WHAT IS THE VIPER 3.0 AND TIPS TO BEAT IT

WHAT IS THE VIPER 3.0?

The Viper 3.0 is a 3 hour trail race that can be carried out as a solo runner or a team of 2 runners and the aim is to complete as many 5km laps as possible in 3 hours.

Runners can complete multiple laps before passing the baton if they like or can simply swap every 5km lap. (Solo runners can leave the route after each lap for rest)

We recommend only experienced trail runners to undertake the Viper 3.0 as a solo runner!

Teams of 2 runners must have a runner running consistently throughout. I.e. one of the 2 runners must be on the route for the 3 hours.

The Viper 3.0 is not to be taken lightly… Yes! It’s only 5km in length but the route is very hilly, undulating with varied terrain so training for it is a must!

Team Viper advise runners to train speed, endurance & strength because runners should be aiming to complete as many 5km laps as possible so speed will come into play. Include Fartlek & other forms of interval training into your training programme.

The awesome thing about this is, the faster you complete the laps, you of course get more laps in, however, the runner on recovery (not running) will be shortened unless your game plan is to do 2 x 5km laps back to back before changing runner! This brings me nicely onto to Endurance.

Endurance training is especially important for the Viper 3.0 because multiple 5km laps for 3 hours is enduring on the body! Try doing split training sets as part of your training plan. I.e. Go and run your 5km or even 10km then rest then go out again and repeat to get your body used to running multiple times.

Because the Viper 3.0 at Delamere Forest is a tough route, strength is a huge factor to include into your training plan… “Cobra’s Ascent” is a steep ascent that starts to climb within the 1km of the 5. We recommend getting some good leg and core training into your training too!

Good isometric core training such as planks and variations of the plank will help strengthen the core to stabilize the hips and spine. Include a lot of deep squats and some plyometric (explosive) leg work too to strengthen the Glutes and leg muscle groups. This will help you tackle the heavy climbs and descents, the plyometric work and the core work will also help you tackle the technical parts of the route where there are a lot of short, sharp and windy turns.

Overall, the Viper 3.0 is an exciting challenge that will test your speed, endurance, strength and mental game because you are, of course against the clock and other Viper runners!

Team Viper withes you look with your training and we look forward to seeing you on race day, Sat 28 March 2015 @ Delamere Forest, Cheshire!