Patrick Harding was born in Leash, simply outdoors of Dublin, Eire, however now travels the world utilizing his expertise as a efficiency coach, physiotherapist, and psychological growth coach to be able to get the perfect out of his purchasers, such because the Williams’ Method One famous person, Alex Albon. M&F caught up with Harding between races to learn how his profession route led him to working with racers, and the way his partnership with the person who grew to become the primary ever Thai driver to make an F1 podium end when he positioned third, is getting stronger on a regular basis.
How did you end up turning into a efficiency coach for Alex Albon?
I’d been in skilled sports activities for about 14 or 15 years. I had been working in Olympic sports activities, and at Arsenal Soccer Membership as properly, and moved from squad-based sports activities to working one-to-one with an Irish golfer and an Irish boxer. Working with people, I began to actually benefit from the stage of element that I might get into; analyzing the gaps and placing plans in place bodily and nutritionally, and from a behavioral viewpoint, in order that we might bench mark what the perfect on this planet had been doing, and work in the direction of that.
A contact I knew, from my days of gaining a Power and Conditioning Grasp’s diploma, related me to motorsport. I began working in Method 2 for a 12 months (with racer, Tadasuke Makino, who moved on to Tremendous Method), and that was additionally when Alex was there. We sort of knew one another from the season and we sat and had a dialog about how we appreciated to work and what our personalities had been, and what we felt like we would have liked from one another. Now we’re in our seventh season collectively. The connection has grown from power to power.
There’s numerous information that goes into racing, how vital is physique composition?
The way in which the laws work, it’s truly a weight-making sport. (The minimal weight is 80 kilograms together with helmet, race swimsuit, and footwear). Something above that, and also you’re penalizing your self, proper? (If a driver is beneath 80 kilograms totally kitted, then the load distinction is corrected with a ballast). So, from our viewpoint, on the load administration facet, (Alex) is about 78 kilograms, with equipment. Alex is 6’ 1”, he’s most likely one of many tallest drivers on the grid. This has it’s challenges each positionally, and ergonomically within the automobile. He’s tremendous lean, tremendous athletic, in order that makes it simpler.
F1 races can final 80 minutes and upwards. How a lot weight would possibly a driver lose in that point?
I’d say, on common, between a kilogram and a kilogram and a half. Then you definitely’ll get particular races, like Singapore, or like Quatar final 12 months, the place it may be something as much as two and half, or three kilograms. So, it’s a major shift in weight. With any individual like Alex, who’s fairly lean, there’s not numerous reserve there when it comes to vitality, in order that’s why vitamin, for us, particularly by way of these sizzling weekends is so vital, in addition to hydration, combining each of these collectively. It’s actually one thing that we now have to be aware of.
Let’s begin with hydration, how do you method this?
We’ll calculate the quantity of water that Alex is allowed, within the automobile, primarily based on the general weight of the motive force and the automobile. Temperature situations are vital as a result of what you don’t wish to do is begin including tons of fluid, including weight to the automobile, after which that fluid doesn’t get used and also you’re simply carrying round further ballast. Sometimes, we allot for 200 milliliters. Then, in a very sizzling race we’ll do 750. We might do 1,000 mils. We’ll hold it actually easy; it’s water and electrolytes, so we make certain he’s nutritionally fueled earlier than the race, and that he has entry to fluid on board. We aren’t making an attempt to chase hydration throughout a race, as a result of that’s a harmful state of affairs to be in. We make it possible for we now have accomplished the entire work beforehand.
When it comes to that prep work, what well being dietary supplements are usually good for racers?
When you consider the quantity of journey that Alex does, and his vitality expenditure, we complement for common well being. So we complement with a multivitamin together with vitamin D, vitamin B complicated, vitamin C and zinc. We’ll make certain he’s acquired a robust, wholesome immune system but additionally that he’s getting a praise of nutritional vitamins that he wouldn’t all the time get in his eating regimen. We use probiotics, at occasions, to assist help intestine well being. There are all the time choices, when it comes to the final well being facet.
Within the pre-season, we spend a while making an attempt to place some muscle-mass on Alex. So, good high quality protein is absolutely key for us in that interval. If he isn’t getting sufficient from meals then we are able to complement with powders and protein-based snacks.
How does Alex’s vitamin differ in a race weekend in comparison with the pre-season?
