How a CEO and Mom of Seven Revived Her Fitness with Sprint Training
A 49-year-old CEO and busy mother reports that shorter, more focused workouts helped her improve her fitness and endurance. After winning a Hyrox—a popular fitness competition—she began overtraining and soon felt burned out. She broke through her plateau by shifting to brief, high-intensity sprint sessions.
Maria Colacurcio is used to people asking how she manages it all: running a tech company, raising seven children, and training hard enough to compete at an elite level.
The 49-year-old Colacurcio is CEO of Syndio, a software firm that helps companies use AI to achieve pay equity. Since 2022, she has competed in Hyrox, a fitness race that combines running with strength and endurance challenges like rowing, lunges, burpees, and sled pulls.
In an interview with our website, Colacurcio said the idea of "having it all" is somewhat of a myth—especially for women. Balancing career, family, and health doesn't come effortlessly; it requires trade-offs.
"We all have priorities, and we set those priorities intentionally," she said.
Every day is a juggling act—morning garage gym sessions, carving out quality time with her children and husband (and Hyrox doubles partner) Brandon, ensuring the family is fed, and managing her demanding job.
About a year ago, Colacurcio hit a wall. Despite logging long training hours, she stopped seeing progress—and burnout set in.
With the help of an elite coach, she switched to shorter workouts and incorporated sprints. Short bursts of high-intensity exercise are a scientifically proven way to rapidly boost fitness while also increasing longevity.
Breaking Through the Fitness Plateau
Colacurcio knew she was burned out when she stopped enjoying races and became fixated on her target times instead.
"The biggest sign I was burned out and overtrained was my mindset," she said. "Mentally, I had reached a point where I no longer loved the process. I was so focused on the outcome."
Train Smarter, Not Harder
Counterintuitively, Colacurcio found that training less improved her performance.
She worked with a coach who specializes in training elite athletes—NFL players, UFC fighters, and U.S. special forces members. He cut her training time by about a third but increased the intensity. Instead of long runs, she focused on short intervals: 30 seconds of sprinting, followed by 30 seconds of rest, repeated for up to an hour.
She also prioritized higher reps to build endurance while slightly reducing the weight in strength training to conserve energy.
Her routine remains intense—Colacurcio starts her day at 4:45 a.m.—but she's gotten faster, feels less exhausted, and leaves each session feeling stronger.
"I have a really, really good mix of strength training, conditioning, easy run days, and hard days," she said.
Why Sprinting Can Extend Your Life
Even if you never aim to win a Hyrox race or sign up for a competition, Colacurcio says this training style is an excellent blueprint for improving overall health and longevity—and science backs it up.
The disciplines draw on fitness markers linked to a longer life and teach you not to overfocus on one aspect of fitness while neglecting others, she explained. You can't just run fast or lift heavy; you need balance, core stability, a strong VO₂ max, and explosive power to excel in Hyrox challenges like burpee broad jumps and the farmer's carry.
As strength training grows in popularity, it's crucial not to overlook cardio for heart health. Research suggests that even everyday exertions like climbing stairs can contribute—especially when working toward high-intensity sprints.
"It simply provides the balance you need for a long, healthy life," said Colacurcio. "Don't abandon occasional sprinting and heart-focused workouts just because you're currently all about strength training."
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