Doing hard things is something a lot of people are suddenly very willing to pay for — and this week gave a perfect example of why. Hyrox Nashville tickets went on sale, and to say the demand was intense would be an understatement. Tickets disappeared in minutes. At Trinity it created two very different emotions. Some members did not get a ticket and were heartbroken. Others secured their place, only to realise they had just paid good money to spend 90 minutes questioning their life decisions.
It got me thinking. Why has something like this exploded in popularity? When I did my first Hyrox back in 2022, it was a completely different story. You could decide a week before the event that you fancied giving it a go and still grab a ticket. Fast forward four years, and demand rivals some of the biggest concerts and sporting events in the world. People are refreshing browsers, logging into waiting rooms, and scrambling to get their credit cards out before it sells out. So what changed?
Why Doing Hard Things Has Become So Popular
I do not think people suddenly fell in love with burpees. I think people are craving something much deeper. In a world where so much of life has become easier and more convenient, we are searching for opportunities to challenge ourselves. We want something that asks more of us than sitting behind a screen. We want to feel our heart pounding, our legs burning, and our minds telling us to stop — only to discover that we can keep going. Because there is something incredibly satisfying about doing something difficult. Not because it is fun in the moment. Because of who you become on the other side.
According to research on identity and habit formation, repeatedly choosing challenge over convenience gradually reshapes how we see ourselves — and that shift in identity is what drives lasting behaviour change. Doing hard things is not just a physical act. It is how we build evidence that we are capable of more than we thought.
The Best Part Is Not the Finish Line
The best part of events like Hyrox is not crossing the finish line. It is every early morning training session before it. It is the workout where your training partner encouraged you to pick the bar back up. It is getting one more rep than you managed last week, shaving a few seconds off your run, or discovering that you are capable of more than you thought. Those moments change you. And doing it alongside other people makes it even more meaningful.
There is something special about struggling together. Encouraging each other through the hard parts. Celebrating the small wins. Watching people achieve things they once thought were impossible. That is what community looks like in practice. At our gym in Long Island City, we see it every day — not just in Hyrox training, but in every session where someone pushes a little further than they planned to.
You Do Not Need a Race to Feel This
Whether you managed to get a Hyrox ticket or not, the lesson is the same. You do not need a race to experience that feeling. Doing hard things does not require an event, a bib number, or a finish line. Every time you walk through the doors of a gym, there is an opportunity to do something a little uncomfortable. To push a little further. To become a little stronger than you were yesterday. Those small moments add up. That is why people keep signing up for hard things. Not because they are easy. Because they are worth it.
If you are looking for a place where that kind of challenge is built into the culture — book a free intro call. Come and find out what it feels like to do something hard with people who make it worth showing up for.
Have a great week.
Seamus Keane, NASM CPT
Co-founder, The Trinity NYC