Throughout a race weekend, we focus rather a lot on vitamin however for a driver like Alex, who’s so focussed on the race, generally meals slips down the checklist of priorities (for him). In these circumstances, we’ll complement with some carb and protein restoration shakes. From our viewpoint, dietary supplements are a key a part of our efficiency regime. Naturally, we want to get all of what we want from good wholesome meals, and that’s what we intention for, however we’re additionally very aware that there are prime quality dietary supplements on the market that we are able to add to the schedule to be able to assist buffer these areas the place we’d not be hitting what we have to on sure events.
How does Alex method vitamin typically?
He makes actually good decisions with regards to meals and he likes his meals, and he likes good meals. He’ll say he’s an excellent cook dinner however he’s completely not (laughs). We now have an unbelievable nutritionist who helps us from a distance with the plans. However the actuality for any individual like Alex is that he has an enormous vitality demand throughout a race weekend. And even typically throughout these weeks in between races as a result of we’re coaching, and he’s touring, then he’s acquired simulator work, his physique is making an attempt to get better, and I’d say he’s near an vitality deficit more often than not simply because it’s tough for him to devour the quantity of meals that he wants.
So, on race weekend, if I see him dipping into the dessert part right here and there, I’ve completely no points with that. Generally we want these energy on board from an vitality and restoration viewpoint. About 99% of the time he makes good decisions. He likes candy potato mash, stuff that’s straightforward to digest, some greens or a pleasant leafy salad with these good antioxidants in there. supply of protein might be one thing like rooster, turkey, or some lean fish.
You talked about that Alex is lean and muscular. Are you able to speak us by way of his power and conditioning?
The neck is clearly a key element of the game, and we spend numerous time neck loading. His neck max’s are 78 kilograms plus, in facet flexion (facet bending) and extension, so he’s extremely robust. Outdoors of that, two or three cardio primarily based classes per week are actually vital for Alex, and any driver, as a result of drivers endure 120, 130 bpm for something as much as 5 or 6 hours on a weekend within the automobile. We do Zone 1 work (55 – 65% HR max) both on a motorbike or operating. Then we’ll intersperse that with some excessive heartrate HIIT work, bursts of something from 30 seconds as much as 2-minutes, and get his coronary heart charge proper up there. Maximizing the stroke quantity with very nice oxygenated blood. If we buffer that oxidative capability and we max that, then I do know we’ve acquired a extremely robust cardio base there.
Outdoors of that, the classes Alex completely hates are the anaerobic classes. He’s beginning to construct his tolerances with some lactic classes (like quick, heavy bursts on a motorbike). They’re horrible. There’s no motive to say that they don’t seem to be. However there are durations throughout a race when he’s tapping into totally different vitality programs and his heartrate might be at 170, 180 bpm, defending positions, overtaking vehicles, so he wants to have the ability to exist in that zone as properly. How he executes these cardio and anaerobic classes tells me extra about the place he’s at from an total, and common readiness viewpoint.
Singapore is developing in September, so we’ve acquired classes booked the place we are going to get right into a humidity chamber to be able to recreate these situations and can begin to acclimatize Alex’s physique earlier than we even depart the UK. That’s the extent of prep that we have to do to.
Having labored in F1 for a number of years, what impresses you most about Alex and different F1 drivers?
What impresses me essentially the most is that these are athletes that need to exist on the broadest spectrums of bodily health. In a bizarre manner, they’re similar to boxers, when it comes to needing a extremely good cardio base, actually good anaerobic base, and power and energy are key for fulfillment. Nevertheless it’s additionally technical and tactical and I believe what makes F1 a bit of bit totally different is the environmental situations.
We talked about Singapore; we talked about Qatar. If you happen to take Hungary, the observe temperature was 140°F/ 60°C plus. And never solely are they within the automobile for an hour and a half, driving at 190 mph/ 320 kph, enduring as much as 6G corners, however in addition they need to react with precision. Then, they’re continually speaking with the engineers with info on tires, technique, in order that knowledgeable choices could be made on the pit and within the manufacturing unit to be able to decide the success of the race. So, it’s the cognitive stage, to have the ability to carry out at that top execution charge whereas nonetheless withstanding these environmental situations and bodily load. It’s actually, actually spectacular.
Patrick will help Alex when the F1 season continues with Spherical 15 within the Netherlands on August 23-25.
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