Three Peaks Challenge - Training & Fitness
Training Day on Scafell Pike
"How Fit Do I Need To Be To Attempt The 3 Peaks?"
Probably one of the most frequently asked questions. And the answer is very simple: Anyone with an average level of fitness, with no medical conditions, should be 'fit' enough to complete the Three Peaks Challenge.
An 'average' level of fitness simply means being able to complete a mildly physical activity (such as brisk walking) for around 30-40 minutes without becoming breathless, feeling uncomfortable, or needing to stop for a rest.
Probably one of the most frequently asked questions. And the answer is very simple: Anyone with an average level of fitness, with no medical conditions, should be 'fit' enough to complete the Three Peaks Challenge.
An 'average' level of fitness simply means being able to complete a mildly physical activity (such as brisk walking) for around 30-40 minutes without becoming breathless, feeling uncomfortable, or needing to stop for a rest.
However, just having this basic level of fitness in no way prepares you or your body for the stresses and strains of a Three Peaks Challenge, but is simply the lowest level of fitness that is likely to enable your body to walk the 25 miles or so which the challenge requires. The basic level of fitness, as described above, gives you a great base to start working on 'mountain fitness', endurance, and stamina.
"Basic Fitness"
As stated, being able to do lightly demanding activity for 30-40 minutes without needing to stop. You should recover almost as soon as you've stopped, and your breathing and heart rate should return to normal very quickly. If you don't have this basic fitness level, then you need to make some lifestyle changes...!
If you smoke or drink alcohol, then cut down on your intake. Climb the stairs instead of taking the lift, walk or cycle to work instead of driving. Walk the dog as often as possible..! Try to start participating in a gentle sport once a week. Try to find a friend or partner to get fit with, and keep a log (or blog) to see how your fitness improves. There is a good basic fitness plan to get you off the couch and fit enough to run a 5k race here: From Couch to 5k Training Plan.
Without this simple, basic level of fitness, then to attempt any of the Three Peaks Challenges would not only be foolhardy, but most likely end in disaster.
"Mountain Fitness"
This is your body's ability to cope with steadily climbing paths and tracks, on rocky and uneven ground, for a few hours, then to spend a further few hours descending, carrying a rucksack, climbing over styles, scrambling up steep sections, walking over wet and boggy ground, and then being able to recover in a reasonable period.
During your Three Peaks Challenge, you are likely to be doing this for around 12 hours, and this is very hard to replicate in a gym, or in a local park. The only real way to develop mountain fitness is by getting out into the hills and fells, and hiking them..!
The more 'mountain fitness' you can achieve before your challenge, the higher your chance of success on the day..! Not only does training in the hills and mountains prepare your body, it also helps prepare your mind. If you've managed to encounter wind, rain, muddy footpaths, long steady climbs, and short sharp climbs before your actual challenge, then you will have better mental capacity to deal with them.
Training days in the hills and mountains also enable you to test all of your kit (especially rucksacks, waterproofs, and of course - walking boots), practise your basic navigational skills, decide what snacks and drinks will suit you best, give you a realistic expectation of what the Three Peaks Challenge may involve, and also to see how your fitness level compares to your fellow team members.
You will also have a chance to workout all of those muscles and joints you are actually going to use, rather than just the ones you can work on in the gym. One 5 hour hiking trip in the hills is worth much more than five 1 hour sessions in the gym.
So, just to re-cap, if you're still wondering: The best training you can do for your Three Peaks Challenge is to get a few challenging day walks and hikes under your belt...!
"Endurance & Stamina"
This is the ability to perform at a greater physical level than normal, over a much longer time period. Your event may last up to 24 hours, half of which will be walking or climbing, and the time spent in the minibus is your recovery period for the next climb.
To increase your basic level of fitness to a level which has greater endurance and stamina, then training should concentrate on longer activities at a steady pace, rather than shorter flat-out activities. To help with recovery rates, you can incorporate some short 'burn-out' sessions into a longer, more relaxed session. These can be in the gym, on your bike, in the swimming pool, or in your local park.
Obviously, the time, distance, and effort will depend upon your current level of fitness, and if in any doubt, you should ask for professional advice from your GP before starting a training programme.
Examples could be:
Swimming. A great low impact activity for all round improvement. Try to swim for an hour, starting with easy paced lengths, then throw in a fast length every so often, followed by one or two recovery lengths.
Jogging: High impact so be careful..! However, gentle jogging - perhaps mixed with some brisk walking and some uphill sections - can not only help increase your endurance and stamina, but also tone some of the muscles required for mountain walking.
