The Power of Compounding & Surrounding Yourself with People who Push You.

When you come from absolutely no fitness background whatsoever and I mean - absolutely very little fitness; I’d dabbled at CrossFit and lifted the odd weight here and there in the gym, but honestly, no structure, no base fitness and never played sport or ran.

Rewind back to 2023 and I’d booked a marathon and thought ‘well how hard can it be.’

I remember going out for my first run and absolutely grinding through 6 or 7 miles. Stop start, stop start. It broke my body for a good two weeks. I quickly realised this was something I wasn’t going to be able to just wing. At this point, I had no idea how I was going to actually finish this marathon. I wasn’t sure mentally that I could do it based on where my level of fitness was at.

Long story short, I signed up to Peak and we started from the very beginning. My first sessions were around 20/30 minutes long, including run walks to get me moving. My run intervals were around 11/12 minute miles at first. 7:00-7:30 per KM.

Looking back, I’d struggle with the interval sessions. “I don’t like this”, “I’m way too out of breath” “this is categorically not enjoyable”.

I wasn’t enjoying the suffering aspect of training. I’d enjoy the post run high you’d get from an aerobic run and sense of achievement. But my mind was weak at this stage, I didn’t enjoy digging in and being at my max HR during intervals.

What changed? Stacking weeks upon weeks of sessions. Of digging deep during sessions. Doing what was prescribed week in, week out. Then, before you know it, you’ve finished your first ever marathon and you’ve realised that all it takes is sheer grit, determination and a solid plan.

I’d quickly come to realise that I’d not fallen in love with running, but the process of pushing yourself. Digging in when it is tough, moving those goal posts when you achieve what you set out to achieve.

I was fully bought into the process of self improvement. 6 months later, we’d not only completed another marathon, but we’d quietly forged solid training partnerships with people on a similar trajectory. People who were also demanding more from themselves. This is infectious. Not only do people demand more from themselves, but as the energy is so infectious, they demand more from you. A never ending positive cycle of improvement.

The time period arrives when you now have no races booked. You’ve done two marathons in 6 months. Where does this journey go next?

You’ve now developed a mindset that demands more from yourself but you’re sat in this floaty period of what next. The people around you are asking what’s next for you?

I’d started watching a series on YouTube called “Zero to Ironman”.

Honestly, my mindset wasn’t as bulletproof as I’d thought, nor hoped.

“I could never do that”.

If you’ve ever thought that, then I promise, you can do what you set out to do.

I’d been scared to death about booking the marathon and now I’d done two. I wasn’t scared of that anymore. For me to thrive, I needed to be pushed and even more fearful of the next challenge.

I’d watched this YouTube series more and more. The more I’d watched it, the more I’d spoken to people who’d done one. Every single one of them had told me it’s a different level from running a marathon so make sure you know what you’re getting into.

Once that Ironman seed is floating around in your head, all it needs is a little watering and you’re stuck. You’re in. There’s no shaking the feeling of what if. Conversations with those like minded individuals in Peak were always going to be positive. “Why can’t you do it”, “go get it”.

The plunge was soon taken and Ironman Barcelona was booked (which later turned into Ironman Kalmar).

My mindset had to level up again, or I’d be “spat out” of this process.

The training was hard, the training was very hard. Lots of sacrifices had to be made to achieve the Ironman goal.

It wasn’t by luck we got there. Weeks, upon weeks of building fitness. Compounding week upon week. I cannot emphasise the importance, significance and the effort of banking week after week of training. Not having weeks off and then jumping back into it when it fits, no, that doesn’t work. Grabbing the bull by the horns and taking full ownership.

Your coach sets out the plan, you work together, you take on the accountability.

Fast forward almost from 3 years from the starting blocks in January 2023, we’ve completed 2 standalone marathons and 3 full Ironman races with a shedload of other stuff in between.

My advice is simple; develop your mindset, it’s stronger than you realise. Surround yourself with winners and have a structured plan to get you to your goal and you can achieve whatever you want to achieve.

Klark Robinson-Carlin

Endurance Coach & Athlete

Peak Performance Endurance