Thank you
Long-time Reddit lurker here, and this will probably be my first and only post. I recently accomplished a long-term goal of mine, and I wanted to share it in the hope that it encourages someone else to trust the process.
First, I want to say thank you to KB. From the bottom of my heart, thank you for all the advice you've shared here, on the forum and in the books, along with the rest of the moderators. I can honestly say you've changed the way I think about training—not just how to train, but what I'm capable of achieving when I truly commit to something.
For a bit of background, I'm a civilian working in IT with no real lifting or endurance background. I've got a couple of years of Sambo, wrestling, and Judo training but no real consistency.
A few years ago, I was in the process of joining the military but failed my final selection and was told not to come back. Was a kick in the head for sure as I always thought that would be my life. During that time though, one of the other candidates mentioned Tactical Barbell, and I've been hooked ever since.
Last year I picked up Green Protocol as what I thought would be my final goodbye to endurance training—and, in a way, to the military dream. It transformed me from someone who could barely run/walk three miles continuously into someone who has just completed the UK Three Peaks over the course of a week while travelling solo.
Capacity went smoothly without any major issues. By the end of Velocity, I surprised myself by completing a 30.9-mile route through the Peak District hills in 7 hours, 15 minutes, and 7 seconds. I will admit I did cheat a little—I didn't run the entire distance. Around mile 10, the first major climb felt almost vertical, so I switched to a run-walk approach, which got me through the rest of the route.
By the end of Outcome, though, I was completely drained. During the final month, I scaled back almost all my training except for ruck marches. Work, poor sleep, family issues—if something could go wrong, it did. Rather than trying to force everything, I focused on what would matter most on the mountains.
This was also my first-ever solo road trip across the UK, so I had to plan everything myself: accommodation, routes, food, pack weight, and places to visit. There were a few screwups I made along the way, but I came away with a newfound appreciation for nature and just how beautiful the UK really is.
Snowdon in Wales went well, apart from the relentless rain.
Scafell Pike in England was probably the toughest day. It was warm and sunny, but the ground was one giant marsh until you reached the summit. I ended up losing two pairs of boots—first the tread gave out, then the soles completely detached. I had no choice but to hobble back down in my socks.
Between slipping on my arse constantly, getting lost, continuously stepping on sharp rocks and accidentally stepping into water that I thought was ankle-deep but turned out to be hip-high, I can honestly say it ranks among the five worst experiences of my life. Looking back, though, it gave me a new appreciation for comfort and showed me what I'm capable of when there's no option but to keep moving.
Ben Nevis in Scotland was easier to navigate but far more physically demanding near the summit. The descent was just as difficult. My knees took an absolute battering, and I slipped more than once on the way down with the full pack weight in each step.
After finishing and taking a short break, I heard there was a kickass waterfall about six miles from the car park. Since I'd already paid for a full day's parking, I figured, "Why not?" So I ran there. It was only rolling hills, but before starting Green Protocol I wouldn't have even considered doing that after climbing a mountain, let alone actually following through. My only regret was bringing nothing but the last quarter of a pack of M&M's and forgetting to take any water.
I'm writing this from my bathtub after a very long soak. My knees, hips, and feet definitely know what I've put them through, but I feel better about myself than I have in years.
I now know that when things get difficult, I can yomp a pack, move over mountains for hours, stay mentally composed, avoid panicking when things go wrong, and simply keep putting one foot in front of the other.
When I got home, Tactical Barbell III had arrived in the post, so I've got some catching up to do.
TL;DR: Tactical Barbell has completely changed the way I approach fitness and conditioning, but more importantly, it's changed my mindset toward training and life itself. Trust the process. Don't wait for the perfect time—start that block of training today.