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 very best out of his shoppers, such because the Williams’ Formulation One celebrity, 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 changing 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 essentially benefit from the degree of element that I may get into; analyzing the gaps and placing plans in place bodily and nutritionally, and from a behavioral perspective, in order that we may bench mark what the very best on the planet had been doing, and work in direction of that.
A contact I knew, from my days of gaining a Energy and Conditioning Grasp’s diploma, linked me to motorsport. I began working in Formulation 2 for a yr (with racer, Tadasuke Makino, who moved on to Tremendous Formulation), and that was additionally when Alex was there. We form 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 may be numerous information that goes into racing, how vital is physique composition?
The best way the rules work, it’s really a weight-making sport. (The minimal weight is 80 kilograms together with helmet, race go well with, and footwear). Something above that, and also you’re penalizing your self, proper? (If a driver is under 80 kilograms absolutely kitted, then the burden distinction is corrected with a ballast). So, from our perspective, on the burden administration facet, (Alex) is about 78 kilograms, with package. Alex is 6’ 1”, he’s in all probability 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 might 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 yr, 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 by way of vitality, in order that’s why diet, for us, particularly by means of these scorching weekends is so vital, in addition to hydration, combining each of these collectively. It’s definitely one thing that we’ve to be aware of.
Let’s begin with hydration, how do you strategy 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 circumstances 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 additional ballast. Usually, we allot for 200 milliliters. Then, in a very scorching race we’ll do 750. We may do 1,000 mils. We’ll preserve it actually easy; it’s water and electrolytes, so we be certain he’s nutritionally fueled earlier than the race, and that he has entry to fluid on board. We’re not attempting to chase hydration throughout a race, as a result of that’s a harmful situation to be in. We make it possible for we’ve completed 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 normal well being. So we complement with a multivitamin together with vitamin D, vitamin B advanced, vitamin C and zinc. We’ll be certain he’s received a powerful, wholesome immune system but additionally that he’s getting a praise of nutritional vitamins that he wouldn’t at all times get in his food regimen. We use probiotics, at occasions, to assist assist intestine well being. There are at all times choices, by way of the overall well being facet.
Within the pre-season, we spend a while attempting to place some muscle-mass on Alex. So, good high quality protein is actually 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 diet differ in a race weekend in comparison with the pre-season?
Throughout a race weekend, we focus rather a lot on diet however for a driver like Alex, who’s so focussed on the race, generally meals slips down the record of priorities (for him). In these circumstances, we’ll complement with some carb and protein restoration shakes. From our perspective, dietary supplements are a key a part of our efficiency regime. Naturally, we wish to get all of what we want from good wholesome meals, and that’s what we purpose 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 strategy diet usually?
He makes actually good decisions in terms of meals and he likes his meals, and he likes good meals. He’ll say he’s an excellent prepare dinner however he’s completely not (laughs). Now we have an unimaginable 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 usually throughout these weeks in between races as a result of we’re coaching, and he’s touring, then he’s received simulator work, his physique is attempting to get well, and I might say he’s near an vitality deficit more often than not simply because it’s tough for him to eat the amount 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 perspective. About 99% of the time he makes good decisions. He likes candy potato mash, stuff that’s simple to digest, some greens or a pleasant leafy salad with these good antioxidants in there. An excellent supply of protein might be one thing like hen, turkey, or some lean fish.
You talked about that Alex is lean and muscular. Are you able to discuss us by means 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 sturdy. 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 working. 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 price 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 received a very sturdy 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 aren’t. However there are intervals throughout a race when he’s tapping into completely different vitality techniques and his heartrate might be at 170, 180 bpm, defending positions, overtaking automobiles, 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 general, and normal readiness perspective.
Singapore is arising in September, so we’ve received classes booked the place we are going to get right into a humidity chamber to be able to recreate these circumstances and can begin to acclimatize Alex’s physique earlier than we even go away 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 probably 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, by way of needing a very good cardio base, actually good anaerobic base, and power and energy are key for fulfillment. But it surely’s additionally technical and tactical and I believe what makes F1 slightly bit completely different is the environmental circumstances.
We talked about Singapore; we talked about Qatar. For those who 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 additionally they need to react with precision. Then, they’re always speaking with the engineers with info on tires, technique, in order that knowledgeable selections 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 degree, to have the ability to carry out at that top execution price whereas nonetheless withstanding these environmental circumstances and bodily load. It’s actually, actually spectacular.
Patrick will assist Alex when the F1 season continues with Spherical 15 within the Netherlands on August 23-25.
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