If you are about to embark on a mountain trek, don’t under estimate the importance of nutrition planning. By fuelling your body with the right food and fluid in the 24 hours leading up to the trek can give you a great head start on the mountain.

Day before: Carbs!

A massive bowl of pasta as yr evening meal before a good nights sleep is what yr body needs to fuel itself for the Yorkshire 3 Peaks Challenge. Those carbs are slow release and will turn into energy the next 24 hours. Marathon runners swear by it and if it’s good enough for them, It’s definitely good enough for me!

Also, consider drinking slightly more water than you normally would – Maybe 1-2 litres more. Yes, you’ll piss more but you’ll also remain hydrated the following day.

Stay off the booze on this day. It’ll only make it harder to hydrate the next day.

Day Of:

In short: EVERY-THING!

Porridge is a great slow release energy that will gradually feed into yr system throughout the day. Mix it with honey rather than sugar for an added boost (and some taste to an otherwise horrible breakfast!)

A good old fashioned fry up! Yes, it’s full of calories but calories are your friend on the hill! Protein and carbs are the fuel that’ll keep you going! Bacon, eggs and beans!!

On the hill:

Snack Pack- one of the greatest things in the world!

A resealable plastic freezer bag full of the sort of delicious goodies your mother wouldn’t approve of: smashed up bars of chocolate, jelly babies, salted nuts, broken biscuits, Haribo, broken biscuits!! Go full Willy Wonka.

But ensure you mix salty and sweet. Sweet is calories and fats (delicious and necessary to convert to energy- also a massive morale booster!) but the salty stuff puts the sodium you secrete through sweat back into yr body- vital to stop yr muscles cramping up!

Water- at least 2 litres with you and I’d recommend drinking another full litre at breakfast before you start.

Completion:

You’re finished, you’ve smashed it and you’re all high fiving each other. But yr bodies been through an ordeal it’s not used to. It needs more fuel.

Have food- anything really, for after the Challenge. Bananas (good potassium, sugar and carbs which your body will be craving), any protein source (tuna and chicken are best, Huel shakes are good too) and crisps (replace salt- and they just make life better generally) are all good.

Avoid: energy gels, Red Bull type drinks. They will dehydrate you making you drink more water. You get the same boost from yr snack packs- jelly babies etc.

Clip your toe nails short -if not, you’ll lose bruise them and probably lose a couple.

It’ll probably be hot- wear a cap and have sunglasses and sun screen.

You’ll be stinking on the ride home: leave a change of clothes, some baby wipes and deodorant in the transport. Just makes that ride home a nicer place to be for everyone!

Bottom line: eat whatever you want. Don’t give a thought to diets or watching yr weight. You will burn more calories than you eat. Calories are the fuel, your body is the engine- your engine gets you to the finish line.