Cycling & Mountain Biking: Great for endurance, especially when cycling uphill or into the wind! Lower impact, and great fun. Cycling in poor weather can help replicate those nasty conditions which you may encounter on your challenge too...
Walking: And lots of it! But you will need to make it harder than your usual stroll in the park to feel any benefit. Finding local hills, sections of steps, or muddy paths will also help.
"Basic Fitness"
As stated, being able to do lightly demanding activity for 30-40 minutes without needing to stop. You should recover almost as soon as you've stopped, and your breathing and heart rate should return to normal very quickly. If you don't have this basic fitness level, then you need to make some lifestyle changes...!
If you smoke or drink alcohol, then cut down on your intake. Climb the stairs instead of taking the lift, walk or cycle to work instead of driving. Walk the dog as often as possible..! Try to start participating in a gentle sport once a week. Try to find a friend or partner to get fit with, and keep a log (or blog) to see how your fitness improves. There is a good basic fitness plan to get you off the couch and fit enough to run a 5k race here: From Couch to 5k Training Plan.
Without this simple, basic level of fitness, then to attempt any of the Three Peaks Challenges would not only be foolhardy, but most likely end in disaster.
"Mountain Fitness"
This is your body's ability to cope with steadily climbing paths and tracks, on rocky and uneven ground, for a few hours, then to spend a further few hours descending, carrying a rucksack, climbing over styles, scrambling up steep sections, walking over wet and boggy ground, and then being able to recover in a reasonable period.
During your Three Peaks Challenge, you are likely to be doing this for around 12 hours, and this is very hard to replicate in a gym, or in a local park. The only real way to develop mountain fitness is by getting out into the hills and fells, and hiking them..!
The more 'mountain fitness' you can achieve before your challenge, the higher your chance of success on the day..! Not only does training in the hills and mountains prepare your body, it also helps prepare your mind. If you've managed to encounter wind, rain, muddy footpaths, long steady climbs, and short sharp climbs before your actual challenge, then you will have better mental capacity to deal with them.
Training days in the hills and mountains also enable you to test all of your kit (especially rucksacks, waterproofs, and of course - walking boots), practise your basic navigational skills, decide what snacks and drinks will suit you best, give you a realistic expectation of what the Three Peaks Challenge may involve, and also to see how your fitness level compares to your fellow team members.
You will also have a chance to workout all of those muscles and joints you are actually going to use, rather than just the ones you can work on in the gym. One 5 hour hiking trip in the hills is worth much more than five 1 hour sessions in the gym.
So, just to re-cap, if you're still wondering: The best training you can do for your Three Peaks Challenge is to get a few challenging day walks and hikes under your belt...!
"Endurance & Stamina"
This is the ability to perform at a greater physical level than normal, over a much longer time period. Your event may last up to 24 hours, half of which will be walking or climbing, and the time spent in the minibus is your recovery period for the next climb.
To increase your basic level of fitness to a level which has greater endurance and stamina, then training should concentrate on longer activities at a steady pace, rather than shorter flat-out activities. To help with recovery rates, you can incorporate some short 'burn-out' sessions into a longer, more relaxed session. These can be in the gym, on your bike, in the swimming pool, or in your local park.
Obviously, the time, distance, and effort will depend upon your current level of fitness, and if in any doubt, you should ask for professional advice from your GP before starting a training programme.
Examples could be:
Swimming. A great low impact activity for all round improvement. Try to swim for an hour, starting with easy paced lengths, then throw in a fast length every so often, followed by one or two recovery lengths.
Jogging: High impact so be careful..! However, gentle jogging - perhaps mixed with some brisk walking and some uphill sections - can not only help increase your endurance and stamina, but also tone some of the muscles required for mountain walking.
Cycling & Mountain Biking: Great for endurance, especially when cycling uphill or into the wind! Lower impact, and great fun. Cycling in poor weather can help replicate those nasty conditions which you may encounter on your challenge too...
Walking: And lots of it! But you will need to make it harder than your usual stroll in the park to feel any benefit. Finding local hills, sections of steps, or muddy paths will also help.
Six Month Training Plan
Month One : Basic Fitness, 3x per week. Aim to complete around 30 minutes per session. Walk gently for 5 minutes to warm up, then increase the pace for 5 minutes, slow down again for 5 minutes, then increase the pace to as fast as you feel comfortable with for the next 10 minutes. Slow down for the final 5 minutes. Complete these sessions on fairly flat routes, don't walk so fast that you need to stop to regain your breath, but extend the route/time if you feel comfortable with it. Easy.
