Yeah, I'm sure it works. When do you feel you're strongest? In my cycle, probably like the second week. Ballet. Yeah, yeah.

Definitely. Yep. That's a good answer, you know. What's a mantra you live by? If you don't do it, no one's going to do it for you. Yeah, love that. And where can people find you? Sheenade Ben X on Instagram.

Amazing. Right, we're going to head into the, the audience question. Okay, first one is, how do you stay motivated when starting a big new training block? I think because if you're doing the same thing over and over again, that can get boring, but at the start of a block, say I might go back into strength,

so it's something different, so that excites me. Say when I used to just run, I hit a plateau because all I was doing was the same sessions every single week, but then when I started doing the gym, now I'm excited to run because that's not my only focus, So yeah, probably the fact that I haven't done strength for ages and I'm going back to do it. So like at the end of a block and I'm about to race, I'll be more specific. So you go back to the beginning, do your strength again and then...

Are you someone as well, sorry, I'm just like adding my own question in? Are you someone as well where like if something hasn't gone particularly well for you and you're going into that new training block? Like how do you observe in yourself that you handle that? Like, are you someone that's like, right, this went badly? let's turn that into a positive or do you sit in the dumps for a while and yeah I would probably be sad at the moment I guess I don't really analyze it too much I'm just like okay that race was good okay but yeah yeah maybe that's like part of your success yeah so that's equally yeah right like I don't look at my splits whilst I'm racing just race just and I don't feel so I guess if I just didn't

feel good in something I'd maybe go away and think okay I need to work more on burpees but I think I always need to work on burpees because they're just so hard hey yeah there's always something to work on where do you see high rocks evolving to in the next five years probably going to the Olympics if they get it right with the standardization when's the next one not that one maybe the one after every four years isn't it I don't it I think it's two years isn't it so it'll be the one after that six years wow and and I know you not that I agree with you at all but I know you keep saying you're too old Oh, you're getting old.

When do you, like, when do you think would, in your head, when? Maybe a stop. Yeah, like, when is that? Oh, I don't know. Like, imagine if it's still, like, the running thing all over again, you'd be thinking, if you came second, like, what if just one more year? What if I'll win next year? So I don't know.

Just have to see what happens. Yeah, maybe just, yeah, tune in with your body. Yeah. What are your nutrition non-negotiables? Carbs all the time. carbs, more carbs. Protein straight after. Yeah.

Vegetables, because we don't want to get ill. Well, I think that is everything. Okay, guys, well, I hope you enjoyed that episode. I certainly did. Remember, if you guys do enjoy the episodes and you're loving the podcast, it would be our greatest honor if you could give us a five-star review on whatever platform you're listening to, Apple, Spotify. We're also on YouTube now.

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