At 4am, while most of the world sleeps, Peter Kamau is already 30 minutes into his day, pedaling on his trainer. The 45-year-old electrical engineer specialising in renewable energy has chosen a life most people would call extreme.
He trains three times a day, seven days a week. Morning gym or long runs, lunchtime rides and evening workouts.
Even when he travels for work, he carries his training gear and improvises, sometimes jogging around airports or sneaking in stretches between meetings.
“I missed only five training days last year. And even those were because of flight connections.” He chuckles as he pulls a mat for stretches at Alpha Fit gym, Thindigua.
Becoming a vegan
Ten years ago, he was just another weekend warrior. He boxed for fun, enjoyed the occasional run, but nothing prepared him for the seismic shift that would redefine his entire approach to fitness and nutrition – becoming a vegan.
This was a decision born not out of trend, but research and experience with the catalyst coming from an unexpected source, a Netflix documentary ‘Game Changers’ that challenged his view on nutrition for athletes.
"When I started intense training, I wasn't vegan. But I'm practical. I needed to see the results for myself."
What followed was Mr Kamau's own personal experiment, one that would flip his understanding of athletic nutrition upside down.
He experimented, first on meat-heavy diets, then on plant-based ones and the results spoke for themselves.
“My recovery was faster, my endurance was better. Plant protein became number one. The way they explained it in that documentary in terms of recovery and strength, I experienced it firsthand and this is the reason I am able to train everyday,” he recalls.
That experiment turned into conviction, and conviction into lifestyle. Since then, Mr Kamau has thrived on sweet potatoes, mushrooms, bananas, and black coffee, supplemented with plant protein powders whenever necessary.
His daily routine reads like a logistical impossibility. His schedule is relentless, but meticulously planned.
Work runs from 8am to 5pm, family life with his wife and three children fills the evenings, and training is woven into every gap that arises.
He runs between 180 to 200 km, does a 170 to 200 km bike ride and 8km swim every week.
"People ask if I give my body enough rest. But we have 24 hours. Eight hours for work, eight hours for sleep that still leaves you with eight hours. It's about priorities and programming your schedule," he explains.
Even when traveling for his solar energy projects, this routine remains non-negotiable. He maintains that with the plant-based approach he’s found that his body recovers faster between sessions, allowing him to maintain this intensive schedule without breaking down.
"Most of the time, I don't even do lunch. When I feel weak, I'll grab a banana, do my run or ride, and I'm good."
But why this obsession with working out?
Why push his body when most men his age are easing into comfort? For Mr Kamau, the answer is both personal challenge and breaking stereotypes. It's about self-satisfaction and proving a point that extends far beyond personal achievement.
“I want to prove there’s no age limit. You will find people doing Ironman (grueling endurance competitions) in their 60s and 70s. As Africans most of us think that when you are in your 70s, you just sit at home. I want to change that mindset. Everyone can still be fast and productive at any age."
This is why his inspiration now lies in endurance sports. He's completed international marathons in Vienna, Valencia, Dubai, and climbed Africa’s tallest peak Mount Kilimanjaro twice. Currently training for Frankfurt Marathon next month, his ultimate dream is the Hawaii Ironman Championship in 2026, widely considered the most challenging triathlon in the world.
Hawaii features a 3.8 km swim in cold waters, a 180 km bike ride, often under punishing conditions across scorching lava fields and a full marathon to finish. And this is where he says his plant-powered recovery revolution comes in handy.
"I watched 'Cowspiracy' too, another documentary and this is why I stopped taking milk and other dairy products. Ideally, cow's milk is meant for calves not humans that is why they grow so fast. But it's not just about the research it's about what works practically."
This rapid recovery cycle is what makes his seemingly impossible schedule possible.
Stretching secret
Walk into any gym and you'll see most people finish their workout and head straight for the exit. Not Mr Kamau. Its been 30 minutes since we have been chatting as he does his stretches.
He's one of the few who dedicates significant time to stretching- a practice he considers as crucial as the workout itself.
"Regular stretching is a way of reducing workout-related injuries and maintaining longevity. And its good to take your time stretching, many always ignore this and see it as a waste of time and that leads to muscle cramps”.
This attention to recovery details is what allows him to maintain his extraordinary training volume year after year.
Last year, he trained 360 out of 365 days, missing only five due to travel connections. Even then, he found ways to compensate doing exercises in airports during layovers.
