Lewis Hamilton is training in the mountains for the upcoming Formula 1 season.- In an Instagram post, Hamilton said he hikes to the top of a mountain every day for altitude training.
- Hamilton has expressed an interest in climbing Mt. Everest in the past.
Reigning Formula 1 champion Lewis Hamilton is hard at work training for the upcoming season.
But rather than spending his offseason behind the wheel, Hamilton has instead taken a different tact with his training. According to an Instagram post from Hamilton, he's waking up every morning and climbing a mountain.
"I'm in the mountains training every day, getting my mind and body right," Hamilton wrote." I'm hiking to the top of the mountain every morning. 3 of those hikes I cross country ski once I get to the top which is at 3400m, killer."
Hamilton says that training at altitude comes with big benefits once he comes back down to sea level.
"I love altitude training, there is less oxygen high up, so working out is much harder than at sea level, just walking up the stairs, you feel it at 2000 [meters]. Normally when I finish training here and return to sea level, running is such a breeze. I'm trying to find the right balance in cardio and strength building. On top of that, lots of work ongoing in the background."
It's not the first time Hamilton has shown his love for the mountains. In 2013, Hamilton said that he planned on climbing Mt. Everest at some point after he retires from racing.
"I plan to climb a lot of mountains over the next five to 10 years, and eventually the big one at the end, at some stage," said Hamilton, per the Independent. "As for Everest, it's just something I'd like to do, but I'm going to do it for charity."
Coming off of a brilliant season in which he won 11 of 17 races, Hamilton still has some great driving left in him before he retires his helmet in favor of hiking boots. But when the time comes, it's clear that Hamilton will be ready for the summit.