Month Two : Basic Fitness, 2x per week, as above. Endurance & Stamina, 1x per week. A one hour walk, start slow to warm up, then alternate between 10 minutes fast walking, then 3 minutes gentle walking to recover. Remember to cool down during the final 5 minutes.
Month Three : Basic Fitness, 2x per week, as above, but try to include some gentle hills or inclines if possible. Walk fast up the hills, and use the downhill to recover your breath. Endurance & Stamina, 1x per week as above, but now include some hills, and perhaps small flights of steps if possible. Mountain Fitness, 1x per month. Find a fairly local trail network of around 10 miles and spend a team day walking it. A disused railway or canal trail is ideal.
Month Four : Basic Fitness, 2x per week. You should now be including as many ups and downs as possible, and your distance covered during the session should have increased. If you wish to keep increasing your fitness, and feel comfortable with it, you may consider short sections of gentle jogging. Some people may now wish to replace or alternate this exercise with cycling, swimming or jogging. Endurance & Stamina, 1x per week. As above, increase hills, alternate to other exercises if you prefer. Mountain Fitness, 2x per month, organise a team trip to one of the 'easier' walking areas - Derbyshire, Cheshire, etc., and complete a walk of around 10 - 12 miles.
Month Five : Basic Fitness, 2x per week, as above, increase exercise as you see fit, but don't burn out..! Endurance & Stamina, 1x per week as above, but now include some steep hills and any available steps. Wear a light rucksack on your back. Mountain Fitness, 1x per month. Organise a walking trip to a more adventurous area, and attempt to reach the summit of around 2,500' or so. If you can arrange any more walking trips, all the better...
Month Six : Basic Fitness, 2x per week, as above, start to wear a rucksack, include any step climbing available. Endurance & Stamina, 1x per week as above, but now wear a heavier rucksack on your back. Mountain Fitness, 1x per month. This is the time to attempt a more serious peak. Visit one of the actual Three Peaks if possible, and compare your time to the challenge target times.
Hopefully you are now 'fit for the challenge'..!
Month One : Basic Fitness, 3x per week. Aim to complete around 30 minutes per session. Walk gently for 5 minutes to warm up, then increase the pace for 5 minutes, slow down again for 5 minutes, then increase the pace to as fast as you feel comfortable with for the next 10 minutes. Slow down for the final 5 minutes. Complete these sessions on fairly flat routes, don't walk so fast that you need to stop to regain your breath, but extend the route/time if you feel comfortable with it. Easy.
Month Two : Basic Fitness, 2x per week, as above. Endurance & Stamina, 1x per week. A one hour walk, start slow to warm up, then alternate between 10 minutes fast walking, then 3 minutes gentle walking to recover. Remember to cool down during the final 5 minutes.
Month Three : Basic Fitness, 2x per week, as above, but try to include some gentle hills or inclines if possible. Walk fast up the hills, and use the downhill to recover your breath. Endurance & Stamina, 1x per week as above, but now include some hills, and perhaps small flights of steps if possible. Mountain Fitness, 1x per month. Find a fairly local trail network of around 10 miles and spend a team day walking it. A disused railway or canal trail is ideal.
Month Four : Basic Fitness, 2x per week. You should now be including as many ups and downs as possible, and your distance covered during the session should have increased. If you wish to keep increasing your fitness, and feel comfortable with it, you may consider short sections of gentle jogging. Some people may now wish to replace or alternate this exercise with cycling, swimming or jogging. Endurance & Stamina, 1x per week. As above, increase hills, alternate to other exercises if you prefer. Mountain Fitness, 2x per month, organise a team trip to one of the 'easier' walking areas - Derbyshire, Cheshire, etc., and complete a walk of around 10 - 12 miles.
Month Five : Basic Fitness, 2x per week, as above, increase exercise as you see fit, but don't burn out..! Endurance & Stamina, 1x per week as above, but now include some steep hills and any available steps. Wear a light rucksack on your back. Mountain Fitness, 1x per month. Organise a walking trip to a more adventurous area, and attempt to reach the summit of around 2,500' or so. If you can arrange any more walking trips, all the better...
Month Six : Basic Fitness, 2x per week, as above, start to wear a rucksack, include any step climbing available. Endurance & Stamina, 1x per week as above, but now wear a heavier rucksack on your back. Mountain Fitness, 1x per month. This is the time to attempt a more serious peak. Visit one of the actual Three Peaks if possible, and compare your time to the challenge target times.
Hopefully you are now 'fit for the challenge'..!
