We did it!!!! We completed the Yorkshire Three Peaks Challenge!!! ⛰️

Walking 24 miles, 66,000 steps in 11 hours 30 mins.🏅

If you’d told me I’d be able to do this in 2019 when I could barely walk two steps without being in pain from a back injury I’d have never believed you. 🤯

If I’m honest I never got the whole endurance challenge thing before now.

I’d seen friends run marathons or scale mountains and thought, “good for them, but it’s not for me.”

But since completing this challenge, several things have happened that have resulted in me not only levelling up my physical fitness but my mindset on what's possible.

It's reinforced my awe of humans and what they are capable of when they come together.

So this week, I'm going to share my reflections on how we can all move mountains and achieve things that were previously thought to be out of reach.

People Can Move Mountains

Yes there was physical preparation, and a kit upgrade - new walking boots were badly needed!

We got the fundamentals in place - we were well fuelled with jelly babies and pistachio nuts and hydrated with water and iced coffee!

Tech was minimal - fitness watches to track progress & phones in case of emergency and to document the trip.

We'd all put in time consistently over the proceeding months to be physically fit but on the flats of Norfolk's landscape, it's hard to replicate the mountainous Yorkshire Dales!

However, Keith, our mountain guide put the main challenge into sharp focus, "Your body can do it. It's your mind you need to work on."

And he was right. Through the driving rain, the muscle aches and the blisters, the stories you told yourself made the difference between giving up and carrying on.

Therefore, the biggest influence on my mood were the people in my team.

Between us we managed to create a mindset that meant we felt like we could almost literally move mountains.

All around us we watched in horror as people ditched their friends, with one group even asking their guide to tell their friend, that they'd gone on without her!

That was inconceivable for us - not on our watch. We stayed together - “We came as one, we leave as one. No woman left behind!”

When one was down, the others lifted their spirits, when one needed space, we gave it but kept a watchful eye on them from afar. And they felt it.

On each peak, just when we thought we'd got to the summit, the clouds would part, revealing we had further to go and that's when the support enveloping us lifted us up, higher and higher, one foot in front of the other.

When our muscles were burning we'd shout, "Come on, nearly there, we can do it!"

We built momentum and became known as "The Chompers" - chomping at the bit to get to the finish line within the time that would secure a medal!

And that's exactly what we did when all around us, others fell apart, bailed or were sadly injured and couldn't finish.

This was in large part down to the people they'd surrounded themselves with both before and during the climb.

Mastering Your Team's Mindset

This experience translates to all teams, including those in the workplace.

This challenge was WAY out of my comfort zone but when I hit a low point, I rode the will of the team because our goal was bigger that any one of us as individuals.

We leant on each others' strengths and their encouragement was a balm for the mental challenges.

Our mental resilience thrived thanks to us embedding and fully embracing these behaviours

• Setting Expectations - We were very vocal with each other that we wanted to finish the challenge within the time but also shared our own physical weaknesses so we could look out for each other.
• Overcoming Limiting Beliefs - Words matter and with every step, with every peak, I started to allow myself to believe that I was in fact able to take on endurance challenges.
• The importance of where you put your attention - We kept envisaging us at the finish line and then in a hot bath!
• Lightening the mood - Keith peppered some of the harder stretches of the route with light-hearted quizzes. There's nothing like laughter to bond a group.

If your team has mastered and naturally exhibits these behaviours, you're made.

If not, there's a whole other level of performance that is waiting for you on the other side of the metaphorical mountain range if you're willing to invest time in nurturing your team's connection & resilience.

This Week's Painting🖼️

This week I've painted, "We Can Move Mountains" - the swirling abstract landscape of the Yorkshire Dales with all the tones and colours that we saw on the day.

I hope you've enjoyed hearing about my experience of conquering this challenge.

Let me know if you've walked the Three Yorkshire Peaks and what you learned.

As always, stay curious!

Warm wishes, Louise