The InnerFight Podcast

In this episode of the InnerFight Podcast, Marcus sits down with Dan and Andy for an honest conversation about what it actually takes to get better at life.

There’s a lot here for you to take away. Why doing the small things and staying in the moment beats chasing quick fixes and quick wins. What getting close to death taught Marcus about how to live. Why the answer to better performance is usually simpler than you think. And how curiosity, not shortcuts, is what keeps you evolving.

If you take one thing from this episode, let it be this: the small stuff, done consistently, is where the real change happens.

Back in 2018, Marcus Smith ran 30 marathons in 30 days for the Dubai Fitness Challenge. Eight years on, he sits down with InnerFight coach Steph to look back on what it took, the people who got him through, and the lessons he still carries into his coaching.

Recovery was a daily fight, and the mental side was harder still. Marcus talks about why he stopped looking at the full 30 days and just focused on the one in front of him, and what that taught him about knowing your reason for doing something hard.

But this isn’t really a running story. Marcus gets into how his idea of success has changed, why what you achieve doesn’t have to define who you are, and how staying curious keeps you learning.

In this episode, we explore:

• The story behind 30 marathons in 30 days
• Approaching impossible goals one day at a time
• The role of mindset, recovery, nutrition, and community in endurance
• Why your why gives your efforts meaning
• Redefining success beyond external achievements
• Using challenges as a tool for growth

You don’t need to run 30 marathons to take something from this. Whatever you’re up against, the idea holds: know where you’ve come from, stay present, and keep an open mind about where you can go.

Have a listen and see how endurance can help you be better at life.

Enjoyed the episode? Got something to share? Drop a message at [email protected]. 

Six weeks. Six shows.

In this final episode of the Leaks in Performance series, Marcus closes the loop on everything. Identity, standards, emotional load, the gap between who you say you are and who you prove you are, complexity, and simplicity.

The core message: your performance is not leaking because of your training plan. The leak starts with who you are and how you live. An overcomplicated plan just makes it worse.

Marcus walks through the full cycle: unclear identity leads to drifting standards, drifting standards lead to erratic behaviour, erratic behaviour drains emotional energy, and drained emotional energy kills performance capacity. Round and round it goes until you go to the source and fix it properly.

If you have followed the series, this one ties it all up. If you are just landing here, go back to episode 1010 and start from the beginning. You will not regret it.

Enjoyed the episode? Got something to share? Drop Marcus a message at [email protected] whether you need help, want to share how you are getting on, or just have something to say.

In week five of the Leaks in Performance series, Marcus tackles one of the most common traps high performers fall into: complexity. Whether it's an overloaded training plan, a packed work schedule, or constantly chasing marginal gains, complexity is often just avoidance in disguise. It protects the ego, delays accountability, and hides the real leaks. The antidote? Simplicity. Marcus breaks down why simple things done well, consistently, beat high-intensity inconsistency every time and why fixing your sleep and food will do more for your performance than any 1% hack ever will. Tune in for a sharp, no-fluff look at stripping back to what actually moves the needle.

You've written down your values. You've set the goals. But at 3:59am when the alarm goes off, you can not move.

In this episode, Marcus digs into one of the most overlooked leaks in human performance: the gap between the identity you claim and the behaviours you actually live.

This week you'll explore how to audit your identity across every role you play: athlete, parent, leader, and honestly ask: are you behaving like the person you say you are? And if not… why not?

Enjoyed the episode? Got something to share?

Drop Marcus a message at [email protected] whether you need help, want to share how you're getting on, or just have something to say.

Episode 3 of the series is live.

We're talking about emotional load. The real, practical reason why high performers plateau, burn out, or can't understand why their training isn't landing the way it should.

The truth is your body doesn't separate emotional stress from physical stress. When life is heavy, relationship strain, work pressure, family chaos, your stress capacity is already maxed out before you even lace up your shoes.

Training through it doesn't make you tougher. It makes you slower to recover, harder to be around, and less effective in every other area of life too.

Three things that actually help:

1. Set real boundaries in the areas causing the most stress
2. Find someone you can talk to freely
3. Get curious about the source, not just the symptoms

This is where real performance lives. Not in your VO2 max.

In Episode 1011 of the InnerFight Podcast, Marcus talks about the cost of unclear standards.

From training and recovery to sleep, nutrition, work hygiene and phone hygiene, this episode explores the small leaks that quietly impact performance.

“What is the standard?”

If those standards are unclear, performance will drop.

Listen now.

Welcome to a new series on the podcast: Leaks in Your Performance.

This series explores the small gaps where performance quietly breaks down, not just in training or work, but in the structure of your life. It’s not only about better plans, more intensity, or more effort. It’s about what happens outside of that.

We dive into identity, standards, emotional load, alignment, and the unnecessary complexity that holds people back. Especially those who are capable, talented, but inconsistent.

Episode one starts with a simple but confronting question:

When things get tough, who are you?

Part 3 of the InnerFight Coaches series, Marcus sits down with four incredible coaches shaping what it truly means to be “better at life.”

Rob Foster shares why coaching starts with the person before the athlete, Zoe dives into pushing beyond perceived limits, Eduan opens up about empathy and real human connection, and Carmen reflects on patience, growth, and coaching through feeling, not just performance.

If you’ve ever wondered what makes a great coach, or how coaching can impact your life beyond fitness, this one’s for you.

What makes a great coach, teacher, or mentor?

In Part 2 of the InnerFight Coach Series, Marcus dives deeper into the art of coaching by exploring how we guide, support, and impact others not just in sport, but in everyday life.

Featuring conversations with InnerFight coaches Dan, Tom, Sarah, Rob J, and Andy, this episode unpacks the philosophies, behaviors, and mindset behind truly effective coaching.

From leading with empathy and listening first, to building long-term progress and creating meaningful human connection—this is a powerful reflection on what it really means to coach.

🎙 In this episode:

• Coaching philosophy and long-term development
• The role of empathy, honesty, and patience
• Building consistency and motivation
• Coaching beyond the gym—into life, relationships, and mindset

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